<p>I'm a rising sophomore and haven't done research yet, is that bad? Do medical schools generally want to see 3-4 years of undergraduate research, or would only doing 1 semester-1 year of research be okay? I think research is really interesting and I want to have the experience of doing research, but I'm not exactly passionate about it and would rather spend my time volunteering, which do a lot of and am very passionate about.
Related to that, does anyone have any advice on how to find research? People always tell me to just start emailing professors, so I look in the faculty directory for my school and it lists the subjects that each professor is involved in. But how do I know if the professor is actually doing research in that subject area at any given time?
Thanks! :)</p>
<p>DS had 1 year of research and another year of research during the year he was applying. It seems he did better than one of his friends who had done much more research than he had. But DS had much better stats and, in my biased opinion as a parent, is a more well rounded student (e.g., won the opportunity of performing at the annual spring fling and a few recording hours at a professional recording studio, joined the local artists group where he composed a piece of music within 90 minutes and performed it, did charity related work spanning over 3 years - likely mentioned parts of these in his application though, likely not a nerdy science major perceived by most adcoms). His friend’s PI helped him get published AFTER the application cycle had been over but DS’s PI batted for him without DS’s asking. Who is more “lucky”? But his friend now targets for Derm but DS would not. So who is “better”? You judge it by yourself!</p>
<p>I think DS just emailed the PI to get the opportunities of joining the research group both times. He was at a college where many did research though. For a science major like DS, he can not avoid it as it is essentially a part of the graduation requirement!</p>
<p>He had a paid research opportunity in the summer before sophomore too but he decided to give it up (not sure about doing research then.) He got that opportunity shortly after he had been accepted to the college … Likely with a good enough science e background.)</p>
<p>How much research is enough?</p>
<p>It depends on the schools you’ll be apply to eventually. Research intensive schools expect applicants to have robust research resumes. (More than just a semester or two.) Primary care oriented schools will be less focused on your research than on your other activities.</p>
<p>If you’re not so much interested in lab bench research, you could pursue clinical research activities (in public health or clinical outcomes, for example).</p>
<p>If you go to an individual professor’s webpage, usually there’s a listing of current research projects and his/her most recent publications. Professors are always doing research. It’s considered part of their professional development/obligation. Also remember that finding a research position is sort of like a job interview process. The prof wll explain what he’s doing, and if you’re not interested, you’re under no obligation to say yes, you’ll take the position even if it’s offered to you.</p>
<p>Is extensive/quality clinical research viewed as “equal” to extensive lab bench research at research intensive medical schools? Or would you suggest adding at least a summer or more of bench research for this type of school?</p>
<p>I think DS’s research was in the bench research. He is in a relatively more research oriented med school now. But I am not sure whether his type of research plays a role here. It does appear that in the interview at some of these types of med schools, the interviewers more likely asked his research, especially when the type of the research the interviewer has been doing is closely related to the type of the research done in his research lab.</p>
<p>I believe DS needed to grow bacteria of some disease that could be deadly if infected in his first research lab. It scared him a little bit because of the perceived danger in handling these bacteria. The rat is used as the research subject. DS said the researcher is required to “play” with the rat regularly so that the rat would not be afraid of the researcher when he “handles” the rat. </p>
<p>In his second research lab, he needs to deal with a lot of fruit flies. I think it is more in the area of brain or neuroscience. They collected a lot of genes related data. The more senior researchers in his lab sometimes need to have a “brain surgery” on sick fruit flies but not a junior member like DS. They also used computers and statistics a lot as DS mentioned one postdoc researcher is an expert in this area. DS learned math is indeed useful in this lab.</p>
<p>Both of his research groups were in the med school rather than in one of the science departments, likely because there are much more research groups in med school. The research groups there tend to be larger and have more funding.</p>
<p>His department somehow discouraged their students to do clinical research in general. The professor who was in charge of student’s senior (research) projects warned the students in DS’s department that, if the type of research does not have enough science in it, he might reject the research proposal at the beginning of the senior year.</p>
<p>I don’t know whether research-intensive school view clinical research as holding equivalent weight as basic lab research. It may be dependent on the quality and importance/significance of the clinical research. That’s something you should ask the health professions advisors at your college.</p>
<p>Clinical research sounds more interesting to me. I am more interested in going to a school that focuses on primary care research. Would a year or two of clinical research be sufficient, then? Or do I still need to do regular lab research?
Thanks for all your help so far, everyone!</p>
<p>Sorry, I meant to say that I’m more interested in going to a school that focuses on primary care than a school that focuses on research.</p>