I have done research since the end of my first year and I am now almost done with my third year. I am going into pediatrics, so definately not a field where research is required to get a good residency. I wouldn't say I am heavily involved, but I do more than the vast majority of my class. I say I spend an average of 3 hours a week. Clinical research takes far less time than bench research. You do not have to be in a lab for several hours on end. You can pull info from patient's charts for an hour or two if you have some spare time. I wrote a manuscript for a journal for one study. For another study, I designed a protocol for a study and filled out the IRB application. I also applied for funding through the cardiology division of my school.
I have managed to do just as well, if not better, than my first two years of medical school. I have honored every clerkship and scored > 90th percentile for every shelf (>96th on 3 of them). And I am definately not the type of person who does well without studying. I read quite a bit and do my best to manage my time well. For example, instead of socializing for a half hour after rounds, I will read a bit before lunch. While waiting for my resident or something, I will read a topic in my palm. It saves me tons of time later on.
My point is that you don't need to sacrifice your grades, and you dont need to be going into a tough field, to do research. Just manage your time well and you can do a bunch of things during third year. And I do not completely agree with the poster who said "A first author manuscript carries much more weight than an honor in some jerkoff rotation." Where it is true that being first author is better than an honors in one rotation, it is not easy to get first authorship on a paper in a timely manner. One, if the study is not a good study (like my first one) you will have difficulty getting published. I learned this the hard way. I submitted it to two different journals before I decided to make some big changes before I submitted it to a third. Also, I have dealt with journals who have taken 7 months to make a decision regarding my manuscript. And that is only the initial decision. That does not include the time it takes to submit revisions and to proofread their draft of your manuscript to approve it for publication. In other words, if you submit a paper towards the end of your third year, it may not be published until after you have finished interviewing for residencies or even after match day. At the minimum, it will take 3 months between submission and acceptance for publication.
But, although I have never been told this by a residency program director, I still think the experience in research (without any publications) will put you a step ahead of those who have not done research. Just being able to tell a program that you have experience with basic statistics, manuscript writing, grant writing, IRB procedures, etc. should put you ahead of people who do not have this experience, assuming the program is a program that strongly values research.
