Question about research

Graduate School
1

<p>hey, this is a question about med-school research a few days ago. I figured that med school is a form of graduate study, so it mgiht be appropriate in this forum =)</p>

<p>So, I'm starting my sophomore year at Colby College up and Maine and just finished up a summer internship doing air quality research on mount washington (a pretty competitive research internship--usually given to 20+ year old Princeton, Oberlin, etc. graduates). I'm interested in pre-med. Right now I plan on returning to do one more year of this research and I was wondering if you think my time woudl be better spent somewhere else-- i.e. should I be doing molecular bio, other types of bio research. The work I did was mainly air-quality field work and laboratory-related assembly, cleaning, pH sampling work. The experience I gained/what I did this summer and will do if I return to the internship included:</p>

<p>• Setup, cleaned, maintained, operated, took and entered data readings into Excel from, and disassembled a research site located in the col between Mt. Washington and Mt. Monroe which consisted of a pair of Harvard Impactors, a PQ100 pump, a rotometer, a cloud catcher, a rain catcher, and a Davis weather monitor
• Assembled, disassembled, cleaned, and operated Harvard Impactors (volumetric particulate [2.5] measuring devices) inside a glove-box
• Measured the acid concentrations of cloud, rain, and stream samples gathered using an Orion 230A probe
• Give guests nightly programs of 30 to 45 minutes in length about the quality of the air in the Northeast, what haze and ozone are, how they affect human health, where they come from, how haze and acid rain/clouds are related, and how acid deposition works
• Monitored the temperature of O3 monitors in the Mt. Washington Observatory
• Minorly assisted with the census of the Potentilla Rubinsiana (Dwarf Cinquefoil), a near-endangered species, on Monroe Flats
• Gathered stream samples from the Great Gulf and Dry River Class I Wilderness areas
• Explained “Mt. Watch,” a citizen scientist air-quality project, to hut visitors and encouraged them to partake
• Helped to operate, supply, and maintain the largest full-service hut in the AMC hut system (Lakes of the Clouds Hut, overnight capacity: 93 guests)
• Learned how to take initiative (my boss worked at a different location and I had no direct supervisor)
• Became Wilderness First Aid and CPR certified and performed search and rescues on Mt. Washington and surrounding areas on a volunteer basis</p>

<p>This is a really good life experience and I learn/have learned great leadership skills here. Getting to teach what I know (and having to learn what I know from journal articles, heh) has really helped me to understand some fundamentals of science and some more-focused facts about air pollution and it's effects on humans. Do you think another year of this instead of applying for a research position at Dartmouth :SURF" or at Colby will hurt my chances at med school, or do you think this is a good experience that coudl open doors for later experience (i've still got a few mroe years to go, eah?)? Also, this internship coudl open up some doors for me at the Harvard School of Public Health doing epidemiological research. Would this type of epidemiological research intrigue med schools as much as the other types of cellular, molecular, etc. pre-med research internships that are more talked about on these forums?</p>

<p>thanks!</p>

<p>Drew</p>

2

<p>Med schools are known for wanted students who are driven and well-rounded, but not necessarily only in the areas of research. My husband got into an excellent med school having done only one research assistantship. However, he had a variety of travel, sport, and teaching experiences (and amazing MCATs). So I would say pursue what you are passionate about and make sure you do well on the MCATs.</p>

<p>I would post this in the pre-med section of CC, though. That's more the place for it.</p>

3

<p>thanks DeepSeekPhd, that's exactly what I was looking for =).</p>

4

<p>Med school admission committees care little about research experience.</p>

5

<p>how do you mean--that they only care if I'm motivated and have a passion?</p>

6

<p>no, research experience is down the list of criteria for med school admission. MCAT's and grades carry significantly more weight than research experience. Graduate school places a premium on research experience but not medical school. This makes sense if you understand that med school functions as a professional training school for physicians, 90+% of them are going into clinical practice and will not engage in research activities. While there may be a research rotation in medical school and on internship, research skills are not a focus of medical school training, therefore, research experience is a nice addition to an applicants folder but not a big eye opener for admission committees.</p>

7

<p>very good point. thanks=)</p>