Any time to do research in 3rd or 4th year?

[Lord_Vader]

I'm starting 3rd year soon and would like to get some research done in radiology since that's what I'm planning on appliying to. Unfortunately I did research in a completely unrelated field (immunology) between 1st and 2nd year since I wasn't sure what I wanted to go into. Do people usually find to do some research during 3rd and 4th year before applying?

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[NickNaylor]

Depending on the work you can do stuff during third year. I was able to contribute to project I worked on with a couple of residents during M3, but most of my work was the kind of work that I could do at any time and only required a computer. I think doing standard lab work would be extremely difficult (though perhaps not totally impossible) during M3. If you want to do research, try and find clinical work that will lend itself to what will be a difficult and largely inflexible schedule.

You will have time during M4, but obviously there the problem becomes that you won't have too much time (i.e., a few months) to get work done. Depending on what you end up doing and how you use the time you could be extremely productive with just a few months. Many people do it. However, you should have a game plan and start working on connections before you actually start M4 so that when your schedule does open up you're ready to go.

 

[tiedyeddog]

As @NickNaylor said, clinical research is very doable as an ms3 and 4. I have been working on two database reviews as a fourth year, especially during interview season when I had multiple days off between flights.

Obviously, doing research this late in the game won't help to much for the match. Whatever you are working on likely won't get published in time, unless it was already almost done and was being submitted before you jumped into it.

 

[ksmi117]

My first rotation of 4th year was a 6 week research block so I could get a solid handle on a new project related to my field before applications went out. Sure, I didn't get any pubs from it before interviews, but the interviewers mostly asked about that project and not my many others because it was relevant to the field. Then I did my sub-is. I thought it worked out great, and I have been able to continue working on the project throughout the rest of 4th year.