Does the topic of research have much bearing on what I ultimately apply for in residency?

[PackersarewastingRodgers]

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Hello!

I'm currently planning to apply for our school's summer research program and am sifting through all the different mentors I could potentially work under. I have found some mentors doing projects very similar to publications I've co-authored so I imagine I would be a good fit for them, but the department, focus, or specialty these mentors fall under aren't in line with the rough trajectory of my own interests.

Basically I wanted to ask: at this point in medical school, does the topic of my research really matter at this point? Like if I'm studying something like predictive factors for opioid dependence in the ED, will that not help me (or even work against me) if I were to eventually apply for a neuro or derm residency?

Thanks!

 

[WhittyPsyche]

If you have extensive research in the field you apply it ultimately helps to show commitment to the field. However, a summer early on in something else certainly will not hurt you. Especially if you can apply the methods to other field-specific research afterwards.

For Neuro you’ll more likely have people that have only done Neuro research. For derm many people don’t come in knowing and often have other specialty research and late derm focused work.

Scientific inquiry and demonstrated interest in academia are important to both fields (and others), so just build on whatever you have.

 

[Styrene]

Use your unique abilities and experiences to participate in research in the way that will provide the most benefit to society. All other things will fall into place.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Depends on your specialty of interest. For neuro which is non-competitive, having anything at all will help. For derm and surgical subspecialties, it absolutely positively has to be in the field--having other pubs will help too, but you will need to amass a critical mass inside of derm.