Research for credits vs. Summer research program

[doctorfresh]

What do you think would be better if I plan on writing the MCAT at the same time? All I need to study for it is orgo and physics. I applied to a bunch of summer programs (yet to receive a response), and I am meeting up with some professors (Uoft) for a potential independent research project this summer for school credits. Do you think schools frown upon students who do research for credits, or is this a good alternative to get some research experience under your belt? Does anyone know what a research project entails?

 

Any feedback is appreciated

[NutritionRunner]

I don't think they would frown upon someone doing research for credit. After all, in some undergraduate programs, you have to complete a fourth-year thesis, and that usually involves some sort of research. In other programs, it is only the top students who are permitted to do one of the fourth year research or thesis courses, so that would hardly be considered negatively.

[souljaboy]

Getting an an award (eg. NSERC) is definitely better than working for pay, volunteering, or for credits. Otherwise there's no real difference.

[NutritionRunner]

Getting an an award (eg. NSERC) is definitely better than working for pay, volunteering, or for credits. Otherwise there's no real difference.

 

Well, I did an NSERC last year, and no publication came out of it. Whereas for my fourth year thesis, I will have third author on a publication. So in that case, I believe that the research for credit is "worth" more than the NSERC, since it is resulting in a publication.

[Lonney]

Why not do both?

 

Get a NSERC and get your intership credited

 

Best of both worlds

[peachaso]

pretty sure you're not allowed to have both

[Lonney]

pretty sure you're not allowed to have both

 

I did that at ULaval

[schmitty]

Well, I did an NSERC last year, and no publication came out of it. Whereas for my fourth year thesis, I will have third author on a publication. So in that case, I believe that the research for credit is "worth" more than the NSERC, since it is resulting in a publication.

 

That was just your luck... the fact that you got a publication from one and not the other had little/nothing to do with the position you held (NSERC vs 4th year thesis).

 

I generally think research outside of your program of study is generally worth more, but essentially it is more important what you get out of the research. I got no pubs out of my 4th year research project (not mandatory at U of T for those that don't know), but I got 3 second-author pubs out of working during the school year as a research assistant after my summer NSERC led to no pubs.

 

Also, I would be hesitant to put a presentation from a credit research course on my CV, whereas I definitely put the poster presentation from my NSERC summer research on there.