Abstract + Conference vs. Publication

[Cards21aceking]

Hey guys,

New to the board. I am looking into a couple of summer programs after ms-1 and I am debating between a program that will probably get me some publication vs. one that will get an abstract + conference?

Any thoughts on which is better?

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[LJDHC05]

Ideally, get a job that you enjoy and then you can join onto whatever project fits you best. If it's a boring project, you'll be miserable. As a rule of thumb, publications as first author look great but probably will not get done in a summer and will bleed over into M-2 which is a pain. Conferences are more fun and less work in general! Anything looks better than nothing.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Publication, duh.

 

[Cards21aceking]

Publication, duh.

This was the response I was expecting....but what if the publication was in a field you weren't sure you'd want to pursue as a career (cough*surgery*cough), whereas the abstract/conf. was in an area of interest (cough*cards*cough)

 

[deleted77919]

It is not critical that the research be in a field you are specifically interested in for two reasons. 1) You very well might change your mind, it's early yet and 2) research in field vs out of field doesn't make much, if any, difference. In your case specifically it matters even less because you'll need to do IM before a cards fellowship anyway. The caveat being it is always helpful to make contacts that can lead to letters of rec, etc.

The research you do won't matter if you don't follow through on the project and get at least an abstract/conference. So, if the other research opportunity will bore you, it might not be worth the hair and sleep loss.

 

[Tired]

It is not critical that the research be in a field you are specifically interested in for two reasons. 1) You very well might change your mind, it's early yet and 2) research in field vs out of field doesn't make much, if any, difference. In your case specifically it matters even less because you'll need to do IM before a cards fellowship anyway. The caveat being it is always helpful to make contacts that can lead to letters of rec, etc.

The research you do won't matter if you don't follow through on the project and get at least an abstract/conference. So, if the other research opportunity will bore you, it might not be worth the hair and sleep loss.

Truer words are rarely posted on SDN.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

This was the response I was expecting....but what if the publication was in a field you weren't sure you'd want to pursue as a career (cough*surgery*cough), whereas the abstract/conf. was in an area of interest (cough*cards*cough)

I'd still go with the publication because that's peer reviewed and fewer people will have it compared to the abstract plus conference which anyone with 3 hours worth of research plus registration fees can get.