Does Where You Do research matter?

[helpmedecide2022]

Suppose you have two options:
1. Researching at a big name place, but you don't know whether you will be able to get published.
2. Researching at a less well-known college, but a high chance of getting published

Which option would help me more when applying for residency?

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[SurfingDoctor]

Suppose you have two options:
1. Researching at a big name place, but you don't know whether you will be able to get published.
2. Researching at a less well-known college, but a high chance of getting published

Which option would help me more when applying for residency?

If you work at a big name place doing research, but don't get published.... then there's no proof you actually did research. You need tangible results as a student.

 

[mvenus929]

In terms of how it looks on your application, getting published means far more than where you were working.

In terms of your overall career advancement, the best research opportunities are those that have a good mentor to lead you through the process and help you launch your own career. That may be someone at a big name center (since they may be more likely to have funding and support for their research activities), but it could just as easily be at a less prestigious center.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

The rules of "big science" now: "Where" is nice, but "who" is very important. As pointed out, your mentors and grant-funded PI's are most important, followed by department/institutional research infrastructure. But strong collaborations can break the rules that institution associated with your paper matter.

 

[aldol16]

Getting published.

 

[aldol16]

The rules of "big science" now: "Where" is nice, but "who" is very important. As pointed out, your mentors and grant-funded PI's are most important, followed by department/institutional research infrastructure. But strong collaborations can break the rules that institution associated with your paper matter.

Who is definitely important. Getting published is important but so is building mentorships with big names in the field who then vouch for you. Especially important for smaller, competitive specialties.

 

[holdthemayo]

Honestly, it matters what your goals are. That said, it is better to be published than not.

 

[ChordaEpiphany]

The other thing to consider here is how close will you be with the big players at the big name institution. A classic line is, "You get to pick one of two things in a lab. You get nice equipment, or you get to talk to your PI." My lab has nice equipment. My PI routinely mispronounces students' names at their dissertation defense.

If the options are:

1) Do productive research in close collaboration with a respected MD at a mid-tier academic institution

2) Do unproductive research in the lab of a Nobel Prize winner who doesn't even know your face

then obviously 1 is better. What matters is getting published and getting a good letter. Mid-author papers are all essentially equivalent since everyone knows you didn't synthesize the idea or do most of the writing. Even a mid-author paper in a top journal won't help you that much if the PI isn't speaking up about your abilities.