Help, in a pickle with my attending

[Foreverworthless]

---

Members don't see this ad.

LOL, I hope everyone is well. I have a question that I’ve been thinking about for quite some time. I’m going to omit a lot of the details for the sake of anonymity but the just of it is this. I have the opportunity to apply in a program in our school to graduate with an honors in research. Really the only thing that comes out of this, is that you will have honors in research designated on your diploma. I’m not sure if other institutions do stuff like this, but how significant would that look on your diploma? Particularly when applying to residencies? I ask this because I am at a standstill where if I pursue the honors and research, I think my attending Will be pretty pissed off/annoyed. We have a good relationship, and there’s a backstory as to why he would be pissed off but again for an anonimoty sake I’m not going to go into it. Is it some thing that would put me at a disadvantage if I don’t have, or is it just a minor thing that could go on my diploma? Thanks in advance.

 

[aSagacious]

Nobody cares for the sake of residency applications. Just publish.

 

[Foreverworthless]

Nobody cares for the sake of residency applications. Just publish.

Thanks so much! It’s hard teasing out what from med schools what categories of things residencies would also “value”, so I appreciate your response.

 

[Redpancreas]

I understand the desire for anonymity, but I can't wrap my head around what the concern is here. Why is your attending going to be upset? Why does it matter that you're going to annoy them? Regardless, I can't imagine much value coming from an honors distinction unless its something established like AOA. Residencies care about a few things on the MSPE: grades in clerkships, overall class standing, any particular narrative evaluation that draws their attention. I don't think they'll care about an honors distinction which, like you imply, I'm not certain is something all schools do/know about.

 

[Foreverworthless]

I understand the desire for anonymity, but I can't wrap my head around what the concern is here. Why is your attending going to be upset? Why does it matter that you're going to annoy them? Regardless, I can't imagine much value coming from an honors distinction unless its something established like AOA. Residencies carry about a few things on the MSPE: grades in clerkships, overall class standing, any particular narrative evaluation that draws their attention. I don't think they'll care about an honors distinction which, like you imply, I'm not certain is something all schools do.

Thank you, definitely makes me feel better! It’s been stressful trying to figure this out so I really appreciate you taking the time to answer.

 

[Espressso]

Screw the designation and just publish if you can

 

[7331poas]

why in the world would an attending be opposed to someone doing research. Also why does a medical student give two ****s about what a single attending wants them to do. There is no way this is a US MD program.

 

[Foreverworthless]

why in the world would an attending be opposed to someone doing research. Also why does a medical student give two ****s about what a single attending wants them to do. There is no way this is a US MD program.

It is a US MD program. Honestly, I’m trying to enter a competitive field, and I’ve been told that my attending could make or break it. So I’m trying to not get on this attendings bad side. Is it pathetic that I care so much about what they think, probably? But I know that not many people in my life have believed in me so I guess I’m trying to keep the connections I’ve made :/

 

[Foreverworthless]

Screw the designation and just publish if you can

Thanks for your input and help.

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

I understand the desire for anonymity, but I can't wrap my head around what the concern is here. Why is your attending going to be upset? Why does it matter that you're going to annoy them?

Seconding this confusion. Why would they be annoyed? If it's anything like my school's research distinction, all it really requires of your attending is that they write a letter (or sign a letter that you draft for them) saying they support your application for research honors (plus maybe some revisions on a research paper if you have to submit one and haven't already published something with this attending). A good mentor should be more than happy to do this for you, especially if you make it easy for them by being fully prepared and organized before you ask them. Is there something more arduous required, or is your relationship with this attending very tenuous?

 

[Dr G Oogle]

Honestly research honors without any publications is meaningless and makes it seem like CV padding, publication without honors is perfectly fine. I absolutely don’t think you need to to do it, especially if it will piss off attending who can “make or break you”. I also am confused why he would care unless he has some kind of bone to pick with people behind this research honors designation.

 

[Ludwig2000]

Why are you talking like you only have one attending? And this attending could make or break your application to a competitive field, even if they aren’t writing you a LOR?
I know it’s probably just odd wording from trying to protect your anonymity.
But honestly this post is like what I imagine would happen if a machine learning bot were fed a bunch of sdn posts and then came up with its own

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

This is very confusing. Why would any attending give two s**ts about what’s on a medical student’s diploma?

