Significant Research Experience Essay

[backsideatk]

Does anyone actually fill out all 10 000 characters? I assume that's for people who've done significantly long research period (>5 years), but I can't imagine writing that much about the projects I'm working on.

anyone else thinking this?

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[Neuronix]

Do NOT attempt to fill space here. A paragraph per research experience is about the right amount. You want to state the lab's name, the time period you were there, a sentence or two about the lab's work, what you did specifically, and highlight what you got out of the lab. Write the explanation simply enough that any scientist, even in another field, can understand it and do not put in references.

 

[backsideatk]

so just briefly describe the project / your role?

If you were first author on something (and did everything) should you just shorten the explanation by saying you did everything? Or by describing each and every step in detail? (process of designing experiment, protocol, data collection etc etc).


By references do you mean references to papers where they will learn more about that field? Or references (citations) to papers you were listed authors on (which I thought would be included)

please excuse my naivete

 

[SBR249]

I think Neuronix is saying not to cite stuff or use footnotes. Basically, if your essay starts to look like something you'd submit to a peer reviewed journal, then you are heading in the wrong direction.

Also, I think I might have to disagree with limiting it to one paragraph per research experience. Given that MD/PhD applicants generally have extended research experiences in the same lab/project rather than a lot of short duration experiences, one paragraph seems a little inadequate (or maybe too long for a paragraph ). I feel that it might be better to tell a story, so to speak, by giving a little background (why your project is important, what it's goals/hypotheses are) and then describe the highlights of what you did, the rationale, and the results/conclusions. That way, it doesn't just plunge the reader into something abruptly, then pull them back out and leave them hanging. Maybe 2-3 paragraphs or more if the experience/project lasts a long time.

 

[Neuronix]

If you were first author on something (and did everything) should you just shorten the explanation by saying you did everything? Or by describing each and every step in detail? (process of designing experiment, protocol, data collection etc etc).

I was just giving a general guideline. If you had multiple published projects in one lab, you can go longer than one paragraph. You know, maybe two paragraphs.

By references do you mean references to papers where they will learn more about that field? Or references (citations) to papers you were listed authors on (which I thought would be included)

I mean don't include specific references. Those will be included in your AMCAS extracirriculars section.

For example: "I worked in the lab of PI X from Y date to Z date. The lab studies the interaction of proteins that are implicated in the pathogenesis of A disease. My project looked at the interaction of B protein and C protein, and found that mutant versions of the proteins hyperstimulated each other, leading to additional downstream signaling effects. My lead role on this project included the design of most experiments, performing the experiments, analyzing the data, and more. This culminated in a first-author abstract and poster presented at the D International Conference in some year, and two first author publications in E journal and F journal. It is very exciting that this work is stimulating future patient-oriented research as we are now screening patients for some of these mutations."

I think you get the idea. That is a long paragraph, so if you had several rather distinct experiences in a lab over a long period of time it becomes prudent to write a few paragraphs. But the idea is not to fill up a lot of characters. The idea is to keep it short and sweet.

 

[SBR249]

Short and sweet is nice, but isn't that a little inadequate for the 10,000 chars (4-5 single spaced pages) that you are allowed? At this rate, the research experiences essay will be shorter than the personal statement and they only allot 5300chars for that.

I heard the rule of thumb is to aim for 75% of allotted space.

 

[soundnin]

I heard the rule of thumb is to aim for 75% of allotted space.

that's a pretty dumb rule. use what you need.

 

[Maebea]

Please do not feel that you need to use the entire space allotted. Many program directors feel that the 10,000 character limit is way too much. We might see the limit reduced to 7,500 or even 5,000 in the future. Adcoms appreciate clear, concise and cogent research descriptions. Tell us the context of your research, what your hypothesis was, what the results were, and how you interpret it/what the next step is. Make sure we know what you did (do not use "we" when "I" is more accurate, and vice versa). We do not want references. If your work went into a publication, you can state that, but give the reference in the AMCAS experience section.

