Does undergrad research define your specialty in med school?

[RainbowPutin]

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I have obtained a research assistant position to a professor who researches cancer cells, which I find pretty interesting and would love to learn about. However, that is not my ultimate goal because I do not want to become an oncologist. If I were to stick by this professor throughout my undergraduate years, would I be expected to go down that path in medical school?

TL;DR Does researching cancer mean medical schools expect me to become an oncologist?

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Research experience as an advantage for medical school (although it's not absolutely necessary) simply involves becoming familiar with the process of research. Exploring the diet that most improves puffin fertility is just as good as researching cancer cells.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Short answer: no

Long answer: absolutely not

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

No, not at all. Research whatever you want.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Research experience as an advantage for medical school (although it's not absolutely necessary) simply involves becoming familiar with the process of research. Exploring the diet that most improves puffin fertility is just as good as researching cancer cells.

I would disagree with this. They're both good, but researching cancer cells is likely to be viewed more favorably and will also likely help you in other ways too (more familiar with lab techniques that you'll need to understand when you're in med school even if you're not doing research, a more targeted CV that will help you get involved in research in medical school, a letter of recommendation from someone who has experience in the biomedical field, etc).

 

[Terry Toma]

You don't become an oncologist in med school, anyway. Even if your school did expect you to become an oncologist (which they won't), that expectation wouldn't have any bearing because you will have been out of med school for three years by the time an oncology fellowship would even be an option.

Also, cancer is relevant to just about every specialty, so it won't hurt to know a bit about it regardless of the field you choose.

 

[LizzyM]

Oncologists aren't the only ones who deal with cancer cells. It is an issue in dermatology, otolaryngology, urology, gynecology, gastroenterology, just to name a few. You won't be pigeon-holed just because you do some cancer biology research as an undergrad and you could even end up in a specialty that is unrelated to cancer biology.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Oncologists aren't the only ones who deal with cancer cells. It is an issue in dermatology, otolaryngology, urology, gynecology, gastroenterology, just to name a few. You won't be pigeon-holed just because you do some cancer biology research as an undergrad.

Every single specialty with the possible exception of emergency medicine deals with cancer at least semi-regularly. EM will have patients with cancer, but likely will not be the one managing it (though could be seeing patients for something related to cancer for sure).

 

[Glandzburg]

I would disagree with this. They're both good, but researching cancer cells is likely to be viewed more favorably and will also likely help you in other ways too (more familiar with lab techniques that you'll need to understand when you're in med school even if you're not doing research, a more targeted CV that will help you get involved in research in medical school, a letter of recommendation from someone who has experience in the biomedical field, etc).

Truth. I'm looking for a summer research position and some PIs prefer prior experience in their field or with certain lab techniques.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Truth. I'm looking for a summer research position and some PIs prefer prior experience in their field or with certain lab techniques.

I don't think my prior research at all influenced me being able to get the summer position I have other than the fact that I had some experience at all.

 

[Glandzburg]

I don't think my prior research at all influenced me being able to get the summer position I have other than the fact that I had some experience at all.

The ones at my school wanting prior experience are definitely not the majority, but it is not an insignificant number either. I can definitely understand their position given how little time they have during the summer to actually train medical students to perform certain techniques. It kind of makes me wonder how badly they actually want help from medical students, as some of the skills they want are quite specific (they are mostly molecular bio techniques).

EDIT: That being said, there are way more research positions available than students that actually want them, so not having prior research experience definitely won't hinder someone from finding a spot.

 

[Goro]

Absolutely not.

I have obtained a research assistant position to a professor who researches cancer cells, which I find pretty interesting and would love to learn about. However, that is not my ultimate goal because I do not want to become an oncologist. If I were to stick by this professor throughout my undergraduate years, would I be expected to go down that path in medical school?

TL;DR Does researching cancer mean medical schools expect me to become an oncologist?

100% agree. When someone wants to come work in my lab, I look for them to have "lab hands".

I don't want to have to train someone how to handle a micropipettor.

So if the 'Dawg came to me and wanted to work in my lab, I wouldn't care if he did solely PCR on bacterial genes in all of his previous research; for him to pick up western blotting or ELISAs will be all the easier.

I don't think my prior research at all influenced me being able to get the summer position I have other than the fact that I had some experience at all.

 

[NotASerialKiller]

I would disagree with this. They're both good, but researching cancer cells is likely to be viewed more favorably and will also likely help you in other ways too (more familiar with lab techniques that you'll need to understand when you're in med school even if you're not doing research, a more targeted CV that will help you get involved in research in medical school, a letter of recommendation from someone who has experience in the biomedical field, etc).

I guess I just meant that you should do what you want. If you're also passionate about geology then you're probably better off pursuing a research project in that area in undergrad. Forcing yourself to pursue research in something that is medicine-adjacent because you feel you have to for applications seems like a worse path.

 

[WedgeDawg]

I guess I just meant that you should do what you want. If you're also passionate about geology then you're probably better off pursuing a research project in that area in undergrad. Forcing yourself to pursue research in something that is medicine-adjacent because you feel you have to for applications seems like a worse path.

Much clearer explanation 🙂

 

[NotASerialKiller]

Much clearer explanation 🙂

Upward trend?

 

[Glazedonutlove]

Oncologists aren't the only ones who deal with cancer cells. It is an issue in dermatology, otolaryngology, urology, gynecology, gastroenterology, just to name a few. You won't be pigeon-holed just because you do some cancer biology research as an undergrad and you could even end up in a specialty that is unrelated to cancer biology.

would you recommend going into cancer research during first year/summer if one is not too sure of what field they want to go into yet?

 

[WedgeDawg]

would you recommend going into cancer research during first year/summer if one is not too sure of what field they want to go into yet?

Do whatever research you want your first summer. However, if you've somewhat narrowed it down, do research in the most competitive of the specialties you're interested in. Let's say you're interested in OB/GYN, General Surgery, and ENT - you should be doing ENT research. However, if you're interested in disparate specialties, especially if more than one are highly competitive, say, Urology, Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, and Radiation Oncology, do research that might be a cross between them (in this case, perhaps do prostate cancer research).

 

[Glazedonutlove]

Do whatever research you want your first summer. However, if you've somewhat narrowed it down, do research in the most competitive of the specialties you're interested in. Let's say you're interested in OB/GYN, General Surgery, and ENT - you should be doing ENT research. However, if you're interested in disparate specialties, especially if more than one are highly competitive, say, Urology, Anesthesiology, Emergency Medicine, and Radiation Oncology, do research that might be a cross between them (in this case, perhaps do prostate cancer research).

Makes sense. Thank you!

 

[WedgeDawg]

Makes sense. Thank you!

Of course, if there's a specific project you're really interested in, that trumps everything else!

 

[ChrisMack390]

I hope not. My undergrad research was about ants.

 

[sliceofbread136]

During undergrad it does not matter. During medical school it really only matter for competitive fields like derm or optho who like to see meaningful research in their field.

 

[Lucca]

It's my understanding that your specialty choice is between you and your higher power and anyone else you wish to include but nobody can make you do something just by expecting it of you.

 

[RainbowPutin]

Haha, awesome! Thank you for answering my stupid question so thoughtfully!

 

[ridethecliche]

Do the research. Learn more about the scientific method in practice, how to do experiments, how to write papers, etc.

This experience will be far more fruitful because the odds are that you have absolutely no idea what specialty you want to go into. Having good research experience now will be far more helpful in the long run to both your CV and your brain, so I suggest you gopher it.