Clinical research and top tier schools

[663697]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Let's say you don't want to go down the MD-PhD route but want to participate in clinical research while also practising as an MD. The general vibe I get when I hear about research powerhouses is that they are usually focused on basic science research. If this is the case, does going to a top-tier school give you much of a leg up in research even if you're interested in clinical and not basic science research?

 

[imxpandanese]

top research schools like Harvard or UCSF are generally strong for all aspects of research --from biomedical to translational to clinical. It would be silly to think that the research powerhouses would not have the resources to support your goals in clinical research.

just focus on excelling in your current research and getting into a top tier school first 😉

 

[663697]

top research schools like Harvard or UCSF are generally strong for all aspects of research --from biomedical to translational to clinical. It would be silly to think that the research powerhouses would not have the resources to support your goals in clinical research.

just focus on excelling in your current research and getting into a top tier school first 😉

I guess I worded my question poorly. What I meant to ask was, for those schools that we call 'powerhouses', is this designation usually given because of their bench research or clinical research? Or does it even make a difference?

 

[efle]

Plenty of clinical research going on at the affiliated hospital systems for the research powerhouses. It's not all basic.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Many of the really big NEJM landmark clinical trials are run out of major research institutions. For example, the guy who ran the PARTNER trials (TAVR vs. surgery for aortic valve replacement in higher risk surgical patients - resulted in multiple NEJM/Lancet publications) is the chair of surgery at Columbia.

 

[Goro]

I guess I worded my question poorly. What I meant to ask was, for those schools that we call 'powerhouses', is this designation usually given because of their bench research or clinical research? Or does it even make a difference?

Yes.

 

[infectiousdisease101]

There's an NIH grant that allows MDs to undergo postdoc training. The grant pays back up to $35,000 a year of your loans. So you're essentially (or close to) getting the debt-free benefits of an MD-PhD. Look into it. That $35,000 loan forgiveness is only a benefit. You still get paid a post-doc salary, which may not seem like much, but if you add that to the loan forgiveness it adds up.

You do not need to even be in a top tier school. Graduate with your MD and apply for that NIH loan forgiveness program.

 

[663697]

I came across some big name surgeons today who work at a top academic center and also publish clinical findings, but when I searched them up they didn't seem to have a "Dr. X lab" website as I've seen with other physician-scientists. Do these guys not have "official labs"?

 

[LizzyM]

The rankings are, in part, dependent on NIH funding. That funding includes basic bench research as well as prospective cohort studies, and some clinical trials. Schools also have funding from pharmaceutical companies that contract with medical providers (often both academic and community docs) to enroll subjects in clinical trials.

I came across some big name surgeons today who work at a top academic center and also publish clinical findings, but when I searched them up they didn't seem to have a "Dr. X lab" website as I've seen with other physician-scientists. Do these guys not have "official labs"?

They may not need an "official lab" if the work is done in the clinic and OR. Today the data can be collected and analyzed on a laptop in an office space. They may have a research assistant, some fellows, and the assistance of a federally funded clinical and translational research office to help with the regulatory paperwork. See Welcome to CTSA Central

 

[aldol16]

Clinical research is generally done in an academic setting and academia is notoriously picky about where you come from. Top tier means a lot more in academia than it does outside of academia, like in private practice.