Importance of research for psychiatry residency

[DO_or_Die]

Hello SDN,

I can't seem to find an updated thread on this, so I apologize if there is one on this already. I'm wanting to know if it's pretty common for most MS's to do some form of research in order to match into psychiatry (Any psychiatry program really, not just top tier programs)? I don't enjoy research honestly, but if this is a general requirement I'll begin looking into opportunities. Thank you for any insight!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[djiboutiman]

I’m just another medical student, but if you look at the 2020 charting outcomes, 65/73 MD and 47/63 DO students matched without any research. I think research can be helpful to set yourself apart from other applicants and help you get interviews to well known programs, but it’s not necessary. I‘m under the impression that psychiatry really values you showing interest in the field in some way. So if you don’t do research, make sure you are doing something that shows this interest.

 

[kopftonmd]

Another medical student thought: maybe you don't like science research, but have you thought about something more qualitative? Medical humanities or medical education work can feel very different and you might like them - and they can be applicable to psych.

Research doesn't have to be just neurobio this or fMRI that!

 

[Monocles]

Not necessary at all, esp for 90% of psych programs. But if you're aiming for top academic powerhouses like MGH or Columbia etc, even having a single psych related pub or a couple of posters can help demonstrate your interest.

 

[DO_or_Die]

Not necessary at all, esp for 90% of psych programs. But if you're aiming for top academic powerhouses like MGH or Columbia etc, even having a single psych related pub or a couple of posters can help demonstrate your interest.

Thank you! My problem is that my research would be pediatric related instead of psych, would field unrelated research not be of benefit in your opinion?

 

[TexasPhysician]

Thank you! My problem is that my research would be pediatric related instead of psych, would field unrelated research not be of benefit in your opinion?

Outside of top programs, research won’t matter much. I published outside of psychiatry, and I doubt it helped. It didn’t hurt. I had no interest in the NE though.

 

[SmallBird]

I think that there are a number of reasons for a medical student to do research, and all of them can help with residency applications, but it is important that there be an alignment between the research that was done and the overall narrative. You could engage in research as a clarifying experience; in other words, because you take your career and future seriously, you will engage in research as a medical student to determine whether it interests you, and whether its something you would like to pursue. Whatever you decide, showing that you have taken this step to learn something about yourself speaks to your seriousness and is a major positive. You could also engage in research to demonstrate commitment and interest to a specific clinical area, even if you don't intend to be a career researcher. Say you are interested in bipolar mood disorder from a clinical perspective; by participating in some research you will show that you have engaged with the extant literature in a robust way, and familiarized yourself with the process of increasing knowledge in this area, which will put you far above anyone who declares in interest simply because they have seen patients with that diagnosis and found them interesting. Research may also be a way to develop generic skills which are empirically demonstrated to enhance clinical performance - clinicians who have done research are better better clinicians on certain metrics, perhaps related to having an improved ability to make evidence-based decisions. Finally, for some, engaging in research as a medical student is a stepping stone to a scholarly career, and given the immense challenges associated with this career path, and the huge expense involved with supporting the development of a researcher during residency, having early publications that are relevant to the longer term research goals is essential.

 

[comp1]

It could actually hurt you. It's totally dependent on the program and almost universally not required outside of a research track program. Way back when I applied, I had a program call me and ask if I was interested in research. When I said yes, they let me know that they wouldn't be inviting me for an interview, but thanked me for my application.

 

[phonyreal98]

It could actually hurt you. It's totally dependent on the program and almost universally not required outside of a research track program. Way back when I applied, I had a program call me and ask if I was interested in research. When I said yes, they let me know that they wouldn't be inviting me for an interview, but thanked me for my application.

For me, I'd consider that a dodged bullet.

