Why didn't you do research in college?

[Premedalltheway]

I have an interview coming up with a professor who is going to write me a LOR. Problem is he has his own lab and I go to a research oriented school but I did no research throughout college. What can I say that is brief but convincing? Thanks for the input.

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[MEG@COOL]

I have an interview coming up with a professor who is going to write me a LOR. Problem is he has his own lab and I go to a research oriented school but I did no research throughout college. What can I say that is brief but convincing? Thanks for the input.

because science is a drag

 

[kevster2001]

You're much more interest in service aspect of medicine and thus you felt your time was better devoted to those kind of activities?

 

[Agent Splat]

just acknowledge it's importance but make it clear you just had no interest in the types of research being done.

 

[Dr. Pepper]

(Assuming you did shadowing) just say that you preferred the clinical environment for human contact and felt that it was the most direct way to learn about the field of medicine.

But, to be honest, you should expect to be grilled by your interviewer a bit. Make sure to appear confident...but admit that you should have considered research, and you are thinking of doing it in med school.
-Dr. P.

 

[MossPoh]

Well if it were my university then you could explain that nearly every research position for undergraduate is work study and if you are not eligible for work study then tough luck....not that I'm bitter or anything....or I don't know your situation. I am president of a club, as well as in another one as an active member, with an average of 18 credit hours a semester and 20 to 25 hours of work a week in order to pay for things outside of tuition. I think I have had a little bit of an excuse not to have research? hopefully....oh well I'll try to get something later on. Anyway, just supply a good reason..If all you did was sit there watching t.v. because you didn't like surgery then that is not good...if you did other stuff in it is place I would hope they would understand that there are only 24 hours in a day.

 

[notdeadyet]

But, to be honest, you should expect to be grilled by your interviewer a bit. Make sure to appear confident...but admit that you should have considered research, and you are thinking of doing it in med school.

I disagree. Many applicants do not have research and from friends I've talked to that have since gotten in to med school, they have not and it never came up in the interview.

CLINICAL experience is a must. Research is a nice topper, but isn't a requirement unless you plan on going into research.

I think it's more damaging to go into an interview and talk about how you should have done research and are looking forward to doing it in med school. Smells like BS.

 

[thedelicatessen]

As long as you have done some other clinical ECs to fill your time, you should be ok.

 

[Depakote]

Just tell him the truth... I didn't think it appropriate to show up in the lab drunk.

 

[DrBowtie]

(Assuming you did shadowing) just say that you preferred the clinical environment for human contact.

Make sure you don't say this. Say you enjoy patient contact rather than human contact. Scientists are people too.

 

[LockesKidney]

undergrad research is slave work. the prof's use to you to get their lame studies out so they can get respect. clinical far outweights sitting in a lab and working on glassware. when do you sit in a lab for 8 hours a day and filter out chemicals and crap. you work with people not glass and bunson burners

 

[zimmie256]

undergrad research is slave work. the prof's use to you to get their lame studies out so they can get respect. clinical far outweights sitting in a lab and working on glassware. when do you sit in a lab for 8 hours a day and filter out chemicals and crap. you work with people not glass and bunson burners

Sigh... I'm sorry that was the situation at your particular undergraduate institution, but generalizing that one experience to all undergraduate research is inaccurate and unhelpful to the OP anyway.


To the OP - what's the real reason that you didn't do research as an undergrad? I think there are lots of good ones, and you could probably be honest with the person if they ask you, provided that you frame your response in an unoffensive way that won't demean that person's work and goals.

 

[Thundrstorm]

ummm, maybe you could just tell him why you didn't do research. Don't you know the answer?

 

[Dr. Pepper]

Responses to Dr. Pepper's advice:

Make sure you don't say this.

I disagree.

*Wears dunce cap

Listen to those two...they know much more about the process than I do.
-Dr. P.