Trying to get meaningful research done during third year

blz said:

So I've been pretty confused throughout med school and didn't really decide on any specialty of interest until recently (in my second rotation of 3rd year). Actually, I still haven't figured it out quite yet but it's definitely going to be surgical. I'm currently considering ENT/Urology/Neurosurg/Plastics. The problem is, these fields are pretty damn competitive and I'm probably going to have to get some research done ASAP. After I finish my second rotation, I'll be done with the two hardest rotations at my school (medicine and surgery) so that should free up SOME time to do research on the side if I really want to be suicidal. The only research I have during med school is some international cancer work I did in mexico that really didn't amount to any papers. So that's an area thats really lacking in my cv. Should I try to kill myself and fit in some research third year? Should I take a year off do something meaningful like howard hughes (I actually wouldnt mind this because I'm straight out of undergrad and I haven't taken any time off)? Should I not even bother trying to do research and try to match anyways (I did pretty well in school and got a 263 on step1)? I'd also perfer to match somewhere on the east coast so my goal is not to just match any where, but to match at in a desirable location/program. thanks in advance.

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My thoughts on the above and life in general:

- you have an excellent Step 1 score and will get interviews in most anything you apply to based SOLEY on that

- research is overrated unless you are published or work with a big name in the field

- you cannot do much that will result in a significant CV padding "on the side" in your 3rd year

- the fields you are interested in are relatively small and connections can be vitally important in such fields

- taking a year off, because you've never done it, and want to do something interesting and preferably medically related, is not a bad idea. But don't do it simply because you think it will make a significant difference in your CV.

-even a year doing research will not likely result in a publication, even something accepted, before you apply. It just takes too darn long...unless you luck into something being prepared and you do some number crunching or writing.

Thus, provided all else in your application is as stellar as your Step 1, I would imagine you would get interviews in any of the fields you've listed without lifting another finger.

While you are spending time deciding about your future career, schmooze the faculty and the residents. Get a feel for the job and what appeals (or doesn't). Then when you do an elective or Sub-I, kick arse. Having the Chief of Plastics love you and call around to different programs touting your superiority will go a long way. Programs want a smarty pants with a 263 but they also want a hard worker who's a nice guy as well.

I frankly think the year off sounds like a good idea IF YOU DO. You don't have to have published work to put it on your CV or for it to help your application. It will be a long time before you get significant time off, and if you haven't really had any to date, this may be the golden opportunity, plus it allows you to fulfill some career goals as well as make up your mind about which field to choose.

Hope this helps...best of luck.

This is an interesting situation that I think a lot of 3rd years interested in competitive surgical subspecialties end up running into (including myself). As someone applying for ENT, I was advised by residents and faculty that aside from high board scores (my score is close to yours) and decent grades, research was a part of my application that could help set me apart from other candidates who often have similar numbers. Like you, I ended up doing medicine and surgery early in the year, and then a month of research elective in ENT with the chairman. I was pretty aggressive about helping to write up anything available and was lucky enough to get my name on 2 papers, so it is possible to get something done during 3rd year. Chances are that if you get along well with the ENT residents, they will swing research projects your way and in the process you'll also end up getting to know influential faculty better, which is probably even more important when applying to such a small field. Having as much exposure as possible to your home department is key.

Regarding the year off, I would only do it if a) you genuinely want to see what doing research full-time is like for a year or b) you get to work with well-known faculty somewhere. I would not recommend doing research in a lab with someone in an unrelated field who's not well-known in your field of choice. I was advised by numerous residents that a year off wouldn't really help my application too much in terms of matching, but obviously would be good in terms of personal growth. So if I were you, I would seriously evaluate your reasons for taking a year off. I ultimately decided against it and am waiting to see how the application process will fare for me.

I decided on surgery relatively late and thus opted to take a year off, do some research, shadow a ton of doctors and cement my decision. The result? I started my 4th year off with a running start - I had a lot more energy and enthusiasm for everything and my rotations were a blast. Even more importantly, I am truly comfortable with my decision to pursue Surgery and I sleep soundly at night (more than I can say for more than 1 of my classmates). I think that this point can't be too overstated. I can understand the whole extra year argument - but hey, if you're not 28 already, your whole life is ahead of you and hinging on this decision!

A year off may be helpful, however I would discuss it will some faculty at your home program first. Especially those that are involved with the interview and ranking process. Some red flags may go up as it is not the norm. A named research fellowship may sound more impressive than "I decided to take a year off and work for Dr. Phil". As it stands right now you are a very competitive applicant to any program. As we say in surgery the enemy of good is better. Good luck.