Do pubs in a different specialty count?

[JIMMYJOHNivy]

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Hiya all!

MS1 here potentially interested in derm. I entered med school with around 15 pubs in urology (got them during my gap year). Will these pubs be helpful if I apply to derm? Or do they not count since they're in an unrelated field?

 

[Slack3r]

Better than nothing, but derm pubs would be better.

 

[username456789]

Of course they count. And 15 is very solid (somewhat dependent on the quality of the articles too). Shows you can see things to completion.

Derm people will also like to see derm papers because they always like to talk about people they know (“oh I see you wrote about _______ with John Smith at Pretentious U!”), but I honestly think that’s less important in the grand scheme of things.

 

[JIMMYJOHNivy]

Of course they count. And 15 is very solid (somewhat dependent on the quality of the articles too). Shows you can see things to completion.

Derm people will also like to see derm papers because they always like to talk about people they know (“oh I see you wrote about _______ with John Smith at Pretentious U!”), but I honestly think that’s less important in the grand scheme of things.

They’re decent papers (IF 4-5 which is the top in the field).

My concern is, will I be expected to get a similar amount of derm pubs considering I got so many urology ones in just 1 year? Main reason why I got so many during my gap year was because I got paired with a very generous resident, and I’m not sure I can pull that off again as a med student

 

[ThinkingSkin18]

My experience coming from a very similar situation (except 2x as many papers) is that they didn't do s*** for my app. Hope it's different for you, but the only time I was only asked about research during interviews was regarding some bogus derm case reports I wrote, nothing at all about the 30 other actual research pubs.

 

[asmallchild]

Hiya all!

MS1 here potentially interested in derm. I entered med school with around 15 pubs in urology (got them during my gap year). Will these pubs be helpful if I apply to derm? Or do they not count since they're in an unrelated field?

They will be helpful in terms of showing that you can do research and be productive.

Derm research will always trump research in another field. As username has pointed out, beyond just having the actual publications on your CV, research in dermatology often means getting a connection in dermatology.

They’re decent papers (IF 4-5 which is the top in the field).

My concern is, will I be expected to get a similar amount of derm pubs considering I got so many urology ones in just 1 year? Main reason why I got so many during my gap year was because I got paired with a very generous resident, and I’m not sure I can pull that off again as a med student

I wouldn't worry about that. Quality > quantity. And you'll want to be able to speak enthusiastically and intelligently about your research during interviews.