Neuronix's example is perhaps a little too brief, but he is on the right track. We do not want to read a lab report or see a lot of details. We have several hundred of these essays to read, and we do not want to hack through dense, turgid, detail-laden descriptions to figure out what you did. Remember, KISS--Keep It Simple Stupid.

 

[justgo]

My draft is about 8,000 words now and I have been doing research at the university level for 9 years, in 5 different labs, and I have 5 publications. Definitely, use what you need and don't try to say more than you need to.....explain what you did, what challenges you overcame, what you learned, what the outcomes were....and then let your research mentors look it over and see if they think you should add anything. My essay will likely come up close to the 10,000 as a result of comments from my research mentors.....but I have been at this a while.

The people you have done research with should in theory know you like the back of their own hands, and as such they will definitely be able to tell you if you need to add or subtract from your essay. They are busy, but they should look at your stuff (mine are HHMI fast paced big wig types and they looked at mine....so ask and you should likely receive).

 

[ablavar]

My draft is about 8,000 words now and I have been doing research at the university level for 9 years, in 5 different labs, and I have 5 publications. Definitely, use what you need and don't try to say more than you need to.....explain what you did, what challenges you overcame, what you learned, what the outcomes were....and then let your research mentors look it over and see if they think you should add anything. My essay will likely come up close to the 10,000 as a result of comments from my research mentors.....but I have been at this a while.

The people you have done research with should in theory know you like the back of their own hands, and as such they will definitely be able to tell you if you need to add or subtract from your essay. They are busy, but they should look at your stuff (mine are HHMI fast paced big wig types and they looked at mine....so ask and you should likely receive).

Nine years? That is obscene(ly good) for an application. I hope you've had time to do other things out of your comfort zone.

 

[justgo]

Nine years? That is obscene(ly good) for an application. I hope you've had time to do other things out of your comfort zone.

Oh yes. I may be that rare applicant who's research experience is balanced by their medical/volunteering/real world experience.....but don't worry I'm extremely flawed in other ways.

 

[StoicJosher]

My draft is about 8,000 words now and I have been doing research at the university level for 9 years, in 5 different labs, and I have 5 publications. Definitely, use what you need and don't try to say more than you need to.....explain what you did, what challenges you overcame, what you learned, what the outcomes were....and then let your research mentors look it over and see if they think you should add anything. My essay will likely come up close to the 10,000 as a result of comments from my research mentors.....but I have been at this a while.

The people you have done research with should in theory know you like the back of their own hands, and as such they will definitely be able to tell you if you need to add or subtract from your essay. They are busy, but they should look at your stuff (mine are HHMI fast paced big wig types and they looked at mine....so ask and you should likely receive).

That's intimidating!! Considering you will be applying this cycle.. But good luck.. Its a lot of work that you have done and you should be fine.

 

[K31]

If you want your interviewers to read your essay, it would behoove you to keep it well under the limit. When I'm reviewing an application prior to interviewing an applicant, my interest wanes rapidly if it is longer than 3-4 paragraphs.

 

[SPLearner]

If you want your interviewers to read your essay, it would behoove you to keep it well under the limit. When I'm reviewing an application prior to interviewing an applicant, my interest wanes rapidly if it is longer than 3-4 paragraphs.

K31, I'm I missing something here? The word limit is 10000 charaters, and you are saying that anything more than 4 paragraphs disinterest the admision interviewer? Except you are refering to 4 very long paragraphs, which in my case can actually become too crowded and less legible.
More explanation please on your perspective please!

 

[SPLearner]

Hello all. i just joined this site and currently working on my Significant Research Experience Essay. Was wondering how other applicants stats(GPA, MCAT, experience, schools etc) are in these process. LOL. More like a trending feedback through this 2011 application cycle.

 

[whiteshadodw]

Hello all. i just joined this site and currently working on my Significant Research Experience Essay. Was wondering how other applicants stats(GPA, MCAT, experience, schools etc) are in these process. LOL. More like a trending feedback through this 2011 application cycle.

did you even care to read any of the stickies on this section of the forum?

