How common are high-impact (Nature, Science, NEJM) first-author undergrad papers

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Marquis_Phoenix

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Is it pretty common at the top schools (Harvard/Stanford) for the undergraduates to have first author publications in huge journals?
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HAHAH dude it's not even common for full-time MD/PhDs to have 1st-author pubs in those journals
 
I would LOVE to have a publication in one of those journals under my belt by the time I graduate...

But in reality, it takes quite a bit of skill AND luck to land a nature/science paper, let alone a first author spot on one. This isn't something most undergraduates have done. Hell, it's pretty rare for undergraduates to publish first author papers at all (even undergraduates at top, research-heavy schools), especially ones in top journals.
 
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A Nature/Science publication is the culmination of a career for some people. As an undergraduate, you would have needed to trip and fall into an incredibly badass lab full of badass scientists. You also need to be a badass yourself, because the work it takes to get an acceptable paper for one of those journals is essentially endless.
 
hahaha No. It is uncommon enough for an undergrad to be named on a paper at all (unless their PI is very fair/kind or they have done an insurmountable amt of work on the project) let alone have first authorship, let alone in on of these journals you mention. Craziness. If you hear of an example of this, tell me because that is just nuts and I have to know. :)
 
(Hopefully) I'll be listed as an author in a Nature Genetics publication soon. *knock on wood*
 
How do you get 30 publications in undergraduate without having your own lab/grants?
 
http://pdsoros.org/current_fellows/

I think they inflate the statistic. The other guys are in first year medical school, and are like 24-25. So they've hung around labs for 2-3 years. That doesn't count as pure undergraduate. The first guy just has 5 papers from undergrad, and is 3rd/4th author. No first authors until he got into medical school already.

William Hwang, however, is impressive. That's who I was referring to about the 30 - 22 years old, 1st year HST, with 3 books, 3 books/chapters, 13 papers.
 
Wow, William Hwang is beyond impressive. Look at him, Rhodes Scholar, Goldwater, MD/PhD at Harvard/MIT ... wow I am humbled.:bow:
 
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Dear God I didn't know such things as William Hwang existed...
 
cyclin M said:
Wow, William Hwang is beyond impressive. Look at him, Rhodes Scholar, Goldwater, MD/PhD at Harvard/MIT ... wow I am humbled.:bow:
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His undergraduate majors at Duke University were in biomedical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and physics with a minor in chemistry. He graduated summa cum laude with election to Tau Beta Pi and Phi Beta Kappa.

he basically triple (or quadruple) majored in 3 extremely difficult subjects and minored in another challenging one. and was summa cum laude to boot :laugh:
 
seriously though i bet william hwang can slam a revolving door
 
and judge a book by its cover
 
i bet william hwang never shadowed doctors during his undergrad. doctors shadowed william hwang
 
Marquis_Phoenix said:
http://pdsoros.org/current_fellows/


William Hwang, however, is impressive. That's who I was referring to about the 30 - 22 years old, 1st year HST, with 3 books, 3 books/chapters, 13 papers.
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I feel like that slave in the movie Gladiator when he and Maximus first enter Rome and he looks around and says: "I did not know men could build such things."
Seriously, that's beyond incredible.
-Roy
 
Marquis_Phoenix said:
http://pdsoros.org/current_fellows/

I think they inflate the statistic. The other guys are in first year medical school, and are like 24-25. So they've hung around labs for 2-3 years. That doesn't count as pure undergraduate. The first guy just has 5 papers from undergrad, and is 3rd/4th author. No first authors until he got into medical school already.

William Hwang, however, is impressive. That's who I was referring to about the 30 - 22 years old, 1st year HST, with 3 books, 3 books/chapters, 13 papers.
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This guy has definitely never had a girlfriend.
 
i love when people hear about someone impressive, they automatically attack him on the girlfriend angle :laugh:
 
Lukkie said:
i love when people hear about someone impressive, they automatically attack him on the girlfriend angle :laugh:
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There's nothing else! :) Plus, there's no way he could have had time for a female.
 
Dr.D-man said:
This guy has definitely never had a girlfriend.
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Although I want to think that statement is unfair, I've sat here the past 5 minutes thinking about how it would be possible in the slightest bit for William Hwang to have anything close to a social life. I really can't come up with anything. I don't even think he would have time for booty calls, if he had access to them (which is seriously doubtful).
 
I just wanted to thank you guys for a good laugh. Billy is a good guy. I'm not going to go into any of his business, but you all shouldn't worry about his love life, it's just fine.
 
vokey588 said:
Although I want to think that statement is unfair, I've sat here the past 5 minutes thinking about how it would be possible in the slightest bit for William Hwang to have anything close to a social life. I really can't come up with anything. I don't even think he would have time for booty calls, if he had access to them (which is seriously doubtful).
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the guy was captain of the varsity volleyball team and first violionist. . .and many other things. wow, how is that possible?
 
Ebuff said:
I just wanted to thank you guys for a good laugh. Billy is a good guy. I'm not going to go into any of his business, but you all shouldn't worry about his love life, it's just fine.
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If he can do it then "I'm too busy to be in a relationship" has fallen as a viable excuse.
 
No. It would be very uncommon for an undergrad to have 1st authorship on any paper, let alone one in a high impact journal. That said, I think an undergrad having authorship, or multiple authorships, on papers shows that the person was in an excellent mentor/mentee relationship, in most cases. It also does speak well for the undergrad, of course.
 
