Getting into cards...

[bluenebula83]

I just had a quick question. I'm an MSIV who matched into a great IM program. I'm interested in doing Cardiology. Would it be a good idea to contact some of the research guys in cardio at the place I'm going to be starting my residency? I mean, I'm not gonna be doing much from now until then. I have vacation month at my current med school. I'm not a gunner but I know how much of obtaining a good fellowship is about research and having connections. I can do something in 1-2 months, or at the very least get the ball rolling on a project I can later work on.

Just wondering what your guys thoughts are about that...Thanks in advance.

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[indiamacbean]

my thought would be to relax and enjoy yourself. you can't get that time back during residency. just work on meeting people and seeing who would be a good mentor when you start your internship.

 

[drdavemd]

Vacation is nice, and definitely hard to get back once you're in residency, but so is an opportunity to get a head start on research. The earlier you start the more ahead of other people you could potentially be when interviews for Cards come along, which will be faster then you expect. I'm not saying to blow all your free time, clearly everyone needs balance. But unless you've got some awesome vacation/trip planned, a month is a long time to fiddle around.

 

[dragonfly99]

I think I agree with drdave.
A month isn't enough time to do real research, but it IS enough time to start kissing a--. And you probably won't have any time to do research as an intern...