<p>I'm a rising senior who has participated in local and state science fairs for the past few years, in addition to shadowing a few local doctors and volunteering at my local hospital, temple, and poverello house. If my scores meet the basic reqs for programs at UCSD, Northwestern, Rice/Baylor and PLME, do I still have a good chance at getting accepted into any of those programs without professional lab research?</p>
<p>Sure you do. As long as there’s something else unique about you. G’luck!</p>
<p>Bsmd11, would doing well in the USA_ _ (olympiads) be considered “unique”? (i.e. Qualifying for camp for the usabo/usnco/usapho?)</p>
<p>Well, chillbro, I was not personally involved in olympiads, although I believe that many students have participated in such competitions. However, if you derived some sort of unique experience from the competitions, then you’re fine. Perhaps you learned about something in science or research that you wish to change?</p>
<p>If you qualified for a US__O “camp” I think that would be considered really great. Isn’t that like the top 50 or 20 or some really small number of finalists?</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses. Top 20 out of ~10,000 students make the USABO camp. I was just wondering if participating (and doing well) in olympiads would be more “unique” that just doing research…</p>
<p>Well the good thing about olympiads is that they show you have true merit and talent for solving scientific problems. What they may also show, is that you’re a good test taker. Both of these are good for BS/MD programs.
Many times research is done by a student who takes initiative and contacts a professor because they really want to learn more about science. Tbh, I’ve learned more in my time in the lab than at school.
Also, “uniqueness” is relative. Approximately 10,000 kids take the USABO tests (quoting you here, as I have no idea) whereas ~1700 kids apply for Intel STS and ~1300 kids apply for Siemens; i would say more than half of those submissions are overlapping. That being said, there is also a high level of uniqueness that can come from the type of research being conducted. What if someone discovered a cure for something? </p>
<p>So, if you’re looking to be unique, you’re high level of achievement in the USABO definitely helps you, but there’s no point in comparing one or the other. It’s like comparing a theoretical physicist and an experimental biologist. </p>
<p>Also, congrats on your achievements. I do think that you have a very good shot as one of 20/10,000, and I highly doubt research is a necessity for BS/MD programs.</p>
<p>Just as a clarification, that was all (unfortunately) hypothetical. I was merely wondering if my memorization of Campbell for the USABO finals would amount to more than me getting a solid biology foundation haha. Thanks again for the responses. After reading so much about how much you can learn from research, I’d really like to give it a try… I hope I can find the time (and a professor) to be able to experience it first-hand.</p>
<p>Use your summers is all I can say.</p>
<p>Yes!! I got accepted into Rice/Baylor this year and did not do lab research. They want to see that your committed to medicine, and you don’t have to do research to show that. Good luck!</p>