<p>OK, my daughter is just beginning to truly focus on the whole med school application process. (I'm not looking forward to this.) I know that sky high GPA and MCAT scores are paramount. My first two questions:
1. Do you really need to have research in the summer? If so, can the research simply be a research course at a large local university? Does it have to be a special SURP?
2. As far as residency goes, if the sudent lives with one parent in one state, but is the dependent of a parent that has residency in another state, can the student apply as a resident of each state? The little research that I have done has convinced me that residency is very important. Texas, for example, requires that something like 90% come from instate. Mass, however, only accepts instate. If anyone knows the answer to this one I would really appreciate it.
thanks</p>
<p>Please use the search function first. Your answers can be found with a little research and you’ll get much better ones this way.
You should also try SDN ([Student</a> Doctor Network|An educational community for students and doctors spanning all the health professions.](<a href=“http://www.studentdoctor.net%5DStudent”>http://www.studentdoctor.net)) and encourage your daughter to research these things on her own as well.
For now…
- No. Not ideal. No.
- No (1 state only).</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. So, research at a local state university is not good? Can you tell me why? I really know nothing about them.</p>
<p>Research at a local state u is fine but a “research course” is generally just a lab course on research methods. You’re not doing research there. You’re learning how research is performed but never actually applying what you’re learning to real research. It’s just a class. Summer research programs are… overrated. Encourage her to get involved in a lab as early as she can and work in it for a couple of years. She will then end up w/ useful letters of rec from someone who knows her and her work as well as how she interacts with (and works with) others beyond the classroom and over an extended period of time.</p>
<p>Thank you so much. As far as the lab goes, my daughter is having a hard time getting a spot at her university…too many kids…too few spots. She just has to try harder.</p>