 

[backsideatk]

So how does a paragraph (~250 words each) per project sound?

 

[K31]

K31, I'm I missing something here? The word limit is 10000 charaters, and you are saying that anything more than 4 paragraphs disinterest the admision interviewer? Except you are refering to 4 very long paragraphs, which in my case can actually become too crowded and less legible.
More explanation please on your perspective please!

Short version--from my perspective, the research experience essay is to make sure you're interviewed by people with interests similar to your own and so that the interviewer isn't completely clueless coming in. Unless you come off as a complete idiot in the essay, it is unlikely to play a role in any admission decision.

Longer version:
There's a lot to review in an applicant's file. Especially if I'm in a rush before the interview (it's rare in my experience for interviewers to get the application earlier than the afternoon of the day before the interview), there's no way I'm going to read a 4 page essay on your research experience--a page is about the limit to do any more than a cursory glance. And as I student interviewer, I'm likely to spend much more time reviewing your application than a faculty interviewer will.

I just want to get a basic feel for what you've done, and maybe do a quick Google search so I know something about the subject if it's not my area (not looking at papers from the lab, more like looking at the Wikipedia page for the protein they work with).

In my opinion, for the essay you should be able to condense each research experience down to a paragraph--what were the goals of the project, how you went about it, brief summary of results. If one of the projects piques an interviewer's interest, they will ask you about it in the interview.

 

[SBR249]

First of all, let me say that I know each school does the interview process differently and different people have different amounts of input/weight in the decision process at different schools. However...

Unfortunately these applications aren't designed as concise abstracts for interviewers to read in the 5 minutes before an interview as the interviewee is standing outside the door.

These applications will be given to admissions committee members (many of whom will not be meeting the applicant personally) so that they can make crucial decisions about whether or not the applicant is a good candidate for the program.

To say that an applicant has to tailor their application into bite-sized versions so as to not inconvenience someone who will perhaps ultimately write a one paragraph evaluation for the committee to read just doesn't seem right to me. I think an application is an important representation of who the applicant is to the adcoms and care should be taken to ensure that the picture present is as complete and detailed as possible. If that means being a little verbose on an essay, then that should be OK.

Also, if the interviewer is in too much of a hurry to read through everything, then that's what the interview is for: to give them a chance to ask this stuff in person. The interviewer could even say something like "I prefer to do interviews closed file to get as accurate of an impression of applicants as possible."

 

[SPLearner]

Short version--from my perspective, the research experience essay is to make sure you're interviewed by people with interests similar to your own and so that the interviewer isn't completely clueless coming in. Unless you come off as a complete idiot in the essay, it is unlikely to play a role in any admission decision.

Longer version:
There's a lot to review in an applicant's file. Especially if I'm in a rush before the interview (it's rare in my experience for interviewers to get the application earlier than the afternoon of the day before the interview), there's no way I'm going to read a 4 page essay on your research experience--a page is about the limit to do any more than a cursory glance. And as I student interviewer, I'm likely to spend much more time reviewing your application than a faculty interviewer will.


I just want to get a basic feel for what you've done, and maybe do a quick Google search so I know something about the subject if it's not my area (not looking at papers from the lab, more like looking at the Wikipedia page for the protein they work with).

In my opinion, for the essay you should be able to condense each research experience down to a paragraph--what were the goals of the project, how you went about it, brief summary of results. If one of the projects piques an interviewer's interest, they will ask you about it in the interview.

Thanks.
I just completed mine yesterday, Will send it to my faculty for review.

 

[backsideatk]

Should this essay include information about posters/oral presentations that were done based off of the research? I did mention whether or not a certain project got published (but did not include the citation, since that supposed to go in work/activities right?) but I didn't know if that was correct, and whether or not presentations should be included also.

I have given a few presentations but I didn't put them on my work/activities sections (aside from a VERY brief mention in one of the activity descriptions) because I'm already using 5/15 slots for research related activities.

