What is your perspective on doing research?

[dexadental]

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As an undergraduate junior, I plan to do research in periodontics next semester...along with 14 credits (analytical chem, analytical lab, orgo 2, orgo 2 lab, and calc 3). I'll be studying for the DAT also, and NOT working (never had to in college thankgod). Just wondering, this seems alright to me, but how realistic is my thinking here? Research seems time consuming, but for some, its a peice of cake. I know it looks good for dental schools and all, but I really do seem interested in it also. I'm sure I'll get credit for it and know if I complete it, I'll be a golden applicant for dental school. Will my semester be hell...or just hell on earth (doable yet hard work is put into it)? Let me know your take on this guys!

I also volunteer at the dental clinic here on campus at the med school and at a private practice too.

 

[45540]

that'll be a good bit of lab time. You can easily get it done, just don't slack off all that much as catching up will not be fun at all.

 

[kato999]

Personally I would do the research only if it really interests you. Being involved in research is not a major criteria to being accepted to dental school. If you think this research project will negatively affect your GPA or DAT then I wouldn't do it.

However, really good research will help you for research oriented schools like Harvard, UPenn etc. Just make sure you don't sacrifice your GPA and DAT.

This is just my personal opinion. I had no real research experience in undergrad and it did not negatively effect my application at all, even with the research oriented programs.

 

[Zurik5]

Do it if you like research, otherwise, it will suck and you will hate it 🙂

 

[rocknightmare]

i did one year research as my thesis in 4th year of undergrad. i was taking 12 credits also. research is a big time committment i am not sure if it is possible to do research and study for dat at the same time. you have to remember if you are studying for dat you have to study for DAT at least 3 hours a day every day for 2 months.

research is at least a 20 hours a week (expierments only) comittment anything else and you aren't really doing justice to the research, and your PI probably expects you to do some of the work during the week.

and in your case you have a 4 hour orgo lab that will take an additional 8 hours of outside of class and the same thing for other lab

good luck in deciding

you should do the calculations and see if you have anything left for yourself 🙂

 

[ItsGavinC]

I did 3 years of heavy research in undergrad, and I don't feel that it benefitted my application to dental schools at all. Some schools were interested in it, but I don't think it earned me an admissions. By and large the schools didn't really care about it, or so I felt.

 

[dexadental]

Okay, I'm going to see if they can use me for only up to 10 hours a week...I can't afford to mess my GPA up and lose time studying for the DAT doing research my heart is totally not invested in. Appreciate the replies all, very helpful and some quite informative...
orgo 2 lab really requires 8 hours outside of lab to study/understand???
And how about that analytical lab?

 

[rocknightmare]

I am not sure how it is done at your school, but when I did it at UVA the lab report was important, and they did not give you all the information. That left us doing research, understanding the mechanism, and writing out hte mechanism. This mounted to about 3 to 4 hours of understanding, another few hours writing the lab report and then another couple of hours to spend on postlab labreport questions (invovled new mechanisms sometimes). So yes, lab reports are time consuming and I have never had a lab where it only took few hours, usually a good day spent to write one. For other anaylical chemistry, i am not sure I have never taken such a course unless that stands for the same thing as (solutions chemistry).

My theory on labs, if a well written lab report is required assume to spend twice the amount you spent in the laboratory.

(this information is based on taking at least one laboratory couse each semster for 8 semesters ( i was a biochem major). the worest labs are biochemistry i thought)