Question regarding non-traditional research

[MD-PhD-NonTrad]

I just discovered this place, hopefully more helpful than the Premed forum.

Looking at the 10,000 character essay to list all research experience, how should I approach/should I utilize at all non-academic 'research' experience utilized for internal use for my employer? I have three projects in which I generated the hypothesis, performed the gathering and analysis of data, presented the data to supervisors/generated internal reports , and the data eventually went on to become incorporated in to policies and procedures (Not peer-reviewed journals, but peer-reviewed [ie. my supervisor, Quality Assurance, and MDs] internal use academic reports?).

One of these projects was an analysis and execution of product stability times, one was an assessment of laboratory values vs. biopsy reports used to modify our certain testing/appointment criteria (Clinical research equivalent), another was an assessment of invalid assays to adjust business practices.

In two of these, I did data mining very akin to academic clinical research (identical in hypothesis generation, process and execution of mining and reports), and another (the first one listed) was near identical to my previous wet lab experience, both in terms of hypothesis generation, execution of experimentation, and writing of the report. The only difference for all of these is that they were utilized internally as opposed to specifically for academic research, though the work was still scholastic in nature. I know straight up research positions that generate internal data can be listed, but can these activities be listed? Alongside other extensive laboratory-based research in undergrad.

I do not have the room to really expand on these activities on my primary (as the 'real research' takes precedence) but these 10,000 characters are calling my name. "Hey 2021-2022-Nontrad, you have more scholarly work than your application suggests!" And I want to answer that call.

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[ShinySephiroth]

Thanks for asking this! Curious to hear what others have to say.

 

[MD-PhD-NonTrad]

I have been told @Fencer is the person to approach

 

[gnΩhmChild]

Here's my 2 cents as a successful applicant from this past cycle. I had similar experience working in pharma on projects that I could only present internally because they were proprietary.

When I wrote the research essay I tried to keep in mind that the point of the essay was to highlight the important elements of each research experience in my development as a scientist, not necessarily to go into gory detail about everything you did in the lab. You should absolutely emphasize that these were hypothesis-driven research experiences that had a lasting impact at your employer and that you gained experience implementing the entire scientific method. Those aspects of those experiences will surely be an asset in your development as a physician-scientist. In short, I think they're worth including in your essay but you will likely have to make multiple revisions to reduce that section to only the salient points.