Hwang must have close to a photographic memory and great time management, but can he cook? I think I might have him beat there =)
 
Anyone else notice how about 80% of the Soros Scholars going for their MD attend Stanford or Duke?
 
Vadd0 said:
I could never achieve what these people have achieved. But then again, these people could never achieve what I have achieved.
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Arrogant much? lol I don't get it maybe I'm missing something.
 
shemarty said:
http://pdsoros.org/current_fellows/

Some of *those* people have done it.

I applied for this fellowship this year. How am I supposed to even supposed to complete? *sigh* Oh well, I had to try.
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Why the ef did you have to post that link?! :( I feel like such a failure compared to those people. I'm gonna go hang out w/ some of the idiots from my high school days so I can feel better. Peace.
 
Hwang is no Myron Rolle!

Haha, kidding, that is beyond impressive.
 
Vadd0 said:
I could never achieve what these people have achieved. But then again, these people could never achieve what I have achieved.
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I think what Vadd0 is saying is that everyone takes their own path and achieves in their own fashion, and I agree.

Anyways his achievements are truly amazing. He is the person people refer to as 'the kid who might cure cancer' yadda yadda.
 
Wow, a guy I know is on that list.. I never knew he did that stuff!
 
Vadd0 said:
I mean, none of them are Ahmed Zewail...

I could never achieve what these people have achieved. But then again, these people could never achieve what I have achieved.
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Look at the list of honorary degrees this man has! What's up with that?

HONORARY DEGREES
Oxford University, United Kingdom (1991); M.A., h.c. (Arts)
American University in Cairo, Egypt (1993); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium (1997); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A. (1997); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Université de Lausanne, Switzerland (1997); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Swinburne University, Australia (1999); D.U., h.c. (University)
Arab Academy for Science & Technology, Egypt (1999); H.D.A.Sc. (Appl. Science)
Alexandria University, Egypt (1999); D.Ph., h.c. (Philosophy)
University of New Brunswick, Canada (2000); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy (2000); D., h.c. (Doctor)
Université de Liège, Belgium (2000); D., h.c. (Doctor)
Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
Honorary Member of the Medical Staff, U.S.A. (2000); M.D. (Medicine)
Jadavpur University, India (2001); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Concordia University, Montréal, Canada (2002); LLD, h.c. (Law)
Heriot-Watt University, Scotland (2002); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Pusan National University, Korea (2003); M.D., h.c. (Medicine)
Lund University, Sweden (2003); D.Ph., h.c. (Philosophy)
Bogaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey (2003); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France (2003); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Oxford University, United Kingdom (2004); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Peking University, People's Republic of China (2004); H.D.D. (University)
Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Mexico (2004); D., h.c. (University)
University of Dublin, Trinity College, Ireland (2004); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan (2005); H.D.D. (University)
American University of Beirut, Lebanon (2005); D. H. L. (Humane Letters)
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (2005); D., h.c. (University)
National University of Cordoba, Argentina (2005); D., h.c. (University)
Cambridge University, United Kingdom (2006); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania (2006); H.D.D. (University)
Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt (2007); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Universiti Malaya, Malaysia (2007); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (2007); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain (2008); D., h.c. (Doctor)
 
Dr.D-man said:
Look at the list of honorary degrees this man has! What's up with that?

HONORARY DEGREES
Oxford University, United Kingdom (1991); M.A., h.c. (Arts)
American University in Cairo, Egypt (1993); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium (1997); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A. (1997); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Université de Lausanne, Switzerland (1997); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Swinburne University, Australia (1999); D.U., h.c. (University)
Arab Academy for Science & Technology, Egypt (1999); H.D.A.Sc. (Appl. Science)
Alexandria University, Egypt (1999); D.Ph., h.c. (Philosophy)
University of New Brunswick, Canada (2000); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy (2000); D., h.c. (Doctor)
Université de Liège, Belgium (2000); D., h.c. (Doctor)
Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center
Honorary Member of the Medical Staff, U.S.A. (2000); M.D. (Medicine)
Jadavpur University, India (2001); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Concordia University, Montréal, Canada (2002); LLD, h.c. (Law)
Heriot-Watt University, Scotland (2002); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Pusan National University, Korea (2003); M.D., h.c. (Medicine)
Lund University, Sweden (2003); D.Ph., h.c. (Philosophy)
Bogaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey (2003); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
École Normale Supérieure, Paris, France (2003); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Oxford University, United Kingdom (2004); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Peking University, People’s Republic of China (2004); H.D.D. (University)
Autonomous University of the State of Mexico, Toluca, Mexico (2004); D., h.c. (University)
University of Dublin, Trinity College, Ireland (2004); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan (2005); H.D.D. (University)
American University of Beirut, Lebanon (2005); D. H. L. (Humane Letters)
University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (2005); D., h.c. (University)
National University of Cordoba, Argentina (2005); D., h.c. (University)
Cambridge University, United Kingdom (2006); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj, Romania (2006); H.D.D. (University)
Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt (2007); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Universiti Malaya, Malaysia (2007); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (2007); D.Sc., h.c. (Science)
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain (2008); D., h.c. (Doctor)
Click to expand...

Has the man had time to do anything with this knowledge? Society could benefit from him using a little of that. :eek:
 
how much does william hwang bench

i bet he lurks here too
 
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