Roommate needs a 2nd opinion on whether to accept this research position

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Mr roommate at JHU recently got offered a research position at the Hopkins Medical Institute working with a doctor [PhD] doing research on genomics. The researcher said that my roommate would have to work about 10 hours a week MIN, and for at least 2 terms. The guy said that he would have to do extensive background reading, learn techniques, help with existing projects and do an individual project over the two terms. Most of the work is with genetics and its association to modern medicine and identifying genes in chronic diseases. </p>

<p>My roommate is wondering if this will be worthwhile, med school applications wise. He knows nothing about genomics, but he is very interested to learn more. He wants to know if his time is better spent doing this or something else? </p>

<p>The doctor also offered research credit for this. I'm assuming that he might also be able to get a letter of rec possibly if he's good. </p>

<p>So basically he wants to know if this kind of thing will look any good or expected on his application at reasonably decent medical schools.</p>

<p>I recommended he go for it, b/c med schools love this kind of stuff, then again, what do I know, lol</p>

<p>Opinions? </p>

<p>Thanks for the help guys!</p>

2

<p>If he is interested, I would say absolutely. Any lab is going to require a lot of sidelines work to catch up, as well as some background reading. 10 hours of in the lab work a week is pretty reasonable for the academic year. </p>

<p>If your roomie wants to get into schools like JHU for medical school, he definitely is going to need research experience. Finding a lab that he likes is a good first step, especially since the PI has already promised that he will be doing his own work eventually, rather than test tube scrubbing.</p>

3

<p>Sounds REALLY good but I’d talk to this PI’s previous labrats before I’d commit. Also, is there a chance for some paid summer work?</p>

4

<p>The best is to talk to pre-med advisor at school.</p>

5

<p>If he’s interested then for sure. Don’t get into something that doesn’t interest you or you’ll want out pretty quickly. That doesn’t mean he has to know a lot about it, just be interested in it. I spent the last seven months in a lab studying adult hippocampal neurogenesis and loved it Did I even know what that was before I started? Hell no. But it sounded pretty interesting and my interest is what kept me going back.</p>