Successful Applicants with little to no research?!

[jr doctor in sd]

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Hey everyone,

I am applying this upcoming cycle to med schools and I volunteered for about a year in neuroscience research but i was working under a post-doc and basically did b**** work 10 hrs/week and never even saw the PI (super busy and cocky guy with 3 secretaries - he'd never give an undergrad the time of day).

Ive started doing research again this quarter but I feel like it wont be enough (ill have about 4-5 months of "real" research by the time I apply.

Is that year I did in vain or will it help even though it was b**** work and yielded no publications or posters?

Will the fact that i am going to have good research helpful (doing master's while applying)? Or is it just what ive already done that is considered?

Thanks in advance 👍

PS success stories welcome!

 

[tennisball80]

Research that leads to publication is nice. People often go ask professors to set up independent research.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

Yeah. I agree that publications are nice to have. But if no publication was completed...is it still seen as a great EC or is it something that wont really help? 🙁

 

[JJMrK]

Can you talk about a project in depth? Can you describe what you were testing, why you were doing it, and how you contributed to the project? Those are the kinds of things you get asked about in interviews.

 

[siliso]

I had a job doing public opinion research for a while, 6 years ago. Also I caught birds and took blood samples from them for encephalitis surveillance for a summer when I was 17. Other than that, nada.
I was accepted to medical school. Why would a year + 4 or 5 months not be enough?

 

[thesauce]

Can you talk about a project in depth? Can you describe what you were testing, why you were doing it, and how you contributed to the project? Those are the kinds of things you get asked about in interviews.

He's right. No pubs at your stage is not a big deal, but it's important that you can intelligently talk about your project.

Did you get a letter from the PI you worked with for a year? It might look strange if you didn't. He may not know you well but he'll almost certainly write you a good letter if you were with his group for that long. People in his position are used to writing letters for people they barely know.

 

[mike911]

im doing ok this cycle so far i believe and i have no research whatsoever. I have 5 interviews so far and should get at least 2 more... i also got 2 acceptances so far. Good luck

 

[tennisball80]

He's right. No pubs at your stage is not a big deal, but it's important that you can intelligently talk about your project.

Did you get a letter from the PI you worked with for a year? It might look strange if you didn't. He may not know you well but he'll almost certainly write you a good letter if you were with his group for that long. People in his position are used to writing letters for people they barely know.

I second this. 👍

 

[MedMan25]

I think your question depends more on where you're planning to apply. Some schools could care less about research and if you're interested in applying to those schools I'd say you've done plenty of research as it is.

I'm a little confused when you asked "Will the fact that i am going to have good research helpful (doing master's while applying)? Or is it just what ive already done that is considered?"

If you're saying that you won't have completed the aforementioned research by the time you apply and you're wondering if research that you're planning on doing will be considered then the answer to that is no. Nobody is interested in what you have yet to complete (except of course the Nobel committee when selecting the next peace price recipient).

You said you are starting that research this fall though and that should give you enough time to have, as you said, 4-5 months of real research when you apply. So I don't know why you would think that only your previous research would be considered. They will consider anything you have actually completed by the time you apply.

 

[Dr Lyss]

I didn't have a strong research background at all (I did a summer of research) and I somehow slipped through the cracks. My app was heavier on ECs and leadership stuff. I'm a first year & most of the people I've met have done some kind of research, but not everyone has done years and years of research (I even met a few people who haven't done any research). My school is pretty research intensive, but I think it depends on the school and their mission.

 

[MedMan25]

And by the way, I had 0 research when I applied and got in.

 

[longhorn09]

There are many schools (for instance, most of my state schools) they tell me straight that they are not primarily focus on research they focus on primary care instead. For these schools, research really doesn't matter. They didn't even bother to ask about my research during interviews.

 

[tennisball80]

There are many schools (for instance, most of my state schools) they tell me straight that they are not primary focus on research they focus on primary care instead. For these schools, research really doesn't matter. They didn't even bother to ask about my research during interviews.

