<p>Ok, so I've been offered one of twenty research positions in the Summer Program in Biomedical Sciences at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. This program is basically a full-time research job for nine months, five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. </p>
<p>However, I am slightly hesitating to accept this position, as it will take up almost my entire summer before my first year at college. I really wanted to use this summer to get a job, possibly intern, and relax a bit before starting college. BUT, this offer also seems like a wonderful research opportunity, as it is a fairly selective program. </p>
<p>Will this research help me for admission into medical school, even though its specifically called a "High School Summer Program" in Biomedical Sciences? Will I mention this in my med school apps in the future? Also, will it be easier for me to acquire future research postions in college if I attend a summer program like this? </p>
<p>You should definitely do it. It's a fantastic experience and will make you much more competitive for the REU programs offered by the NSF and NIH. You'll be able to find out if you like research and lab work. If you don't like it you can do other things to help your med school application. On the other hand, if you totally love it you may decide to get a PhD and head into academia. You will still have lots of time for going out and enjoying your summer, don't worry.</p>
<p>It was an awesome program. It was extremely valuable as it cemented my desire to pursue medicine as a career. I learned so much about research and the politics involved in maintaining a research position at many different levels. I had a lot of autonomy in the lab and was able to tour several different labs and get an idea of the different types of research going on (clinical, design, knowledge, etc). CCF also has seminars every week which allow you to learn what is going on at other institutions as well. I even got to meet two Nobel prize winners! I'm not sure what else you'd like to know, but if you have specific questions I'd be glad to answer them.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info hoberto. I really appreciate it!</p>
<p>I was also wondering what the time commitment was like for your program. Is it similar to mine? If so, did you find the hours to be long and tedious or did they go by pretty fast?</p>
<p>I had to work 40 hours/week, but frequently worked more than that due to the nature of my project. I was used to working full-time so it wasn't a big deal for me. It was rarely long and tedious. Plus, I just loved all the stuff going on at the LRI. I had a really cool PI who didn't really care when I came in or left so on days when there wasn't much to do, I left early. I usually went in around 8 and left around 5. Remember, one hour of that was lunch. The nice thing was that all my evenings were free! I worked a second job on Saturdays, but still had Sunday free and I didn't feel like I was constantly working or had wasted my summer. I really enjoyed my experience.</p>
<p>can anyone please tell me what other research programs there are available in texas for rising college freshmen? or out of state is fine as well</p>