Thesis in med school... deal breaker?

[Avenue Q]

I am starting to make my preliminary list of med schols to apply to, and I am curious about schools that require a thesis. I didn't think it was much of an issue to me, until I was looking over Yale's information and saw that many students take 5 years instead of 4, mostly due to thesis research. I want to have some opportunity to do research, but an extra year seems like a ton, and i'm not sure if i'd like to be required to do such an extensive amount. however, maybe i'm just freaked out by the prospect of this level of reserach?

For those of you who have already applied, what role did a thesis play in your decisions? what have you learned about it from the schools that require them when interviewing and visiting?

For those of you in my shoes, applying to enter in 2006, what are your thoughts?

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[QofQuimica]

I am starting to make my preliminary list of med schols to apply to, and I am curious about schools that require a thesis. I didn't think it was much of an issue to me, until I was looking over Yale's information and saw that many students take 5 years instead of 4, mostly due to thesis research. I want to have some opportunity to do research, but an extra year seems like a ton, and i'm not sure if i'd like to be required to do such an extensive amount. however, maybe i'm just freaked out by the prospect of this level of reserach?

For those of you in my shoes, applying to enter in 2006, what are your thoughts?

I'm at the same point as you are, making my list of schools and getting ready to apply this summer. I definitely would like to be an academic physician (MD/PhD). To me, a thesis requirement is a positive, and it's one of the reasons why Yale interests me. It's not that you can't do research at other schools without the thesis, but if you go to a school that does have this requirement, you go into it with the guarantee that research will be a significant focus of your medical education. And not only you, but all of the other students in school with you will also be doing a lot of research, even if they end up choosing to become clinicians afterward. It's nice, though certainly not necessary, to be with people who share your interest in research. Even those who become clinicians from schools like Yale will have a good background and appreciation of research, even if it's just to know that they don't want to EVER do research again!

I don't think you should base your decision about Yale on spending five years to graduate unless you have serious financial or family constraints that require you to do this. Not wanting to do research is a valid reason not to want to spend an extra year in a program like Yale's, but if you are committed to becoming a researcher, and _especially_ if you are traditional age, one more year is NOT "a ton" in the context of the whole rest of your lifespan, which you will hopefully spend doing something that you love. I am going to be 31 when I (hopefully!) start school in 2006, and I'd still be fine with spending an extra year in school if the research is interesting and will help me become the scientist that I hope to be.

 

[Old_Mil]

For those of you who have already applied, what role did a thesis play in your decisions? what have you learned about it from the schools that require them when interviewing and visiting?

For those of you in my shoes, applying to enter in 2006, what are your thoughts?

If I wanted to spend my life writing papers, I would have been an english major. Between everyday academic work, boards, and so on, I would have dismissed out of hand any medical school that required a thesis to graduate.

 

[dopaminophile]

Regardless of whether I wanted to go into academic medicine or not, I would think that a thesis would be a nice crowning achievement coming out of medical school. You'd have a nice, tangible body of work and contribution to the world for which your 4 years stood. Yes, I know that the piece of paper and coming career would be a nice feeling too, but that book would be something that could really stand out.

 

[cytoborg]

Regardless of whether I wanted to go into academic medicine or not, I would think that a thesis would be a nice crowning achievement coming out of medical school. You'd have a nice, tangible body of work and contribution to the world for which your 4 years stood. Yes, I know that the piece of paper and coming career would be a nice feeling too, but that book would be something that could really stand out.

From someone in the midst of the residency interview process, let me say a thesis is an excellent addition to a CV. I have gotten a lot of positive attention on the interview trail because of my thesis - of course it's nothing like an MD/PhD, but it does set a person apart from those MD applicants who do not do a thesis. It did play a big role for me choosing a medical school, but because I thought it would be a good learning experience - I didn't realize just how useful it would be career-wise. For most competitive specialties you will likely do some kind of research anyway, and turning this research into an in-depth formal project takes it to another level of achievement. It shows that you have the motivation and creativity to plan, organize, and execute a meaningful project from start to finish and deliver a quality product. It also makes it that much easier to publish, present, and otherwise get the most mileage out of your work as possible. It's a great springboard to more advanced opportunities - getting grants as a resident, for example, and building your CV during residency so you can ultimately get that academic faculty position or prove to a private practice that you're an achiever who gets results.