<p>I got the impression when talking with my pre-med advisor that she thought I was a bad candidate for medical school because I lacked research experience. She heavily suggested I wait to the end of my senior year to apply because I haven't been able to get research yet?</p>
<p>I have a 3.95 GPA, 60 hours of shadowing physicians, over 100 hours of volunteering at a hospital, 40 hours of volunteering at a nursing home, 40 hours volunteering at an animal shelter, active membership in three school clubs, and although I'm taking it in the spring, I've been studying for ages for my MCAT and I am even taking a class which I prepare heavily for.</p>
<p>I'm not even trying to get into a top 20, I just want to go to a medical school.</p>
<p>Do I really need to wait a whole extra year to apply because I couldn't get into research? I've tried in the past but have never gotten replies.</p>
<p>I know people who’ve gotten into med school without lab or clinical research, I’d think admissions would just assume it’s not your cup of tea (you can even say that in interview if they bring it up, though I doubt they would). I wouldn’t wait a whole year just for that, especially if you feel you’re a strong applicant regardless.</p>
<p>I think it’s possible to get accepted without any research, though the lack will be a noticeable weakness in your application. </p>
<p>Avoid applying to programs that place an emphasis on research. (And for the record those may extend well beyond the top 20 research schools at USNWR.)</p>
<p>I’d suggest you look for med schools that emphasize primary care, community service and holistic review when constructing your list.</p>
<p>But I also have to ask why you’re having such a hard time finding a research position? Most research labs are willing to take a chance on untried, inexperienced students so long as they evince an interest and are willing to start at the bottom.</p>
<p>I’m trying again for next semester. I just have 15-18 hours of class, a ton of volunteering, clubs, MCAT prep etc. I think my availability might have been the issue in the past because I had random times I could be available. Hopefully my increased availability will earn me a spot next semester but if it doesn’t I still don’t want to wait a year. Maybe I’m formatting my resume wrong too, I might ask around and see if someone who is currently doing research can guide me a bit.</p>
<p>Can’t you do some of that volunteering on “off” hours, like on a weekend? Are you doing all 3 vounteer programs at once: hospital, nursing home, and animal shelter? What have you been doing during the summers? Many students get into research during the summers.</p>
<p>I studied for my MCAT and volunteered last summer. I don’t live by any research places and can’t afford to live by my school during the summer. If someone was willing to pay my rent and provide transportation I gladly would have tried for a summer research program but it is too expensive for me to do something like that on my own and a McDonald’s salary doesn’t cut it.</p>
<p>My son got paid to do research this summer and therefore could pay for rent.</p>
<p>BTW maverick, I’m writing that ^ not to say you’re a bad candidate at all, but to give you some ideas about how to get past your lack-of-research dilemma. In fact, I’m impressed by your stats as listed.</p>
<p>While it may be harder to find research near your home during the summer, you should be able to do your other volunteering during that time and free up time during the school year to do research. Almost all pre-meds are juggling very very busy schedules during the school year along with 15-20 units. Smart choices need to be made. </p>
<p>Without a MCAT score and list of schools you are applying to it is difficult to assess how much having no research at all will affect you.</p>
<p>Would one semester of research be too little? I might actually have a pretty good shot at getting into research for next semester, I got a reply and I only just sent an application yesterday. They want an interview. </p>
<p>Or should I try two semesters and apply senior year? Most of the ones I applied to are two semester long but I would be applying to medical school after only one semester.</p>
<p>There are lots of paid summer research programs. (Called REUs [Research Experiences for Undergraduates] and sponsored by the NSF.) Almost all REUs provide free housing & meals as well as a stipend for travel and other expenses. </p>
<p>Application deadlines are rapidly approaching ( ~Jan 15). </p>
<p>Also many college research labs will pay student workers during the summer. (That’s what both my kids did. Volunteered in fall & spring, got paid during the summer. And once they became paid lab assistants–they got paid during the regular school year in subsequent years.)</p>
<p>One semester is too little. You’ll be the lab newbie and won’t actually get to do much and won’t have any significant responsibilities in the lab.</p>
<p>Your advisor, in my view, is too presumptuous to call you a “bad” applicant without even knowing your MCAT score. With that kind of GPA and a decent MCAT (>32) you will be a competitive applicant at many schools even without research. However, I do agree with your advisor that you should take time to fix that research aspect of your application and apply as a great applicant. Remember, research does not have to be something earth shattering and most definitely does not have to end in publications, especially if you are not trying to get into a top tier research university or an MD/PHD program.</p>
<p>Does your school not offer any in house grants for research? </p>
<p>E.g. Brown has UTRAs which aren’t particularly competitive to get given the number offered and it’s only open to brown undergrads and they give students 3k for doing research with a faculty member during the summer (and give the faculty member some money too).</p>
<p>Why don’t you get research? I do not know about your specifics, but all pre-meds around my D. (including her) had Research (sometime multi-year commitment, D. was in Research for 3 years). Aslo as a general (I do not know your current credit count), pre-meds should take a heavy load in a first 2 years and lighter load in the last 2 years.<br>
GET RESEARCH ASAP. Why not? Everybody is busy and most people also work, many around D. (including her) also had minors, not becasue they make any diff., but they feel that they make difference in their personal life in UG.
You have mentioned 15-18 hours, but what you actually have? 15-16 hrs is light, 18 hrs is heavy. Forget clubs, what kind of time they require? My guess, close to none.<br>
Here is D’s and her friend approximate load: job all thru graduation, unreleated Minors (one had Art, another Music), sorority (time consuming, both on sorority board), volunteering (D. was commited for 3 years), Med. Research (3 years commitment for both), D. went abroad, no summer classes, no gap year, both in Med. Schools currently.</p>
<p>Hope you got it. Perhaps pare down your other activities somewhat. You can put that on your activity list and talk about it in your interview especially if you continue the research in the following semester. DS1 will be a TA for Molecular Biology next semester. I think that it is a meaningful activity even just for one semester. It is also a potential source of LOR.</p>
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