Doing two research projects at once? (at home and outside institution)

[helpmeout441]

I guess I'll first give a little background info while trying to maintain some anonymity. I'm an M1 at a pretty well-regarded school (let's say T5/T10, shouldn't matter that much). I'm interested in pursuing a competitive specialty (let's say ortho/neuro/derm/optho). I will refer to the school that I attend at school "A", and another school in the same city as school "B" (ranked slightly lower, but not by much).

My home department at school "A" for this specialty is pretty good (ranked around #10 on doximity, for what that's worth). Meanwhile school B is the #1 place in the country for this specialty. My goal would be to do residency at school B, so I've reached out to faculty in their department and have started working on projects with them. However, my concern is that I still want to develop a connection with my home department. I'm going to aim for the residency at the other place, but I still want to have a chance at my home institution. Would it be reasonable for me to start reaching out to faculty in the department at my home institution. Would either place have to know that I'm working projects at both institutions simultaneously? Or am I biting off more than I can chew? I figured with classes p/f and step 1 also most likely p/f, that I may as well take this opportunity to start stacking research. thoughts?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[aldol16]

You should probably take it easy if this is the first semester of your M1 year. You have plenty of time to do all that stuff and it's better to cultivate deeper connections and relationships than superficial ones. There also might be beef between the programs and you should sniff out the politics first before you go around working in multiple groups. Some PIs might be okay with that, some might not be. It's important obviously to make connections at your home program. When you're on rotations, they're the people who are going to be training you and you want them on your side. You need letters from them and you should be thinking of that first and foremost. Then after that, you can think about building connections with people in the other program.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Your primary goal is to do well in school. A bunch of pubs isn’t going to look as good if you failed a block while getting them.

But assuming you’re able to juggle school and research, it is possible to do more than one project at a time depending on what they have you actually doing. However, don’t stretch yourself too thin. I’m working on two projects and a book chapter right now, and ultimately one of them always gets put on the back burner for a bit because it’s just too much. If you’re an M1, you have plenty of time and honestly should probably just worry about school for a couple blocks.

 

[helpmeout441]

Your primary goal is to do well in school. A bunch of pubs isn’t going to look as good if you failed a block while getting them.

But assuming you’re able to juggle school and research, it is possible to do more than one project at a time depending on what they have you actually doing. However, don’t stretch yourself too thin. I’m working on two projects and a book chapter right now, and ultimately one of them always gets put on the back burner for a bit because it’s just too much. If you’re an M1, you have plenty of time and honestly should probably just worry about school for a couple blocks.

got it. I'm cruising through my classes right now so I'm not too worried about it being too much work. I'm more worried about the politics of working with two different institutions. Like would one place get upset if they found I was working at the other? Or would they understand that I'm just trying to make connections at multiple places? Right now I'm doing research at school B in a specific subspecialty within the specialty, and if I take on another project at my home institution I would try to find a different subspecialty within the specialty, so maybe I can justify it as me wanting exposure to more types of work within the specialty as a whole?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

got it. I'm cruising through my classes right now so I'm not too worried about it being too much work. I'm more worried about the politics of working with two different institutions. Like would one place get upset if they found I was working at the other? Or would they understand that I'm just trying to make connections at multiple places? Right now I'm doing research at school B in a specific subspecialty within the specialty, and if I take on another project at my home institution I would try to find a different subspecialty within the specialty, so maybe I can justify it as me wanting exposure to more types of work within the specialty as a whole?

I’m going to let a civilian answer that. I’m in mil med where we’re all connected and no one cares about that, but I can’t speak for civilian institutions.

 

[Tangerine123]

I'm more worried about the politics of working with two different institutions.

They don't have to be exclusive. Form a collaboration and work with both on the same project.

 

[QuizzicalApe]

got it. I'm cruising through my classes right now so I'm not too worried about it being too much work. I'm more worried about the politics of working with two different institutions. Like would one place get upset if they found I was working at the other? Or would they understand that I'm just trying to make connections at multiple places? Right now I'm doing research at school B in a specific subspecialty within the specialty, and if I take on another project at my home institution I would try to find a different subspecialty within the specialty, so maybe I can justify it as me wanting exposure to more types of work within the specialty as a whole?

The only thing I can guarantee upsetting someone is that if it is ever perceived that you are not appropriately attentive/enthused/enthusiastic about one or both projects; the people you're working with will it is assume it is because you have overextended yourself even it is not necessarily true.

 

[7331poas]

got it. I'm cruising through my classes right now so I'm not too worried about it being too much work. I'm more worried about the politics of working with two different institutions. Like would one place get upset if they found I was working at the other? Or would they understand that I'm just trying to make connections at multiple places? Right now I'm doing research at school B in a specific subspecialty within the specialty, and if I take on another project at my home institution I would try to find a different subspecialty within the specialty, so maybe I can justify it as me wanting exposure to more types of work within the specialty as a whole?

Absolutely no one is going to care about what an M1 is doing research wise. It would have to be a pretty insecure attending to get offended over this.