Would you consider this to be research?

[funtertaining15]

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Hello,
I'm a junior UG, planning on applying to this upcoming cycle. I've been working in a Microbio lab which deals with antibiotic resistance, since my sophomore year as a work study job. I've learned a lot of techniques, etc. along the way. During this recent spring break, I started working /assisting a post-doc in our lab on a project. I basically worked on an exp using S.aureus and antibiotics and did/test a new method for determining the presence dormant cells in zone of inhibitions..plated/ and observed/measured zone of clearances/bacteria growth..amongst other things...I guess what you might call "bench work. "Now, I'm still a work-study student, but during the week, I occasionally help work on this project. I can def. talk about what I did an what I am learning, but would you see this fit to be called research? I guess my idea of what research is vague, and people I know consistantly do research../b/c of my schedule and other ECs, I don't have time to do it full time, which was the plan...
so what do you guys think?

Thanks!
*retreats back to studying for behavioral neuro exam tmr.

 

[Catalystik]

Hello,
I'm a junior UG, planning on applying to this upcoming cycle. I've been working in a Microbio lab which deals with antibiotic resistance, since my sophomore year as a work study job. I've learned a lot of techniques, etc. along the way. During this recent spring break, I started working /assisting a post-doc in our lab on a project. I basically worked on an exp using S.aureus and antibiotics and did/test a new method for determining the presence dormant cells in zone of inhibitions..plated/ and observed/measured zone of clearances/bacteria growth..amongst other things...I guess what you might call "bench work. "Now, I'm still a work-study student, but during the week, I occasionally help work on this project. I can def. talk about what I did an what I am learning, but would you see this fit to be called research? I guess my idea of what research is vague, and people I know consistantly do research../b/c of my schedule and other ECs, I don't have time to do it full time, which was the plan...

The AMCAS application has a preselectable designation called Research/Lab. You have the choice of listing this activity under Research, or Employment, though if you have nothing else that is research-like, I'd pick the Research/Lab tag, mentioning somewhere in the description that it's a paid activity.

Could your involvement be legitimately considered Research? Can you explain the project? Do you know the hypothesis being tested, the study design? Are you collecting data? Do you know how it will be analyzed and potential conclusions that might be drawn from the results? Have you read any background publications related to the project? If most of these are true (or will be by the time you interview and are potentially grilled on these areas) then you are involved in a Research activity and not just a Lab experience.

 

[Microglia]

Hello,
I'm a junior UG, planning on applying to this upcoming cycle. I've been working in a Microbio lab which deals with antibiotic resistance, since my sophomore year as a work study job. I've learned a lot of techniques, etc. along the way. During this recent spring break, I started working /assisting a post-doc in our lab on a project. I basically worked on an exp using S.aureus and antibiotics and did/test a new method for determining the presence dormant cells in zone of inhibitions..plated/ and observed/measured zone of clearances/bacteria growth..amongst other things...I guess what you might call "bench work. "Now, I'm still a work-study student, but during the week, I occasionally help work on this project. I can def. talk about what I did an what I am learning, but would you see this fit to be called research? I guess my idea of what research is vague, and people I know consistantly do research../b/c of my schedule and other ECs, I don't have time to do it full time, which was the plan...
so what do you guys think?

Thanks!
*retreats back to studying for behavioral neuro exam tmr.

I think that research is really all it could be classified as. You're doing techniques and experiments in a lab under a postdoc. Definitely research.

 

[funtertaining15]

Okay, then. Your stipulations are/will be pretty much applicable by application/interview time. Thanks.

 

[funtertaining15]

Okay, cool; thanks.