Do you have to have ortho research to match?

[GomerPyle]

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Hey guys. MS1 here. I'm new to this whole process, so I apologize for any redundant questions. Do you have to have ortho research to match ortho? If not, how important is it to do ortho research, and how would you suggest an M1 to approach finding research projects?

Thanks for your time!

 

[JJMrK]

Not mandatory, but becoming more and more important. Essentially required for the better/well known programs. Average is probably around 0.5-1 pub/applicant, with the well know programs matching individuals with more.

 

[Handinhand]

I'm curious if it needs to be ortho specific, or just research in general?

 

[JJMrK]

Ortho research is better.

 

[massmocha]

At interviews you will be asked about your research, some will ask specifically about ortho research. My only publication is in a completely unrelated field. Most interviewers thought that was interesting and asked me about it. But, this is because I had no idea I was interested in ortho until after clinical rotations third year.

If you are thinking ortho at this point it will only help you to dive into an ortho project, since most other specialties won't care what your research is in, you might as well satisfy that checkbox for the most competitive field so it's there if you go through with ortho. Again, it's not essential. If you have a 260+, all honors, AOA, then programs for the most part don't care if you don't have multiple ortho publications. You'll just want to be involved in at least one ortho project that you can talk intelligently about.