Value of nonmedical research experience for postbacs

[ReInventor]

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I've read that research experience is helpful for med school admission (I'm assuming this applies to postbacs as well). How about research that isn't hard science? I have multiple semesters as a research assistant for a psychology lab, and I also have two semester of independent research that I designed and conducted myself. Will this be helpful even though it is not medically-related research?

 

[ReInventor]

BUMP! Anybody? 😳

 

[DrMidlife]

Sure, it's helpful. You don't have to identify a new chloride channel to get credit for research.

I'd recommend becoming knowledgeable about the similarities and differences between psychology research and "hard science" research as you move toward med school. I'd expect you to know tons about human subjects and ethics. I'd expect you to know less about reproduceability and statistics.

Best of luck to you.

 

[justsaynothing]

I'd expect you to know less about reproduceability and statistics.

Actually, I don't necessarily agree with this. Psych research relies heavily on reproducibility and statistics. Like you said, DrMidlife, Psych also has the added bonus of knowledge of human subjects and ethics.

To the OP, I am struggling with this dilemma myself. I was a psychology major, so naturally psych research interests me far more than isolating plant proteins, or whatever.