Zero research experience but accepted to medical school? Anybody?

[2004applicant]

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Hi, i don't have any research experience at all. I am kind of worried because it seems like most students who got accepted had at least some research experience.

---Anybody out there who got accepted to medical school without any research experience? Didn't they ask why you had 0 research experience during the interview? What things did you do to balance it off?

thanks.

 

[Allygator89]

I have 0% research experience and VERY little volunteering.

After the year I graduated high school, it became mandatory to have 75+ hours of volunteering, which seemed to help a lot of people out and get them on the volunteering track. However, it never really interested me.

It is possible, however I might be a fluke!

I had awesome LOR, and was very involved with sports and other extracurricular activities. In addition to all of that, I was a non-traditional non-science major, but I did to a year of post-bac.

I only had two interviewers ask me about that, but I tried to concentrate my applications on non-research oriented schools.

 

[Valeriya]

I had zero research experience, and few volunteer hours, even though I did have some jobs that were medically or school related (like tuturing). Adcoms were very understanding about that, because I am married and had to work full-time troughout my undegrad. The lack of research never even came up at any of the four interviews I went to. So far, 3 waitlists and one acceptance later, I feel confident to say, it is OK to have no research, just be yourself and present other activities that represent you as a person.

 

[pocwana]

none here

 

[cracker69]

none here, i hate research. its boring. its not for me

69

 

[Sweet Tea]

i have tons of research experience, but my best friend had NO research experience, precious little clinical experience (a couple hospital volunteer hours), and actually no work experience of any kind, but she got into 2 schools (one out of state) just fine. she did tons of other activities, and had incredible scores, plus i'm sure she had an amazing interview. so while research is a plus, it's definetly not necessary.

 

[Horseradish99]

Not to beat a dead horse here (although THAT would make for an interesting research project... note to self), but I have no research experience and plenty of love from med admissions.

It's pretty common knowledge that there are plenty of docs out there who can do just as well at keeping up reading the current literature and recent research, but who aren't interested in doing it!

🙂 Scott

 

[VienneseWaltz]

All my research experience is in health economics, not clinical or basic science. I know lots of people who had no research but still managed to get into good research schools (e.g., Wash U, U Chicago). There are lots of other ways to have a strong app.

 

[bearMD]

nada...unless you count what's growing in the fridge...

 

[Allygator89]

Originally posted by bearMD
nada...unless you count what's growing in the fridge...

That's not research. That's just plain scary especially when it starts to boogey and tango with the milk.