And you have 4.0/40 😱

 

[jr doctor in sd]

I mean I can do some of this but not too in depth. I think it is because with my bad schedule I could only go in friday evenings and saturday mornings for ~10 hours/week and so the post-doc would just give me a list of things to do (run a PCR reaction, dissect mice, etc.) and I'd do it - even if I wasn't sure what was going on (was a naive sophomore 🙄).

Can you talk about a project in depth? Can you describe what you were testing, why you were doing it, and how you contributed to the project? Those are the kinds of things you get asked about in interviews.

 

[longhorn09]

And you have 4.0/40 😱

and no girlfriend🙁

 

[longhorn09]

Can you talk about a project in depth? Can you describe what you were testing, why you were doing it, and how you contributed to the project? Those are the kinds of things you get asked about in interviews.

Unless you are applying for md/phd I doubt if your interviewers are interesting in listening your boring (no offense, so do everyone's) research during the interviews.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

Unfortunately, I didn't get a LOR from the PI. I knew that he's used to not getting to know people since he is so busy but i literally saw him 3 times over the course of the school year while i volunteered. Im extremely confident that it wouldnt be a strong letter. He just seemed like he didnt care whatsoever for the undergrads in his lab (I understand that undergrads do very little compare to post-docs, etc...but I feel like everyone on the team deserves some respect).

That is the reason I stopped doing research there - I asked the PI to meet to discuss project ideas I might have and he says come back in ~2 months at so and so time and we can talk! In my head, I said wow 2 months...wtf...I need 5 minutes of your time. But I told him OK, sure. 1 month later, got an email that he is busy and will meet me 2.5-3 months LATER (so 3.5 months past my initial request to just meet for 5 minutes). And simultaneously, this was the year my grades turned around (until my first quarter soph. year my highest GPA had been a 3.2 and the next two quarters I started to really get into my classes so I got ~3.8 and 4.0 for them so I figured it would be a good time to temporarily stop research to focus on keeping high grades.)

He's right. No pubs at your stage is not a big deal, but it's important that you can intelligently talk about your project.

Did you get a letter from the PI you worked with for a year? It might look strange if you didn't. He may not know you well but he'll almost certainly write you a good letter if you were with his group for that long. People in his position are used to writing letters for people they barely know.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

Wear a shirt saying you're a med student; You'll get gold diggers but you can dump them when bored 🙂

and no girlfriend🙁

 

[jr doctor in sd]

First off, i LOLd about your Nobel joke .

Secondly, about the question I asked in quotes:
My master's program is 6 quarters of research and 3 quarters of grad classes. I was referring to by the time I apply, I will have two quarters of research for my master's (6 months) done right in June in time for applications. However, will the fact that I can tell schools that I am doing this Master's program help (so they know that I WILL be doing research before I enter their school)?

I think your question depends more on where you're planning to apply. Some schools could care less about research and if you're interested in applying to those schools I'd say you've done plenty of research as it is.

I'm a little confused when you asked "Will the fact that i am going to have good research helpful (doing master's while applying)? Or is it just what ive already done that is considered?"

If you're saying that you won't have completed the aforementioned research by the time you apply and you're wondering if research that you're planning on doing will be considered then the answer to that is no. Nobody is interested in what you have yet to complete (except of course the Nobel committee when selecting the next peace price recipient).

You said you are starting that research this fall though and that should give you enough time to have, as you said, 4-5 months of real research when you apply. So I don't know why you would think that only your previous research would be considered. They will consider anything you have actually completed by the time you apply.

 

[tennisball80]

and no girlfriend🙁

I am sorry. But, I will get a higher MCAT score than you. I've never got a date in my whole life. Therefore, my MCAT score will be a killer.

You could not get a 45 because you've had a date. 🙄

 

[longhorn09]

I am sorry. But, I will get a higher MCAT score than you. I've never got a date in my whole life. Therefore, my MCAT score will be a killer.

You could not get a 45 because you've had a date. 🙄

haha I just discover an equation:

MCAT score=G D E-2, where G is the girlfriend constant, and D is the # of date a guy has.

