<p>1.) You can get into any medical school without research… but it’s pretty hard to get into a top research school – which is what I assume you mean by “top” school – without it. This is appropriate. You’ll be fighting for 6% of Stanford’s spots, or 8% of Hopkins’, or 10% of WUSTL’s. So it’s a tough battle. Brutal, in fact, if you’re not packing some pretty big guns in that application (some of which you would have to have been born with).</p>
<p>2.) Hypothetically, let’s say you really dislike research. More importantly than your difficulty gaining admission, you will not belong at those schools. They talk about research a lot. Most students are expected to do research – and while it’s not required, those who skip do not fit into the campus culture. (In fact, I can’t think of a single one of my classmates who skipped.) At the very least, you are expected to listen to it a lot, think about it a lot, and read about it. A lot. In other words, if you really dislike it that much – you should not want to go to one of these schools. They are the top research schools for a reason.</p>
<p>3.) Many of the “top-tier” residencies – again, using the same definition – actually do require research years, and you will be expected to be writing up case reports for publication and presentation throughout your clinical years as well. </p>
<p>4.) <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/213924-why-go-better-med-school.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/213924-why-go-better-med-school.html</a></p>