Does a certificate in clinical research or biostatistics help fellowship app?

[donaldtang]

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I'm currently a resident and considering applying for fellowship in academic center and pursue a career of academic medicine in the future. But I don't have any research degree in the past, and it will be too difficult for me to take time off to study for a degree program (e.g. mph, phd, ms..)during residency (and it is also expensive). So I'm considering getting into a certificate program that focus on biostatistics or clinical research. And I'm hoping that will increase my competitiveness for fellowship.
Is it a waste of money and time?
Thanks for any suggestion!

 

[CanIMakeIt]

I'm currently a resident and considering applying for fellowship in academic center and pursue a career of academic medicine in the future. But I don't have any research degree in the past, and it will be too difficult for me to take time off to study for a degree program (e.g. mph, phd, ms..)during residency (and it is also expensive). So I'm considering getting into a certificate program that focus on biostatistics or clinical research. And I'm hoping that will increase my competitiveness for fellowship.
Is it a waste of money and time?
Thanks for any suggestion!

Just a certificate without any research may not be helpful. But if you are able to accomplish significant research without degree than obviously you don't need any certificate.

My take is that if you are interested in research and want to be serious about it, then you can show that by either route but without any significant research, I am not sure how much just a certificate is going to help you. As you said, there is hardly any time to do anything during residency, if you have a choice, research with publication would make more sense. Plus, some fellowship programs will pay for MPHs etc or at lest give you time off/share cost etc.

Do research+publication in residency, can always do certificate/degree later, if you are really serious about research then

</rambling off> from the oooold programming days 🙂