Summer research or MCAT

[hardworker101]

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Hi all
I am taking the aug mcat and I really wanted to take no class to just study for the mcat all day all summer. ( that is my intention) However, our school is goiving 2500 dollars for winners of a undergraduate grant for summer.
I am little hesitant about applying? My PI says if I get it I should plan on coming to lab about 20 -25 hours a week. This kinda scared me that maybe I will lose the free time I hoped to have during summer.

Has anybody done this, or what is your opinion on it?
Thanks

 

[75969]

Hi all
I am taking the aug mcat and I really wanted to take no class to just study for the mcat all day all summer. ( that is my intention) However, our school is goiving 2500 dollars for winners of a undergraduate grant for summer.
I am little hesitant about applying? My PI says if I get it I should plan on coming to lab about 20 -25 hours a week. This kinda scared me that maybe I will lose the free time I hoped to have during summer.

Has anybody done this, or what is your opinion on it?
Thanks

I dont think 20 hours a week will harm your mcat study...you can use lab as a break from mcat, and get a good experience & $2500 🙂

 

[Rafa]

If I were you, I would study for the MCAT and try to enjoy summer vacation. There's no guarantee you'll win the grant, and if you do, you might become quite miserable working for three months on whatever, as summer passes you by, and the MCAT draws nearer. Personally, I plan to do nothing for the sake of medical school this summer. Exactly 90 days until I'm sitting in front of the television, kicking ass on Ghost Recon 2 (Xbox live). Sooner or later, you've got to start putting your mental well-being ahead of non-essentials. Enjoy summer. Study for the test. My summer peace of mind isn't worth $2500. Is yours?

 

[yyd]

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[DrBowtie]

I'm doing both. 25 in the lab 20 on the mcat.

 

[maestro1625]

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[DNAroolez]

Doing summer research actually saved my MCAT score... As I was waiting for stains to work and doing mindless microtoming, I was also listening to my mcat audio osmosis cds and looking over the kaplan mcat site... then i would study a few hours after dinner every night and on the weekend.. my score went up 5 points from april... so if you can multitask, take the research- not only will you be capable of studying, but you will have some great paid research experience on your application.

 

[ashabee4]

I'd highly recommend that you participate in the research over the summer. I did exactly that last summer, except it was doing research for 40 hours a week. 20-25 is not much to ask of you at all for the money and for the experience. I studied for the MCAT during down time in the lab, at night, and on weekends. I had a very structured schedule all summer, and working in the lab helped me keep up that schedule. It was also a nice break from studying for the MCAT. ALSO, it will be a great addition to your medical school application, as research experience is very important. I took the MCAT for the 2nd time at the end of last summer and improved my score 9 points.

 

[theblastopore]

If I were you, I would study for the MCAT and try to enjoy summer vacation. There's no guarantee you'll win the grant, and if you do, you might become quite miserable working for three months on whatever, as summer passes you by, and the MCAT draws nearer. Personally, I plan to do nothing for the sake of medical school this summer. Exactly 90 days until I'm sitting in front of the television, kicking ass on Ghost Recon 2 (Xbox live). Sooner or later, you've got to start putting your mental well-being ahead of non-essentials. Enjoy summer. Study for the test. My summer peace of mind isn't worth $2500. Is yours?

I second that. I guess what's best will depend on the OP. NOT doing research would be best for me. I would rather to have MCAT time and free time than MCAT time and work. I was paid to work in the lab during the summer before last for 20 hours/week, but I ended up spending about 30+ hours in the lab trying to get some result and I couldn't bring myself to study for the MCAT

 

[hp85]

20-25hrs a week is fine, however, that's strictly lab time only and doesn't include the time you'll spend outside those hours reading publications, preparing for presentations/posters (if you need to do any), and tryiing to figure out why on earth your experiment is not working and what your next step should be. (ie. like myself, having nightmares about something disastrous happening to my cells or animals and having to go into the lab OC)If you'll be doing research that is pretty much led by your PI or another member of the lab and all you have to do is go into the lab at regular hours and complete the assigned tasks, go ahead, take the grant.

Other things to consider are...
1) would you rather be home studying MCAT? or will that be a distraction? (being home may keep you sane and well rested/fed.. and your mom will kick your ass if you don't study)
2) if you're not all that excited about going into lab... it may just make your life that much more miserable.
3) how prestegious is this grant? is it part of an undergraduate research scholar program of some sort? those programs usually have other binding requirements.

Perhaps just go home and engage in less demanding activities like shadowing or volunteering. Do what will make you happy! You're not going to make a nobel prize winning discovery this summer.

I'm cramming for the April MCAT right now while doing 20-25hrs/week in the lab and juggling classes, shadowing, extracurriculars, and hospital volunteering. It's breaking my back.

How I wish I had stayed out of the lab and gotten MCAT out of the way last summer...

good luck