Should I take a month off for research? (MSIII)

[libihero]

I am currently a third year contemplating whether or not it would be necessary to do any research. I got a 230 on my Step I and honored my neurology rotation.

I did do biological research for a year in my senior year of undergrad and with the same guy for my elective in third year. The most I got out of it was presenting a poster at an ENT national conference in LA (the paper was on pathways of hearing and cochlear implants so it was neurology related)

Now I want to try to get in as competitive a program as possible (doesnt everyone ), but I don't know if the *time* I spent with research mattered as much as not getting anything published. Should I take a month off to do research and beforehand see if there's any clinical projects I can jump on?

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[typhoonegator]

I would only do the research for one of these two reasons:

1. You absolutely love research and it will be fun and stimulating for you, regardless of the outcome

2. You will get an abstract/poster/publication/something tangible out of it

When you interview, no one is going to care that you did a month of "research", because that means a lot of things to different people. You could wash glassware for a month, get nothing out of it, and call it research. But if that month will get you data that you can use to write a paper or get a LOR, then you're on to something. That said, if you love your PI and want to stay for residency or foster a long-term collaboration, then the intangibles might make it worth it to you.

Successful researchers -- the ones who publish and get funded -- are able to efficiently identify questions that need answers, and projects that are able to bear fruit in a small amount of time. They don't spin their wheels on projects that take forever and lead to conclusions that no one cares about. That may seem obvious, but it happens literally ALL THE TIME. You can be passionate about your primary research interest, but you need to be opportunistic as well, particularly early in your career. Once you have your R01, you can spend years collecting data for a huge project, but you don't have the luxury right now.

 

[Hank Rearden]

You can't accomplish squat doing just one month of research. Trust me, it's not worth the trouble and won't change the caliber of residency program you are accepted at. If you are really interested in research you need to take some time off and devote at least a year to the endeavor.

 

[mychronicpain]

You could 1) simply go for it, 2) do a month of research or 3) quit your study and open a website like findrxonline.com