 

[Foreverworthless]

Hello all, it wasn’t my intention to start something :/

in trying my best to maintain annonimity, what I can say is that to do the honors in research, it has to be a continuation/ a spin off of a project that was conducted over the summer. Over the summer, I conducted a research project with this attending, so it has to be under him. I had in mind a project that would be built off of the summer project, but after bringing it up earlier this week, ie the idea of it to be able to for fill the requirements for the honors, the attending was not too happy with me. Yes he is not the only attending, however being in my second year, he is so far the only attending that I’ve made a connection with, with respect to research and mentoring, and so I don’t want to risk further pissing him off by pursuing this and then as I previously mentioned having that cause the whole “make or break here”. I’m sure he won’t remember when my submission deadline is so to be honest I’m just not going to bring this back up to him, and just keep my head down.
I appreciate all of you guys help, makes me feel better that I’m choosing to not pursue this it wasn’t going to hurt like someone declining AOA or something.

 

[longhaul3]

why in the world would an attending be opposed to someone doing research. Also why does a medical student give two ****s about what a single attending wants them to do. There is no way this is a US MD program.

Also don't understand the situation with the attending being upset about getting honors but I don't agree with this take—in small specialties a relationship with a single attending can be make-or-break and it can definitely matter what he/she wants you to do.

It is a US MD program. Honestly, I’m trying to enter a competitive field, and I’ve been told that my attending could make or break it. So I’m trying to not get on this attendings bad side. Is it pathetic that I care so much about what they think, probably? But I know that not many people in my life have believed in me so I guess I’m trying to keep the connections I’ve made :/

Agree with this reasoning for sure, especially if this attending has senior standing within the department or is otherwise highly regarded within your specialty. Still don't quite understand the issue but I would prioritize a relationship with such an attending over an unusual asterisk on your diploma.

 

[Redpancreas]

Hello all, it wasn’t my intention to start something :/

in trying my best to maintain annonimity, what I can say is that to do the honors in research, it has to be a continuation/ a spin off of a project that was conducted over the summer. Over the summer, I conducted a research project with this attending, so it has to be under him. I had in mind a project that would be built off of the summer project, but after bringing it up earlier this week, ie the idea of it to be able to for fill the requirements for the honors, the attending was not too happy with me. Yes he is not the only attending, however being in my second year, he is so far the only attending that I’ve made a connection with, with respect to research and mentoring, and so I don’t want to risk further pissing him off by pursuing this and then as I previously mentioned having that cause the whole “make or break here”. I’m sure he won’t remember when my submission deadline is so to be honest I’m just not going to bring this back up to him, and just keep my head down.
I appreciate all of you guys help, makes me feel better that I’m choosing to not pursue this it wasn’t going to hurt like someone declining AOA or something.

Sounds like a terrible mentor. Do what's best for you. There will be hundreds more attendings who don't get triggered when you pitch a research idea to them.

 

[Foreverworthless]

Also don't understand the situation with the attending being upset about getting honors but I don't agree with this take—in small specialties a relationship with a single attending can be make-or-break and it can definitely matter what he/she wants you to do.


Agree with this reasoning for sure, especially if this attending has senior standing within the department or is otherwise highly regarded within your specialty. Still don't quite understand the issue but I would prioritize a relationship with such an attending over an unusual asterisk on your diploma.

Thanks for your advice. Yes, he is well regarded in the field :/

 

[Redpancreas]

Thanks for your advice. Yes, he is well regarded in the field :/

Who cares bro, there will be so many others who are well-regarded. I don't know the situation so I won't over-speculate but as a pre-clerkship medical student I had way too much reverence for attendings in general looking back.

 

[Foreverworthless]

Who cares bro, there will be so many others who are well-regarded. I don't know the situation so I won't over-speculate but as a pre-clerkship medical student I had way too much reverence for attendings in general looking back.

Thanks so much. I definitely have to learn how to not let what people think or say get to me :/

 

[mvenus929]

Hello all, it wasn’t my intention to start something :/

in trying my best to maintain annonimity, what I can say is that to do the honors in research, it has to be a continuation/ a spin off of a project that was conducted over the summer. Over the summer, I conducted a research project with this attending, so it has to be under him. I had in mind a project that would be built off of the summer project, but after bringing it up earlier this week, ie the idea of it to be able to for fill the requirements for the honors, the attending was not too happy with me. Yes he is not the only attending, however being in my second year, he is so far the only attending that I’ve made a connection with, with respect to research and mentoring, and so I don’t want to risk further pissing him off by pursuing this and then as I previously mentioned having that cause the whole “make or break here”. I’m sure he won’t remember when my submission deadline is so to be honest I’m just not going to bring this back up to him, and just keep my head down.
I appreciate all of you guys help, makes me feel better that I’m choosing to not pursue this it wasn’t going to hurt like someone declining AOA or something.

Is he annoyed because he has to mentor you for this project? Or that he doesn't think it's a good research idea? or that he doesn't have time to mentor the research?

This whole situation is a little weird, but unless you really want to do research, I don't think anyone will care about the designation vs just doing the research and getting publications out of it.