When you say research experience......

[UMDeeMan]

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Ok, this is a question that has been on my mind for a while now. everyone talks about "research experience" and that it is a major plus for applying to dental school. Well my question is this, can someone please define "research experience?" Are we talking about experiements done by a student and only overseen by a professor (student does everything, runs the experiment, records and prepares the data, presents the findings)? or are we talking about doing all the grunt work (mixing solutions, preparing the experiment, washing dishes, slicing segments of mice brain, etc). I ask this because i have much experience in the second definition in 3 different studies where i did all the setup and "grunt" work while the professionals did the hardcore thinking. i'm just wondering what everyone else interprets "research experience" as.

 

[Doggie]

I am not in the admission committee for any schools, so take my post with a few grains of salt.

I think the "experience" that everyone says you need can be anything related to lab work. As long as you have the curious mind to want to be working in a laboratory, regardless of what your job description may entail, be it scrubbing the floor or deliver mail, that's in itself is a valuable experience......(well...maybe not that extreme, but you get the idea). I know a lot of people with various research experiences ranging from independant research studies to washing dishes. As long as the person is exposed to the inner workings of a research project, that would be the "experience." A lot of dental schools prefer students to shadow a dentist prior to starting dental schools. That's the same idea.......the student doesnt have to do actual dental work......observations alone would offer a whole new experience.

 

[Comet208]

I was under the impression that "Research Experience" that they are looking for is when a student (with the supervision of a PI) defines series of hypothesis and sets up his/her experiment (whatever that may entail) to test them. That is both Re-search and Experimenting. If you mix the solutions and slice rat brains, etc. w/o really having to draw conclusions, then thats only the experiment and you can list them under lab experineces on your application. As far as what Ad coms look for, it is suggested that you do the "research" (critical thinking) part as well.

 

[HBomb]

Ok, this is a question that has been on my mind for a while now. everyone talks about "research experience" and that it is a major plus for applying to dental school. Well my question is this, can someone please define "research experience?" Are we talking about experiements done by a student and only overseen by a professor (student does everything, runs the experiment, records and prepares the data, presents the findings)? or are we talking about doing all the grunt work (mixing solutions, preparing the experiment, washing dishes, slicing segments of mice brain, etc). I ask this because i have much experience in the second definition in 3 different studies where i did all the setup and "grunt" work while the professionals did the hardcore thinking. i'm just wondering what everyone else interprets "research experience" as.

When I've used "research experience" in the past, I'm referring to the latter of your two scenarios. Of course, if you were doing the former (with the possibility of having your work published), it would even be better. But generally, I'm referring the latter scenario. I think adcoms want to see if you have a knack for research. Depth and extensiveness of work play a big part in this impression.

 

[dr_benj]

I think it is misleading to represent yourself as having "research" experience by only doing what is stated in your second definition. To have reserach experience you must be the one doing the thinking and setting up the experiment. This should not be difficult to do. While you will indeed need help from your PI, you should be the primary reseracher on the project. Cleaning glassware and making media definitely is not research. Any idiot can do the grunt work, that is not what the Adcoms are looking for.

 

[ToothMonkey]

can someone please define "research experience?"

I would call your candidate schools and ask the admissions people what they had in mind. It's the best way to be sure.

 

[jes1ca]

I think that if you spend time working in a laboratory it counts as research experience. You have the opportunity to explain on your AADSAS application what type of experience you have. I mean, hopefully, you at least understand and know what experiments your PI did. Mixing solutions and slicing brains sounds like lab work to me. Just my opinion.

Jessica