Some questions on research!

[AA|FCB|DOC]

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Hi all!

I had a few questions about research. My first one is about timing. Would it be any better to do research my junior year than doing it my senior year (applying in senior year)? Also would it be better to do research at a company of some sort like an internship or under one of one my science professors? Finally, is a period of 10 weeks for research suffice?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Hi all!

I had a few questions about research. My first one is about timing. Would it be any better to do research my junior year than doing it my senior year (applying in senior year)? Also would it be better to do research at a company of some sort like an internship or under one of one my science professors? Finally, is a period of 10 weeks for research suffice?

Thanks in advance!

For being productive in a basic/translational lab? Extremely, extremely, extremely unlikely. You'll be spending the majority of that time learning lab techniques, not conducting research.

If you're talking about clinical research (ie. retrospective studies, case reports, etc), then 10 weeks might be doable.

 

[deleted357625]

I'll do it as soon as possible.

 

[slatermd]

Hi all!

I had a few questions about research. My first one is about timing. Would it be any better to do research my junior year than doing it my senior year (applying in senior year)? Also would it be better to do research at a company of some sort like an internship or under one of one my science professors? Finally, is a period of 10 weeks for research suffice?

Thanks in advance!

Any demonstrated interest in research is going to be a plus on your application.

IMO, 10 weeks will not look like a demonstrated interest to admissions people. It will look like you really wanted to scratch "Research" off your checklist. Of course, everyone is just putting the check in the box, but some do it with more convincing style.

I would start your junior year with professors, if possible, and continue until you graduate. This is less suspicious than a 10 week whirlwind tour.

 

[hmockingbird]

10 weeks works... if you either have a very self-limited project, or only plan to contribute a small part of a bigger project. I think it would work better for clinical research. I did a summer internship, about 10 weeks, and finished my clinical project. I was under the guidance of doctors but basically did everything myself. I also worked my butt off, coming in every weekend until I had it done because it took us forever to get the proposal approved, cutting out like two weeks of our time.

Definitely do-able, but like I said you have to have a very defined scope, sort-of a mini-project, or be willing to make a meaningful contribution but not necessarily see the research through to the end. A lot of the other people in the program did the latter, especially those involved with already established basic science labs in the hospital.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Any demonstrated interest in research is going to be a plus on your application.

IMO, 10 weeks will not look like a demonstrated interest to admissions people. It will look like you really wanted to scratch "Research" off your checklist. Of course, everyone is just putting the check in the box, but some do it with more convincing style.

I would start your junior year with professors, if possible, and continue until you graduate. This is less suspicious than a 10 week whirlwind tour.

Some of us are actually conducting independent research and are interested in academic careers. Just so you know. We're not conducting research just to "check off a box." 🙂

As I said before, it's extremely unlikely for 10 weeks to be enough to complete a basic/translational project. Don't delude yourself into thinking it's doable. It's doable in only very rare cases.

 

[AA|FCB|DOC]

the issue that I am having is that since I eventually need a letter of recommendation from a "science instructor" I am not sure if the clinical research under a doctor will be as good since a letter of rec from him might not count as a science instructor. However, if i do research under my ochem professor then there is a possibility that he can also write my letter of rec as well down the road. therefore I have an option of doing a 10 week clinical research opportunity as a couple of you mentioned above but then I do not know if it will work well for my letter of rec situation down the road. And from what i see most think that 10 weeks of research in an ochem lab would not suffice?

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

the issue that I am having is that since I eventually need a letter of recommendation from a "science instructor" I am not sure if the clinical research under a doctor will be as good since a letter of rec from him might not count as a science instructor. However, if i do research under my ochem professor then there is a possibility that he can also write my letter of rec as well down the road. therefore I have an option of doing a 10 week clinical research opportunity as a couple of you mentioned above but then I do not know if it will work well for my letter of rec situation down the road. And from what i see most think that 10 weeks of research in an ochem lab would not suffice?