 

[barcamdphd21]

I used almost all of the 10,000 characters while trying to explain in a logical manner everything that I have been doing for the last three years in lab.

I also disagree with K31 in that we have to tailor the essay to the busy
scheduale of adcoms. If i am paying 30 + 80-100 dollars per school, they better make sure to read it.

 

[Neuronix]

If i am paying 30 + 80-100 dollars per school, they better make sure to read it.

I snorted soda through my nose . Yeah bro, they really care that YOU PAID 80 DOLLARS. OMG WE BETTER PAY ATTENTION TO THIS GUY. Get real. I mean yeah, that's the way it should work. But the reality is there's 10 people who will take that spot you want. Each adcom has to review dozens of applications, taking time out of their otherwise very busy lives. Most adcoms are going to skim that 10,000 word essay very lightly, if they read it at all. Just wait until you apply for residency. You will pay more and they will care even less about you as a person.

That leads me to say, don't be afraid of repeating what's in your AMCAS activities section in your essay. Don't be afraid to mention that you gave a presentation at an international conference (not an undergrad or inner instiution one) in your essay even if it's in your AMCAS activities. You don't have to give an exact reference, but it's fine to mention, as many reviewers aren't going to go through your app thoroughly and you need to grab their attention while you have it. But do it succinctly.

 

[Myuu]

I used almost all of the 10,000 characters while trying to explain in a logical manner everything that I have been doing for the last three years in lab.

I also disagree with K31 in that we have to tailor the essay to the busy
scheduale of adcoms. If i am paying 30 + 80-100 dollars per school, they better make sure to read it.

Good luck with that one.

 

[pharmerchick]

I'm a little confused about the epectations going into this essay. I've worked in 2 labs for the past 2 schools and 3 summers. I've obtained a departmental and a national scholarship for my research. However, because I mostly worked on my own projects that I had to start myself, I've not had any publishing opportunities. Is it an expectation to have published at an undergrad level?
I always assumed that undergrad was a time for learning new lab techniques and understanding and attempting basic experimental design, rather than trying to get published.

 

[TTSBT]

The prompt verbatim for reference:
Please describe your significant research experiences. In your statement, please specify your research supervisor's name and affiliation, the duration of the experience, the nature of the problem studied, and your contributions to the project. The available space is 10,000 characters.

My questions/concerns:
(1) Affiliation - Both of my mentors have multiple appointments that relate to my research in their labs. How do you decide what to include if your mentor has a huge number of appointments/affiliations (e.g., Director of __, Professor of __, Professor of _, [Insert Special Affiliation] Researcher/Educator, Editor of [Insert Academic Journal], etc.)... or do you just include it all? Also, given the likelihood that most mentors are Dr.'s of some sort, do you provide titles to show which kind (e.g., MD, PhD behind name) or simply refer to them as Dr. John Doe?

(2) Background - Is it appropriate to include how you stumbled upon each project focus here... or would this be better addressed in any another section? If the latter, what section? My MD-PhD essay is at max characters already! This applies to the tone, I guess...

(3) Tone - I'm trying to figure out if it's straight to the point, cut and dry type of writing (like an abstract)... or if it's okay to sort of tell a story (still concise though) about your journey through the process of research, focusing on all of the things they specifically mentioned in a still clear, concise but more passionate way. What do you think?

Thanks!

 

[TTSBT]

I'm a little confused about the epectations going into this essay. I've worked in 2 labs for the past 2 schools and 3 summers. I've obtained a departmental and a national scholarship for my research. However, because I mostly worked on my own projects that I had to start myself, I've not had any publishing opportunities. Is it an expectation to have published at an undergrad level?
I always assumed that undergrad was a time for learning new lab techniques and understanding and attempting basic experimental design, rather than trying to get published.

I researched over 50 MD-PhD programs while trying to make my apply list. I did not find a single program that required publications. In fact, the majority of them specifically state that it's neither a requirement nor expectation on their website. Of course, I imagine that it's only a plus for those who do have them. However, it doesn't seem to be a major loss without them.

