Finding Research Opportunities

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Hi!

I'm a current MS3 who recently decided to go into Dermatology. To successfully match, I've been advised that a year of research is necessary. Unfortunately, it's too late to apply to NIH etc. I also don't go to a big research school. Any suggestions about finding year-long research opportunities, preferably paid? Much appreciated!

If a year of research was truly necessary then I and many others on this forum would not have matched into Dermatology. Research definitely helps more than pretty much anything else in the application process in my opinion, but most Derm residents I know did not take an extra year of medical school to solely focus on research. I only had one case report for Dermatology, and another case report in another field.

Originally Posted by FuturDocteur

Hi!

I'm a current MS3 who recently decided to go into Dermatology. To successfully match, I've been advised that a year of research is necessary. Unfortunately, it's too late to apply to NIH etc. I also don't go to a big research school. Any suggestions about finding year-long research opportunities, preferably paid? Much appreciated!

http://bit.ly/JUTyBS

You can match in derm without taking one-year off to do research. However, you must have other qualities that derm programs want or need. Feel free to PM me if you want research projects.

Originally Posted by FuturDocteur

Hi!

I'm a current MS3 who recently decided to go into Dermatology. To successfully match, I've been advised that a year of research is necessary. Unfortunately, it's too late to apply to NIH etc. I also don't go to a big research school. Any suggestions about finding year-long research opportunities, preferably paid? Much appreciated!

Hey! It'll depend on your stats too and the story that you weave about your path. If you don't come across believable, it will be harder. I know applicants that changed from another field into derm at the end of third year and did have a harder time matching despite 10+ interviews (meaning that they did not match) and the issue that came up was basically directed at "how genuine are you?" sorts of questions...so you just have to be prepared for that. I'm not sure if you are changing from one direction (such as switching from ophtho or ortho or radiology, etc.) or if you just made you first full commitment and decided on derm but wanted to give you the heads up there. FYI, the ones that did not match took a year of research afterwards and did match so it's not that you won't match but there is a delay... other factors come into play too like your stats and your connections.

You can definitely match without a year of research but I would say that, it has to be a case by case basis that incorporates your stats, your experiences, your skills, and your story. A research year is a nice way to set everything in a nicer package but you have to go to a productive one. You don't want to solely be working on a five year clinical trial because you never get any publications doing that.

For ideas, as a start if you are still thinking fellowships, you might want to try calling places that you really want to go to and see what they can offer. The fellowships for medical students around the nation are likely filled by now but some include UCSF (two faculty here that can really help you with publications if you do work with them) and wake forest. You might try contacting them. The reality is that you'll need to remain persistent and try to be as productive as you can over the summer. I'll post to this thread again if I think of any other ideas.

Originally Posted by dermathalon

Hey! It'll depend on your stats too and the story that you weave about your path. If you don't come across believable, it will be harder. I know applicants that changed from another field into derm at the end of third year and did have a harder time matching despite 10+ interviews (meaning that they did not match) and the issue that came up was basically directed at "how genuine are you?" sorts of questions...so you just have to be prepared for that. I'm not sure if you are changing from one direction (such as switching from ophtho or ortho or radiology, etc.) or if you just made you first full commitment and decided on derm but wanted to give you the heads up there. FYI, the ones that did not match took a year of research afterwards and did match so it's not that you won't match but there is a delay... other factors come into play too like your stats and your connections.

You can definitely match without a year of research but I would say that, it has to be a case by case basis that incorporates your stats, your experiences, your skills, and your story. A research year is a nice way to set everything in a nicer package but you have to go to a productive one. You don't want to solely be working on a five year clinical trial because you never get any publications doing that.

For ideas, as a start if you are still thinking fellowships, you might want to try calling places that you really want to go to and see what they can offer. The fellowships for medical students around the nation are likely filled by now but some include UCSF (two faculty here that can really help you with publications if you do work with them) and wake forest. You might try contacting them. The reality is that you'll need to remain persistent and try to be as productive as you can over the summer. I'll post to this thread again if I think of any other ideas.

We don't know his/her stats. The second link on the page that is brought up from my link had a nice summary of paid fellowships from derminterest.org. I would suggest that most UCSF fellows DON'T match at UCSF -- in fact, a lot of people that they interview at UCSF don't rotate there. Just a FYI.

Thanks everyone! I know absolutely that a year-off is not needed to match and a significant number of students match without it, but my application has some inherent weaknesses that a year off could potentially overcome (though not certainly). I am willing to put in my all to have the best application possible and a year is nothing compared to 35 years I will have with my chosen career path. Most of the year-off programs have closed by now hence the dificulty finding a research spot. I do appreciate the suggestions!

Originally Posted by pupster

We don't know his/her stats. The second link on the page that is brought up from my link had a nice summary of paid fellowships from derminterest.org. I would suggest that most UCSF fellows DON'T match at UCSF -- in fact, a lot of people that they interview at UCSF don't rotate there. Just a FYI.

Thanks pup and I can see that no stats were posted so that's why I made the comment.

I totally agree that UCSF does not match their own fellows (med student or post-MD) except in rare cases and I know of two examples. I'm glad you pointed it out here because I think its important that people know that UCSF rarely takes their own fellows. That said, at least two of the fellowships there do help with getting many pubs and I know quite a few people that have matched ELSEWHERE after doing a MEDICAL STUDENT fellowship at UCSF (I know people that have matched elsewhere after the post-MD fellowship too but not as many people).