Exploring specialties while an M1?

[yoyoni]

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Hi! I'm an incoming M1, and from experiences in undergrad I have a general sense of specialties I'm interested in (NSG, ENT, Anes., basically any speciality with a mix of OR time and compelling procedures), and I was wondering when I should begin exploring these interests? Would it be acceptable to contact attendings to join them in the OR and clinic, or begin a clinical research project for exposure into the academic side of the speciality, early as an M1? I'm a huge fan of planning ahead and I can't wait to find the speciality that's for me, but don't want what may be considered, admittedly, unnecessarily proactive to be perceived as just annoying 🤔

 

[GoodWillShunting]

Do it now. M2 is much busier. I did it very early on in M1, and it worked out wonderfully.

Attendings can be contacted, but residents tend to respond more. That's what I did. Go in, shadow, show enthusiasm, then inquire about research if interested.

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[byaaaaaaah23]

Totally agree with above, the earlier the better. You will feel extremely pressed for time during M2 and especially M3 (when it's pretty much too late to explore new specialties and get your ERAS application together). Shadow anything that even sounds remotely interesting, especially things you may not see as an M3 such as radiology, neurosurg, ENT, anesthesia, derm, ortho, etc. Agree that contacting residents might make it easier to organize shadowing but keep in mind that resident life is much different from attending life so be careful about letting resident complaints turn you off from a specialty. Focus on the disease pathologies and patient interactions that they have, and try to decide which of these you'd like to have in your life going forward.

Specialty interest groups may also have shadowing programs available, which will make it even easier to get exposure. I wouldn't recommend pursuing research just to see if you'd be interested in a particular specialty, unless there is something that you actually think you're more interested in than other things. Even so, I would wait until at least the second half of first year to get involved in research to make sure you have enough time to do so.

 

[aalamruad]

Do it now. M2 is much busier. I did it very early on in M1, and it worked out wonderfully.

Attendings can be contacted, but residents tend to respond more. That's what I did. Go in, shadow, show enthusiasm, then inquire about research if interested.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Is it fair to say you should contact residents for shadowing opportunities but attendings for clinical research mentorship?

 

[yoyoni]

Do it now. M2 is much busier. I did it very early on in M1, and it worked out wonderfully.

Attendings can be contacted, but residents tend to respond more. That's what I did. Go in, shadow, show enthusiasm, then inquire about research if interested.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Totally agree with above, the earlier the better. You will feel extremely pressed for time during M2 and especially M3 (when it's pretty much too late to explore new specialties and get your ERAS application together). Shadow anything that even sounds remotely interesting, especially things you may not see as an M3 such as radiology, neurosurg, ENT, anesthesia, derm, ortho, etc. Agree that contacting residents might make it easier to organize shadowing but keep in mind that resident life is much different from attending life so be careful about letting resident complaints turn you off from a specialty. Focus on the disease pathologies and patient interactions that they have, and try to decide which of these you'd like to have in your life going forward.

Thanks for the advice 🙂 I'll definitely shadow early then, and hold off on research until I'm settled into the swing of things!

Just a quick question on contacting attendings vs. contacting residents: How did you contact residents (at least for me, their emails aren't on the program's website)? Wouldn't it generally be easier to contact attendings (and so you get to know people in the department)?

And I've been told that a particular specialty I'm interested in has a "malignant" reputation at my school, with the attending I shadowed in undergrad apparently being the exception. Should I just contact him again and shadow him (worried the residents' attitudes might give me a bad impression that's not necessarily representative of what the field is actually like). The only thing is the attending's particular fellowship isn't in the area of the field I'm most interested in

 

[GoodWillShunting]

Is it fair to say you should contact residents for shadowing opportunities but attendings for clinical research mentorship?

Perhaps. Residents often (esp in surgical sp.) have research obligations, with very little time. Having a medical student with much enthusiasm come aboard = free labor for them. They get research done, you get a CV advancement; mutualism at its finest. They often have to juggle multiple projects, so keep this in mind.

@yoyoni I was able to find an online database within our specific health campus and find emails. Usually you can look up by department, or if you at least know their names, use that. You can contact attendings as well. I've done this before, and it's worked wonderfully in some instances and poorly in others, for no ubiquitous reason for either.

It really comes down to the individual. My interest is in a particularly busy specialty, and I felt that I had a better chance of contacting somebody a little closer to my level (i.e. Still "student-like" in a removed way). You really won't know until you try. Some attendings respond, others won't. Some residents will respond, others won't. Some will respond and be jerks, others will be welcoming. Some residents love to teach and have students come by, while others will be dicks.

Just understand that they are extremely busy, with lots of clinical responsibilities/obligations, and a lack of response doesn't necessarily indicate lack of friendliness/willingness. It boils down to trial and error, and there are perfectly reasonably arguments defending either practice (re: contact resident vs attending).




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[byaaaaaaah23]

Thanks for the advice 🙂 I'll definitely shadow early then, and hold off on research until I'm settled into the swing of things!

Just a quick question on contacting attendings vs. contacting residents: How did you contact residents (at least for me, their emails aren't on the program's website)? Wouldn't it generally be easier to contact attendings (and so you get to know people in the department)?

And I've been told that a particular specialty I'm interested in has a "malignant" reputation at my school, with the attending I shadowed in undergrad apparently being the exception. Should I just contact him again and shadow him (worried the residents' attitudes might give me a bad impression that's not necessarily representative of what the field is actually like). The only thing is the attending's particular fellowship isn't in the area of the field I'm most interested in

@GoodWillShunting's post above is a great response, have nothing much to add except to say that my med school's health center has an online directory where you can look up people's email addresses. Sounds like the the attending you shadowed in undergrad would be a good person to continue to shadow while a med student. Doesn't matter if his fellowship isn't what you want to do. Connections of any type in your home department if it's a competitive specialty are really helpful when looking for research and getting letters for residency app.

 

[GoodWillShunting]

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[Chillbo Baggins]

With regards to research, the department may have a research coordinator who knows which residents have projects laying around and could use a student's help. This would be a good "in," later on when you know the residents better, you can ask them if they have anything you can help with (since they may not always update the research coordinator).

Similar thing with general experience, they may be a general program coordinator who knows which attendings and residents are really accommodating to students and get you into contact with them. Another good idea is to look into the student interest groups for the specialties you're interested in, because residents and attendings are often invited to speak at those, and you can work your way in from there.

 

[MSTP18]

I would say wait until you're actually a student (i.e. not now) but definitely not inappropriate to contact attendings (I agree with others about trying to find out who the right attendings to contact are) about getting exposure/experience. While I was on anesthesia there was an M1 who was allowed to scrub in and sit (hand surgery) next to the attending and the team explained everything that was going on. Definitely a valuable experience.