Apparently such equation doesn't apply to girls tho...

 

[chiz2kul]

I didn't have a strong research background at all (I did a summer of research) and I somehow slipped through the cracks. My app was heavier on ECs and leadership stuff. I'm a first year & most of the people I've met have done some kind of research, but not everyone has done years and years of research (I even met a few people who haven't done any research). My school is pretty research intensive, but I think it depends on the school and their mission.

Yes.
I think I did like ~2-3 months of research total...for my senior project. No pubs or anything like EVERYONE in my class...its ridiculous.
But I got in couple places..

 

[jr doctor in sd]

So i woulda had way more than a 33 had I not had a few gfs in the past? damn them! -shakes fist- 😡

I am sorry. But, I will get a higher MCAT score than you. I've never got a date in my whole life. Therefore, my MCAT score will be a killer.

You could not get a 45 because you've had a date. 🙄

 

[tennisball80]

haha I just discover an equation:

MCAT score=G D E-2, where G is the girlfriend constant, and D is the # of date a guy has.

Apparently such equation doesn't apply to girls tho...

So i woulda had way more than a 33 had I not had a few gfs in the past? damn them! -shakes fist- 😡

Tennisball80 has discovered that having a date with a woman for straight men can affect a part of the brain that triggers a decrease in the examinee's problemg solving, critical thinking, writing skills, and knowledge of scinece concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine.

My research will be published in Science, an academic journal of the American Avocation for the Advancement of Science.

 

[organdonor]

<----3.8/30 with 2 years clinical experience, absolutely no research at all, spanish/biology double major with early decision acceptance.

Research was a non-factor to me.

 

[JJMrK]

Unless you are applying for md/phd I doubt if your interviewers are interesting in listening your boring (no offense, so do everyone's) research during the interviews.

I dunno, I've spent at least 1/4 to 1/3 of my time in a lot of interviews on research. It's not that I keep bringing it up, it's that my interviewers keep asking me questions. (It's not medically related research at all.)

 

[imer]

...

 

[CoolWhipp]

It happens.

 

[o Farside o]

When I applied to my in state school last cycle and was waitlisted and then rejected, they invited me to a post-interview session. During the session they told me my weaknesses. At one point I asked them if my research experience was a strength. I had presented my research at Experimental Biology 2008 and am in line for a few publications. The dean of admissions flat out told me "Not really, we are a clinical school." So I think it all really depends on the school. Hope this helps!

 

[mvenus929]

I had absolutely no research. I got in. At the interview for the school I'm in at, one of my interviewers actually said something along the lines of...

"Well, you don't have research, so you don't have to explain what you got out of your research. That was the worst part of my interviews, because all I learned was how to look at petri dishes all day, and realized that I really don't like working in labs."

She was an MS IV, by the way.

 

[Bbon]

From your description, I don't think I have that much more research than you, although I definitely wouldn't have classified my job in the lab as b*-work. I had pretty good responsibilities and did a lot of independent work. However, only one interview I've had, out of like 8 interviewers, asked me about my research in any kind of detail at all. Maybe I was lucky (well not lucky per se, because I would've been okay talking about my research), but I'd say the odds are in your favor. Especially if you have 4 or 5 months of "real" research, if they ask about it, just focus on those months and don't specify that your description only applies to 4 months. After you talk about it for a couple minutes, they'll move onto the next question anyway. Anyhow, I guess my conclusion is, don't worry about it. Your current research experience isn't going to prevent you from getting into med school. Just don't keep your hopes too high for CCLCM or Stanford.

 

[halekulani]

research is overrated
just make sure you've invested that time into something else that is extremely productive. if you want to get in without research, u better be doing something else.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

That seems to be the general consensus 🙂. I definitely would have liked to try my hands at more research but I have been working ~ 20 hours/week for the last 2 years and some at my school. So Im hoping I can shift focus to them asking me about my work haha and less about research.

I also TA alot because it is fun 🙂

research is overrated
just make sure you've invested that time into something else that is extremely productive. if you want to get in without research, u better be doing something else.