(Yes Another) Research Experience Thread

[abs5394]

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[Goro]

Sounds like you were data mining rather than testing a hypothesis.

Your current lab is a research project. I suggest finding another one if the PI is so unpleasant. It's not worth it.

 

[Shirafune]

In my experience, smaller labs (also those run by Assistant Professor level PIs) seem to be better environments for undergrads. It is more of what you accomplish than who you work for, though ideally you can do great work for a well-recognized scientist. Do your research about which labs are the most undergrad friendly. Ask your upperclassmen/friends. You also need to know what you want out of it. How much time do you want/can put in and at what level of research (manual labor, designing experiments, or what) do you want to be?

For MD/PhD programs, you need to have rich and sustained experiences. Ideally, you will pick up an independent project and work at it for as long as you can. Prior to meeting potential PIs, really get to know their research. The faster you grasp the background information and experimental designs, the sooner you'll get a project. Techniques can always be learned, but you can't do anything before building a testable hypothesis.

 

[abs5394]

Sounds like you were data mining rather than testing a hypothesis.

Your current lab is a research project. I suggest finding another one if the PI is so unpleasant. It's not worth it.

I certainly agree about the "data mining", that internship was pretty pointless. So I take it that experience probably shouldn't even be mentioned as research. In terms of the current lab work, yeah it sucks but I only have 3 more weeks to go until I go back to school, so leaving and finding another position isn't really in the picture. I just need to finish the job and move on. I just wanted everyone's opinion on whether this project constitutes a significant "research experience", and hopefully reassurance that I didn't just completely waste another summer.

 

[abs5394]

Would this current lab experience be viewed akin to a "lab tech" doing scut work, or a little more favorably?

 

[Shirafune]

Would this current lab experience be viewed akin to a "lab tech" doing scut work, or a little more favorably?

I think it's about how you frame it. The main thing is to articulate the "why"s of your work. What is the significance of your work? What hypothesis are you testing? I'm still an undergrad so I haven't been asked about my research for medical schools, but for some research scholarships, interviewers asked about the project's significance, the project design, alternative methods, and etc.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Last summer sounds like something far more beneficial to highlight on an application than what you did this summer

Learn from your mistakes. Why won't you get a good reference from your PI and what can you do in the future to correct this. IF you can't answer this taking another research position is rather pointless and a great way to risk wasting time

 

[abs5394]

Shirafune- I think I can articulate it well to make it sound meaningful: the documentation is certainly important because they need to know which injection sites are of good quality and confirm that they're in the correct location of the brain. This assures that the correct mice are selected for further study.

GrapesofRath- Interesting you think last summers project was more meaningful.

BUMP for more opinions on it all!

 

[Shirafune]

Shirafune- I think I can articulate it well to make it sound meaningful: the documentation is certainly important because they need to know which injection sites are of good quality and confirm that they're in the correct location of the brain. This assures that the correct mice are selected for further study.

GrapesofRath- Interesting you think last summers project was more meaningful.

BUMP for more opinions on it all!

If I understand your role correctly, I don't think it is an ideal situation. I don't want to be mean, but it sounds like you're more or less just doing repetitive screening work. It certainly is an important part of validating other results in the study, but you ideally want involvement in the "other results." I encourage you to get into the grit of the rest of the study. Knowing the appropriate controls of a study is important, but the rest of the project is much more interesting and can illustrate a higher level of scientific thinking.

 

[abs5394]

If I understand your role correctly, I don't think it is an ideal situation. I don't want to be mean, but it sounds like you're more or less just doing repetitive screening work. It certainly is an important part of validating other results in the study, but you ideally want involvement in the "other results." I encourage you to get into the grit of the rest of the study. Knowing the appropriate controls of a study is important, but the rest of the project is much more interesting and can illustrate a higher level of scientific thinking.

no need to apologize, i feel the same way more or less. I feel its a pretty pointless job and not a real "research project", as if she just made it up on the spot to give me something to do for the summer. Was hoping someone on here would say otherwise, that its a valuable research experience.

 

[becomingdoctor]

sounds like the term "data mining" is used a lot here, but I would be careful to describe your past work in such way especially in your applucation and resume since data mining is now a specialized discipline under "data.science". I think you should focus on bench research for now since most MSTPs favor hypothesis driven research. I see most of the undergrad level clinical research not helpful unless you have strong background in biostat(call it clinical informatics if you want). If you can get something out from framingham heart study, surely you will make yourself an unique MSTP applicant.

 

[abs5394]

Okay. How about for MD only, are either of these experiences noteworthy to mention on my application?

 

[Lucca]

Okay. How about for MD only, are either of these experiences noteworthy to mention on my application?

The second experience sounds like a standard pre-Med lab experience to me.

 

[becomingdoctor]

It wouldn't hurt to include your neuropathic one if MD only, with proper description, it will still be helpful

 

[abs5394]

The second experience sounds like a standard pre-Med lab experience to me.

Glad to here this, thanks.