NEED ADVICE ASAP: research hours/week

[sipark]

how many hrs per week do you spend doing research?
is 9-10 hrs/week reasonable?

[ericismyname]

most people do it as a summer intern type deal where they work full time for a month or two.

[jameslynton]

Originally Posted by sipark

how many hrs per week do you spend doing research?
is 9-10 hrs/week reasonable?

Don't do research while you are taking classes, period the end! Study do well in the classes you are taking. Research - do it when you are out of school or on a summer break if then. Research only will help you if you are going to a top 50 US medical school that values research. If you want to be in primary care - don't waste one minute of your life doing research. It will not help you for the other US medical schools. Grades and MCAT are the main things that will get you in a US school. If you are heading to the island schools, credit rating is more valuable that 100's of hours of research with poor grades.

[sipark]

thanks for your replies

i'm taking 2 classes while doing research
the group i'm doing research w/ is very flexible in terms of fitting my schedule per week

i'm interested in going to top 50 med schools in US that's why i'm doing research (and I find them intriguing!)

i was just wondering apprx how many hours avg undergrads do research per week because I wasn't sure if 9-10 hrs/week was reasonable

[ericismyname]

Originally Posted by sipark

i'm interested in going to top 50 med schools in US that's why i'm doing research (and I find them intriguing!)

i was just wondering apprx how many hours avg undergrads do research per week because I wasn't sure if 9-10 hrs/week was reasonable

Not to be a nay-sayer, but what are your other creditionals?

I hope it is around a 3.8 GPA, 30+MCAT, tons of volunteering, research, leadership positions, and letters of recommendation that glow when they are opened.

[sipark]

i'm still a first year...
those "credentials" are yet to be accomplished....

i'm starting off w/ research and then volunteering, etc as you mentioned while maintaing at least 3.8 gpa and 30+ mcat