Clinical Research vs. Lab Research vs. Outreach -- Advice Needed!

[ltrain]

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Hello -

I have just about got the whole postbac thing figured out. I am going to be taking night classes at the Harvard Extension School and now I am just looking for some daytime medically-related employment.

My questions are:

Is some sort of microbiology or other laboratory research needed to apply to medical school (needed as in, everyone has it)? Are those lab skills skills that I will need to use in the future? Is it good to have laboratory experience even if it is in a different field of medicine than that I want to practice?

How is clinical research viewed as compared to lab research?

How would working with a non-profit as an outreach worker compare to working in medically-related research? Would this be viewed not as highly as an academic position? In general, I am much more interested in public health/social medicine than laboratory research. In an outreach position I would have an opportunity to "do" a lot more than I would in a lab.

But I also want to be aware of how my application will look to med schools. I didn't have any biology or chemistry-based research in undergrad and I question if I need to do that.

Any and all advice/personal experiences would be appreciated. Thank you!

ltrain

 

[911Med]

You would have to work in a university based setting if you wanted to work in clinical research.
I am a project manager running a phase IV clinical trial for a pharma company and most company policies dictate that you need a BS in a health science related field for entry positions.

That area has great hospitals - I would look for any work there if you need to pick up work. Decent pay, great exposure, looks good on the application.

 

[ltrain]

I guess I was wondering if it's important to have research experience as opposed to outreach or volunteer work when applying to med school? And would med schools draw any distinction between clinical and lab research?

(maybe I am deluding myself with the illusion that I have a choice - I only have one interview so far 😉 )