Similar to most things in recent years, the medical school application has changed a lot. From shifts in the MCAT to evolving requirements and steadily rising stats, one thing is clear: getting into med school has always been hard. But does getting in really have to be getting harder?
One of the more silent expectations creeping into applications is research (and let’s be real, gap years, but we’ll unpack that next week).
Ah yes, research, the buzzword of every future M1.
Personally, I’ve had some research shadowing under my belt, and I just found out I’ll be presenting soon (yay.. But also internally panicking). If you’re anything like me, the imposter syndrome doesn’t come from thinking you can’t do something, it comes from feeling like you simply don’t know enough.
And honestly? That perfectly sums up my experience in the lab.
Science, especially medicinal chemistry, has this humbling way of reminding you just how much there is to learn. I find myself constantly going back to my (very simplified) notes, trying to piece together the tiny steps and procedures that everyone else seems to just know. But here’s the thing: that’s part of the process.
If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this, explore research you’re actually curious about. There were moments where my curiosity felt completely crushed, like run over and reversed on. But somehow, the reward of science makes it all worth it. After months of shadowing, I finally ran my first experiment. And as I carefully poured my reaction mixture with slightly shaking hands, I had this realization: maybe I do know something.
Even if it’s only .001% of the field. So should you do research?
Honestly yes, being in a lab has transformed my “pre-orgo lab anxiety” into moments of quiet confidence. Like okay, I’ve seen this before. I can do this. You’re not going to become Einstein overnight, but you will grow.
At the end of the day, developing as a scientist will never hurt your application, as long as you’re doing it for the right reasons.
Not just to check a box, but to actually learn, struggle and maybe, even just a little, belong.