{"id":18172,"date":"2019-08-28T08:46:14","date_gmt":"2019-08-28T13:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=18172"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:41:09","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:41:09","slug":"how-important-is-pre-med-research-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/how-important-is-pre-med-research-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"How Important Is Pre-Med Research Experience?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The reality is that\u00a0pre-med research<\/a>\u00a0isn\u2019t for everyone, and it doesn\u2019t necessarily have to be a component of a successful application. Of course, in many cases, bolstering a medical school application with a publication or two can be helpful, but that doesn\u2019t mean you should sign up to do bench research if it\u2019s not something you\u2019re actually interested in.
\nWe\u2019ve covered the topic of\u00a0gaining research experience<\/a>\u00a0numerous times, but what if pre-med research just isn\u2019t for you?
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Is clinical research right for you?<\/h3>
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\nBefore throwing in the towel, do some research on\u00a0research experience<\/a>: Ask whether it\u2019s relevant to your medical career. When you think of what\u2019s involved in scientific lab work and clinical research\u2014the kind that will help you get into medical school\u2014the stereotypical image is that of a scientist clad in a white coat and safety goggles, dripping chemicals into flasks and swirling them around to discover the cure for cancer.
\nFor some, this may seem like a medical dream job. For others, the idea of spending your life in the lab is less than exciting. It\u2019s helpful to remember that there\u2019s a vast array of options that all count as research experience when filling out your medical school application.
\nTraveling to South Africa and studying the ways that HIV affects the urban poor in Johannesburg, working with the CDC in Atlanta to map out the economic impact of ebola on Western Africa, or\u00a0working on a trial\u00a0for a new method for educating a community about safe sexual practices, for example, are all considered research.
\nIf you\u2019re interested in a particular medical field, you can bet that someone out there is too and that a research opportunity exists. Get out there and find what inspires you. You\u2019d be surprised by what you can turn into a research project or a published paper.
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Applying without research experience<\/h3>
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\nEven after doing your research on types of research experience, you may still find you have little interest in the prospect\u2014and that\u2019s perfectly acceptable. Only a fraction of practicing physicians actively conduct research, and it\u2019s not something that is going to severely hamstring your future\u00a0career in medicine<\/a>.
\nIf you\u2019re flat-out uninterested in doing research to enhance your medical school application, there are some strategies you should adopt to improve your chances\u00a0of acceptance:
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