some advice?

[Asclepius]

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I've been a member of this network for just a few weeks, but I've realized quickly that this is generally intelligent and well-informed group. I graduated from an excellent university 3 years ago with a degree in the humanities and a 3.4 gpa. Since then I've worked as a church youth director and completed my prerequisites at the local state university (not reknown at all) and earned a 4.0 in the sciences, having taken only the prereqs. and genetics.
My biology professor, a well-known cyanobacteriologist asked me to do a master's degree in his lab. I'm actually the only student he's allowed, much less invited, to work with him in several years. He, for various legitimate reasons, has not done much research on cyanobacteria in a few years. He says he has lots of interesting projects ready to go. I've been accepted to the program, and could begin graduate work this summer...I could also opt to work in the lab of one of the other professors, dealing more with medically-related issues. This would also give me the opportunity to work, perhaps, at St. Jude's research hospital, one of the best research hospitals in the country.
Anyway, I am contacting the admissions departments of the various admissions depts. of the schools I'm applying to, but I'd also like you opinion, fellow SDNers. Would you prefer to work with a professor that has shown special interest in you, though it may be a less glamorous project...and of less interest and relevance to you as a med. applicant, or would you rather work in an equally or more prestigious lab dealing with your interests?

 

[MTORMENTME]

Personally I think you should do what interests you more. You'll probably accomplish more that way. If your interested in something..your gonna want to do it all day everyday and possibly get some publishable material. A few publications in obscure research may give you more to show than years doing medical research with no results.

 

[girl99]

No research is glamorous when you're putting in the hours, repetition, and fine-tuning needed to get good results and publications. So if something doesn't seem glamorous now, it definitely won't a few months down the road!! Plus if you're intellectually interested in a specific area you'll be more apt to go the extra mile--reading relevant scientific literature on your own, coming up with your own ideas for a project, and like I said before--putting in the time (and usually for a poor salary!) Also, and this is just a personal choice-- having worked in minor labs and now working in a major department with big-name people and tons of grant money, research life is that much better when your department has more money, prestige, and connections (huge Happy Hours every other Friday, courtesy of dept 🙂 , famous scientists coming all the time to present down the hall, a lot more great minds nearby to discuss your projects and help you out, and more money to buy whatever you need to accomplish your project). Hope this helps.

 

[med student]

Here is another point that you may not have considered. It sounds like the first prof really likes you and wants you to work in his lab which may or may not be the case in other labs just because they don't know you as well. So I would go to this lab if you are interested in the work he is doing for this reason. Chances are no matter where you work you are not going to make any amazing discoveries that are going to knock the ADCOM over. So what may end up being more important to the ADCOM than the type of research you do is the letter of rec you get from the person you work for in the lab. Which would most likely be a much better letter if it came from the first prof you mentioned because he knows you already and it sounds like he likes you.

 

[vyc]

i'd totally go for the research that i'm interested in!!

 

[spacecadet]

When I was doing my master's, I learned that having a prof who is interested in you and your work will help a lot. My advisor really wasn't interested, and it made my master's thesis drag out. I'd go with the advisor that you like better, assuming that the research is something you would like to do.

 

[crazygop]

I would suggest doing the research and getting the Master's degree. As someone who has worked with cyanobacteria as well (and earned my Master's working with them), I would highly suggest doing the research, especially since your undergrad was humanities. I think doing this will make you a shoe-in. While cyanobacteria obviously do not relate directly to medicine, all biological principles are related, and the understanding of the scientific process you will gain will be invaluable. I happened to work with Microarrays, which does relate directly to medicine. Good luck.