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How to Get a Research Role: What I Wish I Had Known Before Meeting With a PI
When I got my first meeting with a PI, I was mostly thinking about how I could convince her to take me. I had very little research experience, so I was incredibly grateful that someone was even willing to talk with me. I remember taking the Zoom meeting from my dorm room with my computer awkwardly propped up on a stack of books on my bedside table, feeling very nervous and trying to make a good impression. Meeting with her quickly eased a lot of that anxiety. She was enthusia
alexandrabilder
3 days ago9 min read
How to Get a Research Role: Finding Research That Interests You
One common piece of advice for students looking for research is: find a PI whose research interests you. That sounds fine until you are early in your science courses and almost everything sounds interesting because you do not know enough yet to know what you like. How are you supposed to decide whether you are interested in a lab studying a signaling pathway you have never heard of? And how are you supposed to write an email explaining your interest when you barely understand
alexandrabilder
Aug 198 min read
How to Get a Research Role: Cold-Emailing a Principal Investigator
When I first started looking for a research role, I did not have much research experience. I had done one internship where I spent most of the summer de-stapling and digitizing files. I had 0 publications and 0 technical skills. But I had a genuine interest in research, an Excel spreadsheet, and a willingness to put some effort into finding the right opportunity. I eventually found my first role through cold outreach and a wonderful mentor and research team. Looking back, th
alexandrabilder
Aug 146 min read
Clinical Experience vs. Clinical Volunteering vs. Shadowing: What Counts and How Many Hours You Need
Every application season, I read files where an applicant has technically checked every box. Some shadowing, some volunteering, a clinical role of some kind but the experiences feel very thin. Almost every time, the reason comes down to the same types of confusion by treating clinical experience, clinical volunteering, and shadowing as one interchangeable category, when a committee reads all three very differently. It’s essential to get this distinction correct early since th
Zaid Ashruf
Aug 128 min read
What I Wish I Had Known Before Starting a DIY Post-Bac
When I started my post-bac, I knew the classes would be hard. I expected long nights, a lot of studying, and some complicated scheduling. What I did not expect was how much of the process I would have to figure out on my own. There Is No Obvious Roadmap One of the biggest differences between my post-bac and undergrad has been the amount of support available. In undergrad, there were advisors, established systems, and people whose job was to help students understand what came
alexandrabilder
Aug 104 min read
Why Strong Applicants Get Rejected: The Biggest Red Flags in Medical School Applications
I sat on a medical school admissions committee for several cycles. I have read the files, sat in the room, and listened to the discussion shift the moment a reviewer says "wait, go back to page four." Certain things do that. Not all of them are fatal. Some are entirely fixable if you catch them early enough. But every one of them is worth understanding before you submit, because by the time you are sitting across from an interviewer, it is usually too late to fix anything. He
Stephen C. Frederico
Jul 156 min read
The Real Cost of Reapplying to Medical School (And Why You Should Do Everything to Avoid It)
Most applicants think the worst outcome of a failed cycle is the rejection itself. The embarrassment. The gut-punch email. The awkward conversations with family asking how it went. That part is temporary. What follows is not. Reapplying to medical school is not a reset. It is not a mulligan. It is a fundamentally different experience, one that costs more than most people account for, and one that most people could have avoided with better planning the first time around. I spe
Stephen C. Frederico
Apr 259 min read
The Myth of Holistic Review in Medical School Admissions
If I had a nickel for every time I have heard the term “holistic review,” I would probably be able to retire. Medical schools advertise it. Admissions panels reference it. Pre-med advisors repeat it. Applicants cling to it. But what does that actually mean? Applicants often interpret that phrase to mean: “If my GPA or MCAT is lower, they will overlook it because they consider the whole person.” That is not how holistic review works in practice. As a former voting member of a
Stephen C. Frederico
Mar 305 min read
Low GPA? Here’s How Medical School Admissions Committees View Post-Bacc and SMP Programs
Post-baccalaureate programs and Special Master’s Programs are often marketed as second chances for those with low GPAs aspiring to attending medical school. But how do medical school admissions committees actually evaluate them? As a former voting member of an MD admissions committee, I can tell you the answer is nuanced and highly strategic. These programs can absolutely strengthen an application. But they can also expose weaknesses more clearly than before. Understanding ho
Stephen C. Frederico
Mar 244 min read
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