TA vs Undergraduate Research Assistant

[Thanhn]

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Next semester, I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to be a Research Assistant or a TA for Gen Chem I.
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Now, the TA requires me to lead a 3 hour lab, 1 hour recitation, 1 hour of staff meetings, and outside work.

My RA duties will be very basic/minimal and I think I'll only get 10-15hours/week.

I'll also be taking O. Chem and Anatomy next semester. (14 credits total)

Which would be "more beneficial" and/or would I be able to do both with the class load?

 

[sector9]

Next semester, I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to be a Research Assistant or a TA for Gen Chem I.
'
Now, the TA requires me to lead a 3 hour lab, 1 hour recitation, 1 hour of staff meetings, and outside work.

My RA duties will be very basic/minimal and I think I'll only get 10-15hours/week.

I'll also be taking O. Chem and Anatomy next semester. (14 credits total)

Which would be "more beneficial" and/or would I be able to do both with the class load?

Have you done any research or have you been a TA at all before?

 

[Serrulata]

I've done both for two years. My personal experience: I'm "eh" with time management. I've suffered a bit from it. Going into it you have to realize that if you fall behind even in the beginning, your grades could suffer. However, you could use this opportunity to show how much you can handle. Hopefully your research position hours are flexible - go in when you can (but make sure you do enough each week), vs. having to be in at set times of the day.

 

[chillaxbro]

I'd say research is more important in terms of having a strong application
I've never had my TAing brought up in interviews while my research has been discussed at every single one.
In terms of time management, you can't really get out of TAing but you can usually take time off research if needed depending on your project and PI

 

[UrbanRiver]

Can you be a TA later on? Like in your senior year or something? I did both research and TA but not concurrently.

If you had to do one or the other, I'd do the research. Even if it's 10-15 hours a week, I'd say use it as a starting point to eventually get a project of your own in a following semester or summer. Even if you don't get a project, you can share on your application / interviews what your lab does and what kind of research you contributed towards.

TA definitely helps, but research is more important, in my opinion.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

Do both if you can, but if you have to choose between one or the other, research wins hands down.

 

[earf]

Speaking as someone who's done both, I think research will teach you more applicable skills in becoming a doctor than being a TA (although I'm not saying that being a TA won't teach you a good amount either).

As a Research Assistant, you'll learn inquiry, how to deal with unknowns, how to be creative in solving those unknowns, and might give you an opportunity to head your own project with the possibility of being published later.

As a TA, you'll get to teach students which will increase your mastery of the subject, your interpersonal communication skills, and allow you to become closer to a prof that you can get a letter of recommendation from (assuming that you've taken a class from s/he. If not, then you can't use the letter as a science LOR, but you can as a character reference).

Not sure what undergrad you go to, but the training for TA's at my undergrad was minimal and you'll learn mainly based on trial and error. Since you'll be TAing for a lab, I'm assuming you'll have to grade all the lab reports and such too, which is a PITA.

Bottom line: Research should be your primary priority and TA your secondary priority.