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Health Professions Advising at Mason |
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Research OpportunitiesGeneral InformationHealth professions programs are strongly encouraging applicants to get some exposure to scientific research prior to admission. Allopathic medical programs recognize that basic research is fundamentally important to the appreciation of technological and scientific biomedical breakthroughs. Dental and optometry school admissions committees also look favorably on research as there is a need for basic and clinical scientists in these areas. Consequently, even if you do not see yourself in an academic medical setting where you expect to balance your clinical practice with research responsibilities, exposure to research may still be helpful. If a student is interested in attending a highly competitive allopathic medical program or a combined MD/PhD or DO/PhD program, then research is expected. Many applicants to these programs may have worked in a research laboratory to write an undergraduate honors thesis. Some may have been listed as a co-author of a published journal article. One can obtain research experience in a biomedical or health-related area on-campus by searching the Faculty Research Database or applying for the Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program. What is important is exposure to the scientific method and an appreciation of the discipline required to perform quality research. A student with research experience is expected to summarize the work and explain the importance of the research in both written and verbal forms. The nature of the research can be in the areas of molecular biology, physiology, psychology, engineering, or computer science (this is not an exhaustive list) so long as it has some relevance to biomedical or health-related topics. If a student does research, one of his/her references should be from the research supervisor. |
Research Opportunities Resources for MD/PhD (or similar) programs External Links GMU Undergraduate Research Apprenticeships List of summer programs (Syracuse) |
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