SWITCHING research labs for summer? How will med schools look at this?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

streampaw

Membership Revoked
Removed
7+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2013
Messages
280
Reaction score
88
I am volunteering at a research lab right now, but for the summer I really want to get one of those full-time paid research internships either at my local med school (which offers a good amount of those for undergrads), or at my university, but at my university there are only certain labs that participate in this program, and the lab I am researching at right now isn't one of them. I really need to make money over the summer so I can save up for medical school applications and interview travel (I will be applying in 3-4 years, but parents won't pay for any of that).

So basically, would it look bad on my application if I do full-time research at a different lab over the summer?

And, what if I really really like the summer lab and will want to switch to that lab instead of the one I'm in currently? Will medical schools hate this? I heard med schools want commitment like 3 years in one research lab, but what about 1 year in one research lab, and 2 years at another? Would this be looked down upon? Especially if my grades would be in the mediocre range, such as 3.75ish
 
I don't think they care. I worked in one lab for a year and then another lab for 2 years. I've had several interviews and nobody asked me why I switched labs. They just asked what I did and the significance of the research.
 
Top