 

[Chimed]

I think that there are a number of reasons for a medical student to do research, and all of them can help with residency applications, but it is important that there be an alignment between the research that was done and the overall narrative. You could engage in research as a clarifying experience; in other words, because you take your career and future seriously, you will engage in research as a medical student to determine whether it interests you, and whether its something you would like to pursue. Whatever you decide, showing that you have taken this step to learn something about yourself speaks to your seriousness and is a major positive. You could also engage in research to demonstrate commitment and interest to a specific clinical area, even if you don't intend to be a career researcher. Say you are interested in bipolar mood disorder from a clinical perspective; by participating in some research you will show that you have engaged with the extant literature in a robust way, and familiarized yourself with the process of increasing knowledge in this area, which will put you far above anyone who declares in interest simply because they have seen patients with that diagnosis and found them interesting. Research may also be a way to develop generic skills which are empirically demonstrated to enhance clinical performance - clinicians who have done research are better better clinicians on certain metrics, perhaps related to having an improved ability to make evidence-based decisions. Finally, for some, engaging in research as a medical student is a stepping stone to a scholarly career, and given the immense challenges associated with this career path, and the huge expense involved with supporting the development of a researcher during residency, having early publications that are relevant to the longer term research goals is essential.

Very well said. I completely agree with and echo the above. I did research in a neurology that was psych related and was also involved in a pilot study in psych as a medical student. My board scores were just ok. I'm sure the research helped me land interviews at very good programs. It's not essential, but it helps.

 

[NeuroKlitch]

Not important, nrmp statistics will back that up as well. Adds a bit of flavor to the application and may show interest but unless you are naturally a person who enjoys research , I feel like a feigned passion for research can be apparent and may hurt your interview performance if you come off as fake

 

[Psychic Meep]

Not particularly important. What's important is your passion for the reason behind your decision to research that topic and how you can tie it in to your overall narrative.

 

[NickNaylor]

Research of any type is always a benefit, but as others have mentioned, at most programs it's not going to be a significant game-changer. At our program, for example, even a highly published, very academically productive student (think MD/PhD student) gets a minimal bump compared to other factors in the application that the program emphasizes. This is at a large, regionally well-known academic program.

 

[bGMx]

Research of any type is always a benefit, but as others have mentioned, at most programs it's not going to be a significant game-changer. At our program, for example, even a highly published, very academically productive student (think MD/PhD student) gets a minimal bump compared to other factors in the application that the program emphasizes. This is at a large, regionally well-known academic program.

Could you expand on the factors as you see it?

 

[NickNaylor]

Could you expand on the factors as you see it?

In our program, we use a fairly rigid rubric to grade applicants, and the program ROL is simply the applicants who interviewed inputted in descending score order. The highest score is something like 130 points, and a solid applicant will get somewhere between 80-90 points. Someone who scores that high is almost certainly guaranteed to match if they rank our program first. Within that rubric, research experiences are worth something like 4 points total. Far more important factors include performance on interviews and clinical grades. Most other factors - e.g., STEP scores, pre-clinical grades, quality of MSPE and LORs, medical school ranking, etc. - are relatively less important individually, though in the aggregate they form a good number of total points.

 

[Ole_Toe]

In our program, we use a fairly rigid rubric to grade applicants, and the program ROL is simply the applicants who interviewed inputted in descending score order. The highest score is something like 130 points, and a solid applicant will get somewhere between 80-90 points. Someone who scores that high is almost certainly guaranteed to match if they rank our program first. Within that rubric, research experiences are worth something like 4 points total. Far more important factors include performance on interviews and clinical grades. Most other factors - e.g., STEP scores, pre-clinical grades, quality of MSPE and LORs, medical school ranking, etc. - are relatively less important individually, though in the aggregate they form a good number of total points.

This transparency is such a helpful contribution - thank you. Are any other “extracurriculars” weighed more heavily, individually, than research?

 

[NickNaylor]

This transparency is such a helpful contribution - thank you. Are any other “extracurriculars” weighed more heavily, individually, than research?

Extracurriculars on our rubric are an equally relatively inconsequential contributor.