Yet another research dilemma! Are publications really that important?

[mbe]

I'm looking for any advice on my situation- please help me out.
MS2 here, working in a skin cancer lab continuing my summer work. This is getting published and my name will be on it. (sth like 3rd or 4th author so not that significant) After this, I was thinking of asking my PI for my own independent project.
But last week, I got to know this research fellow in the genetic skin disease group next door, and after realising I was a medical student, he told me that if I ever get bored of skin cancers, I can work on genetic skin diseases, and specifically mentioned publication opportunities even for med students. Not like 'yeah if you work hard, you might get a publication', but something like 'medical students have worked in our lab before and they have a good tract record of getting their names on publications..'

Now here is the dilemma: I know skin cancers are classed more as 'dermatology' but I'm quite interested in cancer in general and will probably want to specialize in heme/onc. I was thinking at least doing skin cancer work will kinda show my interest in cancer when applying for a research year which I'm thinking of taking. But the research fellow in the genetic skin disease group was basically hinting that if I join his group, I will be guaranteed to land publications. (It is a bigger lab than the skin cancer group) So should I switch over? Which will be worth more, showing my interest in cancer or publications in areas not related to where I see myself going in the next few years?

The thing is, the skin genetics research is like a completely random thing that popped into my life, I will never specialize in derm and I dont see how derm research (apart from skin cancers) will help me in a non-derm career. Plus, if I do switch labs... the new lab will be literally just next door to my current lab which might make it awkward seeing my old PI everytime I go into the new lab. The only thing that makes me sway is the publication opportunities...

So should I change labs or stay with the skin cancer group? I may still be able to get publications with the skin cancer group (seeing my PI already let me one.)

Any advice will be appreciated.

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[Charles_Carmichael]

My understanding is that heme/onc isn't that competitive of a fellowship to land after IM. If this is the case, publications as a med student will likely be of less importance than for a specialty like radonc. Especially if you're likely to spend some time conducting heme/onc research as a resident.

I would imagine that your current skin cancer lab would be just fine if that's the area of research you're interested in. You can still push for things like abstracts, poster presentations, lit reviews, etc, in this area. While they may not be original research publications, they'll still hold some value in the academic world. And, since you mention that you may still be able to get some publications with your current lab, that's great!

Publications are not the end all be all in academia (at least in the pure academic view, IMO...it might be different for clinical research but I don't have any experience in that area).

Also, I'm not sure if you know this, but just because someone hints that you'll get published or even if they explicitly say that you'll get published, there's still a very good chance that you'll get nothing out of that research experience. I, personally, wouldn't put much faith in a PI "hinting" that you'll be "guaranteed" a publication. Things never seem to work out like the way you want them to when it comes to research. Be wary of this.

 

[RedSHIFT]

i'd be more impressed if someone wrote a meaningful article in sports illustrated than just another scientific publication tracking a pi electron in dopamine and it's affect on the STN.

 

[ar2388]

i would stick with the current lab. it still takes time to get started in a lab, get your research going. at least in the skin cancer lab you already have some stuff happening and you just need to continue working. and a paper isnt necessarily the only goal. getting a few abstracts or some posters in a conference would also be very cool.
Other options including writing case reports which again arent original research papers, but still you get your name on something out there in the scientific community.