How are publications in non psychiatry viewed?

[Merely]

4 papers in a surgical field, are these essentially worthless when it comes to applying for psych?

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[OrangeOrange]

No. They illustrate that you know how to do research, (probably) enjoy it, and can balance it with the demands of school. All good things for PDs to know.

 

[jimbobpsych]

Agreed. I did not have any research in psychiatry. I think that having done any at all is what matters most.

 

[SmallBird]

Agreed. I did not have any research in psychiatry. I think that having done any at all is what matters most.

I think it really depends on the program, the program director, and the specific interviewer! Having publications may increase your 'score' on a rubric based evaluation which is part of how many programs will score their applicants. I think in almost all situations having non-psych publications will be somewhat helpful, but it could be important to show how they tie into an otherwise compelling narrative for why you are interested in psychiatry. I disagree with the statement that doing any kind of research is what matters most. Doing psych research that demonstrates skills and commitment to an area you hope to further develop during residency is likely to be of considerably higher value. If you can find a way to show that your surgery research has led to the development of generic scholarly competencies that you now hope to apply in psychiatry, this will be more helpful than just having that checkbox ticked. If this isn't true (or you can't frame it in a compelling way), I think its only slightly helpful to your application and wouldn't be surprised if the odd interviewer wonders about why you did all this surgery research and are now deciding to do psych. Don't leave it up to their imaginations.