<p>so i want to understand from the pros on this forum (BDM, BRM, NG, etc etc) that what is the real impact on medical school admissions of getting published as an undergrad?</p>
<p>lets say the application is overall average (average test scores, average GPA, average involvement in ECs, average etc)...but the dude got published because of working in the same lab for 4 years...</p>
<p>so really, what are the chances of such an applicant at the top 10 med schools?</p>
<p>i know this is a very broad questions, but it helps me understand if really working my ass off in research and commuting and etc etc is ultimately worth it...dont get me wrong, i love doing it, but i also love not commuting and stress and more free time etc..</p>
<p>Your chances might triple or quintuple...from 0.02% to 0.08%.</p>
<p>Honestly, you don't have much of a chance at a Harvard or Columbia if you're not a URM and you have 3.6/30-type stats. The acceptance rate at Top 10 schools is in the 3-4% range as it is. I'm guessing the typical applicant has better than 3.6/30 stats which means your chances will be much lower than the typical applicant. </p>
<p>A publication is nice to have but unless you're first author and it's published in a high impact journal, it basically counts as a nice EC and that's it. It's not going to add 5 points to your MCAT or 0.3 to your GPA.</p>
<p>i did clinical research this summer - i didn't get a publication out of it (could be 5 years down the road - i essentially started an ongoing project), but i can tell you that i got a great deal out of it, as in things to write about in my essay, things to talk about in my interview, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's more important than a publication.</p>
<p>thanks norcalguy....
your opinion is well taken...but maybe except this part: "A publication is nice to have but unless you're first author and it's published in a high impact journal, it basically counts as a nice EC and that's it."</p>
<p>i dont think getting published is just a nice EC...what if you did research for 4 years but never got published...is that not an EC at all then? Correct me if im wrong but how much undergrads end up being first authors on papers in high impact journals working part time during the school year...</p>
<p>from what I have heard...getting published does set you apart</p>
<p>well, heres another question: i plan on doing research at a lab in UCSF for 4 years...hopefully i will get published...and will def. get recs from PI etc
does this sort of deal help at all in determining my chances at UCSF for med school?</p>
<p>Getting published is entirely beyond the control of the undergrad, you're PI will decide whether you publish and what your authorship position will be. If you work hard, will it increase your chances of getting published? Yes. Will it guarantee it? No. Will people who put in less quality effort than you get published even if you don't? Yerp. A glowing letter from your PI is the most important means of quantifying your work. A publication certainly helps, but it will not automatically boost you ahead of similarly qualified applicants.</p>
<p>To get into the top school, you need the grades, scores, and EC involvements to get in; these places have their pick of students, and don't need to take people who have less than the total application package. There are of course people with lower stats that get in, but they have something truly exceptional to distinguish them, and a publication does not meet that criterion.</p>
<p>Regarding your last question; no, doing research at UCSF will not automatically boost your chances at their med school. If your PI has some substantial (and I mean huge) pull with the admissions committee and is willing to use it, then maybe, but odds are no, it will make no difference (this is why I advised you on the other thread to look for research opportunities closer to where you go to school).</p>
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i dont think getting published is just a nice EC...what if you did research for 4 years but never got published...is that not an EC at all then?
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<p>Research w/o a pub is still an EC, just not as nice obviously.</p>
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Correct me if im wrong but how much undergrads end up being first authors on papers in high impact journals working part time during the school year...
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<p>Very few. Hence, it's a big deal if you manage to accomplish it. As for lesser pubs, as Philly explained, it's almost a matter of luck rather than brilliance at the undergrad level. Some undergrads have worked for as little as one summer and have gotten published while others have worked for four years and have gotten screwed out of a publication. A lot that goes into getting published depends on factors beyond your control. </p>
<p>
[quote]
well, heres another question: i plan on doing research at a lab in UCSF for 4 years...hopefully i will get published...and will def. get recs from PI etc
does this sort of deal help at all in determining my chances at UCSF for med school?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>It won't hurt, unless your rec is negative. But, it's unlikely to help much for one simple reason: it's not hard to get a research position at schools like Harvard Med or UCSF while it's very hard to get into the actual med school as a student. I have plenty of friends who were unable to get into med school who are now working at JHU Med or Harvard Med as research assistants. In other words, your ability to get a research position at UCSF is not an indication of your competitiveness as a med school applicant. It can help (significantly) if your PI is on the adcom committee or has a lot of pull and it'll be a nice ice-breaker if you do get interviewed but, in general, where you do research is not that important.</p>