 

[K31]

I also disagree with K31 in that we have to tailor the essay to the busy scheduale of adcoms. If i am paying 30 + 80-100 dollars per school, they better make sure to read it.

I can assure you that those of us doing the interviewing don't get a cut of the secondary fees. As far as I can tell, that goes into the hooker and blow fund for the admissions office, and they don't invite us to those parties.

 

[delirium81]

I can assure you that those of us doing the interviewing don't get a cut of the secondary fees. As far as I can tell, that goes into the hooker and blow fund for the admissions office, and they don't invite us to those parties.

This is awesome. And true.

And really, to applicants writing your essays, it will only benefit you if you make your essays as concise and well-written as possible. Don't fill the 10,000 characters just to fill it. No one wants to read all that. We want to know that you did good work, and that you can communicate it effectively, i.e. clearly and concisely.

 

[whiteshadodw]

I researched over 50 MD-PhD programs while trying to make my apply list. I did not find a single program that required publications. In fact, the majority of them specifically state that it's neither a requirement nor expectation on their website. Of course, I imagine that it's only a plus for those who do have them. However, it doesn't seem to be a major loss without them.

while this is true, there are other things you can do to make your application stand out that you are more in control of. retrospectively, i wish i would have applied to a lot more competitive "research" scholarships while i was doing my undergrad.

 

[barcamdphd21]

I will admit my comments were ridiculous to say the least; I attribute this to my anger after paying amcas primary. But, my issue is that your advice (talking to K31 and Neuronix) might cause some people to sacrifice quality content over brevity.

How can you summarize three years of research with two publications in just three paragraphs?

 

[delirium81]

How can you summarize three years of research with two publications in just three paragraphs?

How long were the abstracts for both of those papers? I'm assuming you were able to summarize the contents of those pubs in 250 words or less, i.e. a paragraph. Then maybe a third paragraph for what you're working on now. Really, people reading your essays don't need to know the nitty gritty details of your work. Just summarize and highlight your role in it. If anyone does want more detail, they'll ask you in the interview.

 

[kryptonian]

I have a (potentially dumb) question regarding the Research Essay (the 10,000 characters one). When describing what I did in the lab, is it a big turn-off if I use "I" quite often ? For example, "I characterized X ... Later I evaluated Y." I feel like it is easier to use passive voice, like the way paper is often written, but I am afraid using passive voice will mislead the adcom to think the experiments were done by someone else. On the other hand, using "I" too much may sound arrogant and banal. I really appreciate if someone can give me an opinion on this. Thank you very much !

 

[Caprica6]

I used "I" when referring to my own results, and "we" when referring to the lab's results. I don't see a problem with not using the passive voice; it's your research essay and not a journal submission. Keep in mind that it shouldn't be as technical as a journal article either.

 

[MrNeuro]

Just wondering if someone could chime in
Three questions


1) Im practically just using the abstracts of my pubs and editing it down to sound less "science-y" Is this ok???

2) I'm finding it really hard replacing "we" with "I"

should i just suck it up and replace we with I where I feel its appropriate? Im afraid when my bosses read it they may get a little annoyed....and say something along the lines of "Oh realy 'I' without MY money there would be no 'I'"

3) do i have to say that the hippocampus is involved in learning and memory or will the adcom know....at the top of my essay i put down that all my research has to do w/ learning and memory and is centered around studying synaptic changes in the hippocampus....

 

[neviim]

Hey guys I joined SDN just so I could post this question up.

For the significant research experience essay thats part of the MD-PhD essay I want to know 4 things.

1) Should I talk about how I joined the lab. Does that kind of introductory information matter to adcoms reading it?

2) I plan on presenting my research at a national conference to be held in December. Should I put future plans such as that in my essay or in the EC section of the AMCAS?

3) My PI hopes to get me published. I still have some more work to do and then have to start writing. Can I mention this plan of mine? Do Adcoms care?

4) I will also be writing a thesis on my research that I will defend for my Honors program requirement should I mention this?
Thanks