You don't have to do research with a science professor to get a science LOR. It can be from a professor you took a class with. I'm actually not entirely sure if an LOR from a PI (who didn't teach you a science class) could fulfill as a science LOR...I could be wrong about that part though. But, like I said, you can just get a science LOR from a professor you took a class with. No need to spend time in the lab with them.

Don't pursue research if you're not genuinely interested in it and focus on other aspects of your application that you're passionate about.

 

[hmockingbird]

the issue that I am having is that since I eventually need a letter of recommendation from a "science instructor" I am not sure if the clinical research under a doctor will be as good since a letter of rec from him might not count as a science instructor. However, if i do research under my ochem professor then there is a possibility that he can also write my letter of rec as well down the road. therefore I have an option of doing a 10 week clinical research opportunity as a couple of you mentioned above but then I do not know if it will work well for my letter of rec situation down the road. And from what i see most think that 10 weeks of research in an ochem lab would not suffice?

Can you get credit for the clinical program? My school lets you apply for credit for research you did outside of school. That then counts for a LOR at many schools because it's usually a professor you had for class or with whom you did research for credit. If you're really interested in the clinical option I would look into that. I understand - I'm not a science major so most of my professor contacts are not in the sciences, so I have the same LOR problem.

 

[AA|FCB|DOC]

oh i see! well in that case how does the science teacher that you had really know what to write on the letter of rec if they have not worked with you? Wouldn't they only be able to say "so and so got an A and is a hard worker" and that would be it?

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Even if you're not a science major, you'll have to take the prereqs for med school. And the majority of these classes involve science classes (ie. bio, chem, orgo, physics). Get an LOR from one of these professors. Spend time in their office hours, etc, if you have to.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

oh i see! well in that case how does the science teacher that you had really know what to write on the letter of rec if they have not worked with you? Wouldn't they only be able to say "so and so got an A and is a hard worker" and that would be it?

Do well in the class, go to office hours, ask the professor intelligent questions. Basically, show interest in the subject and in learning more about science. That alone will likely set you apart from the majority of students that they teach.

 

[AA|FCB|DOC]

Can you get credit for the clinical program? My school lets you apply for credit for research you did outside of school. That then counts for a LOR at many schools because it's usually a professor you had for class or with whom you did research for credit. If you're really interested in the clinical option I would look into that. I understand - I'm not a science major so most of my professor contacts are not in the sciences, so I have the same LOR problem.

Yes I believe they will give me internship credit for doing clinical research outside of school! the med schools would accept that letter of rec with the doctor you work with as a "science instructor"?

 

[raltima07]

It depends on the school, but I would get the LOR from a real science taecher

 

[kami333]

Yes I believe they will give me internship credit for doing clinical research outside of school! the med schools would accept that letter of rec with the doctor you work with as a "science instructor"?

Depends on the school, but at least one school I'm interested in has the requirement that the science/academic letters have to come from someone who taught me in a traditional lecture classroom setting and specifically rules out labs, independent research, internships and distance learning.

 

[slatermd]

Can you get credit for the clinical program? My school lets you apply for credit for research you did outside of school. That then counts for a LOR at many schools because it's usually a professor you had for class or with whom you did research for credit. If you're really interested in the clinical option I would look into that. I understand - I'm not a science major so most of my professor contacts are not in the sciences, so I have the same LOR problem.

Best thing would be to have a letter from a doc and one from a science prof. If your school has a premed advisor (or committee), that person is usually a science teacher. I would set up a few meetings with this person along the way. They can write you a LOR without having taught you.

 

[AA|FCB|DOC]

alright guys thanks for the advice! im just hoping i can get this research going this quarter whether it is with a company or a professor at school

 

[AA|FCB|DOC]

one last question, is there any benefit of doing clinical research over science research with a professor, or vise versa?

 

[Barcu]

one last question, is there any benefit of doing clinical research over science research with a professor, or vise versa?

The type of research really doesn't matter, so don't worry too much.

One possible benefit of doing clinical research is some extra patient interaction. But, if you already have some other clinical experience, that really doesn't matter too much.

I would pursue the project that interests you more. Clinical research and basic science research can be quite different.