Addy K Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Hi all, so although the summer is still quite far away, soon I will need to figure out whether I want to apply for NSERC (and presumably get it) or get a paid research position with some doctor. The latter job is only available to me since I got to present a poster at an international conference and met this very nice doctor who went to UofT medical school (the school I'd like to go to) and so she gave me a lot of advice and was very helpful (she knew my supervisor). So lets assume I get both positions. So then I need to figure out for the upcoming summer whether to do NSERC or research with a doctor (most likely an orthopedic surgeon or cardiologist). I don't even know what to base my decision on since they are both such great opportunities so any advice, especially from those who have done NSERC in the past, is greatly appreciated. Also, with NSERC it will most likely be with some psychology professor so maybe that is a negative since it may not be as relevant to medicine as research conducted with a MD. And sorry I can't give more detail on the 'research with a doctor' job; I'll be finding out more information next week. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallinar Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 there's no negative for the NSERC what so ever. Do what interests you most and what pays better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a41 Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 NSERC is just a way of getting funded. Everybody and their best friend's dog gets NSERC, but not everyone gets to do work with an MD. I've personally done both (in all the combinations you can think of, NSERC with non-MD, NSERC with an MD, and research with just an MD) and I'd say working with the MD is probably the best opportunity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinknoodle Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 Without knowing more about your situation it is impossible to say which opportunity to choose. Both sound like good opportunities, so I don't think you can really make a bad decision. Questions I would be asking myself when choosing, would be: -Do I like the subject material? -What is my role in the project? -What are the long-term goals of the project? What stage is it at now? -Who will I be working with? Would we get along? -What other kinds of support do I have? -Do I think this will be a good learning opportunity? -What are my expectations? -What do I want to do outside work during the summer? -What could I do if the project doesn't work out? (One possible perk of working with an MD is being able to shadow in clinics, etc - but you have to ask about this) -What is my salary? (As said above, NSERC is only one way to get funded.. but salary support may be important for you) I would worry less about the name attached to it, or the degrees behind the researchers name. Pick the project and people that you like the best, because otherwise it will be a long summer. Good luck with your decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scintillating Posted November 3, 2007 Report Share Posted November 3, 2007 I'd do what interests you the most and the research project that you have the most passion for. I had an NSERC once but didn't enjoy my summer project, so the next summer I found something that I was interested in and worked with that professor without an NSERC. I was so much more happy and motivated to do the research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agray33 Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 Sorry to divert some attention from the initial post, but I was wondering if anyone could explain to me the best/easiest way to get a summer research position. My only problem is that I am a resident in BC, and thus I will be in BC during the summer - I go to school in Ontario. (UWO) I am a second year student and do not know much about how summer research goes, but I was concerned that since I dont go to uni in BC, that I will in some way be prevented from getting a position in BC. (since i won't have any "university" resources/connections to aid me in the process. Honestly, any input would be greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinknoodle Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 Sorry to divert some attention from the initial post, but I was wondering if anyone could explain to me the best/easiest way to get a summer research position. My only problem is that I am a resident in BC, and thus I will be in BC during the summer - I go to school in Ontario. (UWO) I am a second year student and do not know much about how summer research goes, but I was concerned that since I dont go to uni in BC, that I will in some way be prevented from getting a position in BC. (since i won't have any "university" resources/connections to aid me in the process. Honestly, any input would be greatly appreciated! Start by reading here: http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20935 Look to see if there are any formal research programs in BC. If not, start emailing profs at the university you want to do research (assuming you want to work at a university, because you can also look for jobs in hospitals, business, etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfette Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Yeah, I would base my decision on: 1. What your role in the project is? - It's so much better to do something rather than just sit around and watch. - Are there any opportunities for further development? (ie. Can you take the project further later on if you want to? Is the work publishable?) 2. What's the supervisor like? - Don't work for anyone that is rude or demeaning. - Be careful or working for someone that never has time for you (especially if you've never done any research and you don't know what you're doing). 3. Funding - Yeah, money matters. It helps to be able to pay the bills. - But perhaps more importantly, you're more likely to be treated seriously if you're getting paid rather than just volunteering. P.S. Can you do both? For example, you might be able to take the NSERC position and just do some shadowing and stuff for the doc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daryn Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Lots of people have given you great advice, so I'm not going to talk about this further. Just want to say that IMHO, who you do your project with or what you do your project on has very little bearing on the application. It's better to look at how you do your project and how you show that you have great research potential. Also, you can do a summer NSERC with a doctor. There's no stopping that. NSERC is only an external funding source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scintillating Posted November 11, 2007 Report Share Posted November 11, 2007 Also, you can do a summer NSERC with a doctor. There's no stopping that. NSERC is only an external funding source. You can only do NSERCs with people who have NSERC funding for research projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daryn Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 You can only do NSERCs with people who have NSERC funding for research projects. ...who can also be MDs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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