As an MS1 student with aspirations of matching into Ortho ultimately, would my non study time be better spent pursuing Ortho research endeavors or should I devote time to other extracurricular activities such as a student government leadership position? What should my priority list look like if my end game is matching into Ortho?
Time best spent?
- Thread starter cgk
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Good question, and good timing. The nice thing about planning from MS1 is that you have time.
massmocha is right that good marks and test scores are key. That is the bare minimum, or rather, bad/mediocare scores and marks will keep you out... but they won't get you in. The most important issue of course is your attitude and work ethic. Provided you know how to be nice and hardworking and get along with other medical students/residents/nurses/PAs/ARNPs/etc, ortho research is a good way to show both commitment and follow-through. Getting research done requires a lot of initiative and effort... it is easy to have years go by without manuscripts being done or any deliverables.
So, with the rest under control, if you start doing research in MS1, the chances are higher you can complete projects and get them to publication. Especially since, at some point during MS2, you are going to want to focus full time on Step1. And, once you start clinical rotations, your time will be limited. Find doable projects and get them done. And make sure to do abstracts for meetings, as they are easier to get accepted and on your CV.
Many many applicants now have great scores and marks. Based on away rotations, many decisions are made based on having a good personality fit. What remains are people who are interesting and well rounded based on life experiences, and those who fought through all the red tape and barriers and got research done. Success at getting research done in medical school is a proxy for doing the same in residency, and most residencies would like residents interested and able to get papers out the door and accepted for publication.
massmocha is right that good marks and test scores are key. That is the bare minimum, or rather, bad/mediocare scores and marks will keep you out... but they won't get you in. The most important issue of course is your attitude and work ethic. Provided you know how to be nice and hardworking and get along with other medical students/residents/nurses/PAs/ARNPs/etc, ortho research is a good way to show both commitment and follow-through. Getting research done requires a lot of initiative and effort... it is easy to have years go by without manuscripts being done or any deliverables.
So, with the rest under control, if you start doing research in MS1, the chances are higher you can complete projects and get them to publication. Especially since, at some point during MS2, you are going to want to focus full time on Step1. And, once you start clinical rotations, your time will be limited. Find doable projects and get them done. And make sure to do abstracts for meetings, as they are easier to get accepted and on your CV.
Many many applicants now have great scores and marks. Based on away rotations, many decisions are made based on having a good personality fit. What remains are people who are interesting and well rounded based on life experiences, and those who fought through all the red tape and barriers and got research done. Success at getting research done in medical school is a proxy for doing the same in residency, and most residencies would like residents interested and able to get papers out the door and accepted for publication.
