Where to include future research & how important is community service?

[kadify]

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On the AADSAS application, where/should I include future research projects? I only ask because my school requires each student write a thesis so a majority of a student's senior year is spent researching and writing said thesis.


Also how important is community service? I've literally done absolutely 0 hours... I had planned on doing all of that whilst writing my thesis and then realized I would have to apply before my final year at undergraduate school. I know, I know, shame on me for not be proactive and all but how big of a deal is this?

 

[DentalDoge]

If it were me, I would put it under Research Experience. As for the community service, most school dont 'require' volunteer hours. That being said, not required doesn't equal not important. The weight of volunteering varies from school to school.

 

[kadify]

Alright then how many hours should I include for that? Theoretically we have a guideline of approximately 50 hours per week for a whole year (I believe 9 calender months) to work on it which equates to roughly 2100 hours of research.


Would it be better if I held on submitting my application, went out and got some hours over the summer and submitted before school started back up?

 

[customx]

Too be considered early, I think it's advised to apply before the end of July.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[stomatology]

If you haven't started the research yet, you should not be making up hours on your application.

 

[DentalDoge]

Yeah but you wouldn't put any down for the research since you haven't done any. Sure, you could do that. Some volunteer hours is better than none.

 

[dbd]

I don't believe a senior thesis actually necessarily constitutes "research". Are you going to be in a lab with a PI? Or is this like.. a researching in a library/online type of deal... It kinda sounds shady, and like what stoma said, future research doesn't count. To this point, you have done 0 hours on that project.

 

[kadify]

I have no idea what PI stands for but no it's actual laboratory research exploring the mutagenesis of a malate dehydrogenase in c elegans. I know I can't list future research under the research portion of the application but as far as coursework for the next year what do I list for future coursework? I won't have actual classes to list since I'll be doing my thesis

 

[Jordan1671]

PI = Principle Investigator. Kinda like your ultimate boss. Your usual boss would be your postgraduate student.
Your next year is all dedicated to doing your thesis? Shouldn't your thesis be a class by itself?
If next year will be your last, then I'd put whatever req courses you have left because that's what you'll need to do in the end.

 

[kadify]

Ah ok. I'm new here so I'm not sure on all of the lingo.

Other than an English course and a molecular biology course all I have to do is thesis work. I might take an anatomy course at another school but I'm not 100% sure yet.

Should I just list that I'll be working on a thesis and just explain it in interviews?

 

[Jordan1671]

That's okay, we all start off somewhere! If it makes you feel any better, I had to look up what PI meant after half a semester in. 😉

Dang, sounds like a good schedule. I'm not qualified to answer your question so I'll let someone else who've made it through answer that. Good luck on your applications!

 

[kadify]

Haha half of these boards are abbreviations. I have no clue what anyone is saying lol.


Well hopefully. I'm worried about the amount of research I need to do to even begin writing my thesis, but at the very least my class schedule shouldn't impede too much. Thanks so much and the same to you if you're applying/have applied this year!