How important is research?

[bco001]

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I'm in the middle of my second year of medical school, and I'm beginning to think that Orthopedic surgery is what I want to do. I spent this past summer doing Neurosurgery research, and I'm listed as a co-author on a poster and an abstract.

I don't enjoy research, and I don't want to do anymore unless I absolutely have to. For those of you who know more than I, does my current research background mean anything at all? Does it at least meet minimum expectations? I've heard that if you want to go into Ortho, then you need to start putting together a stellar application from year one, so I'm already behind. Also, I want to make it clear that I don't care about getting into a top ortho program.

 

[LuckyMD2b]

I'm in the middle of my second year of medical school, and I'm beginning to think that Orthopedic surgery is what I want to do. I spent this past summer doing Neurosurgery research, and I'm listed as a co-author on a poster and an abstract.

I don't enjoy research, and I don't want to do anymore unless I absolutely have to. For those of you who know more than I, does my current research background mean anything at all? Does it at least meet minimum expectations? I've heard that if you want to go into Ortho, then you need to start putting together a stellar application from year one, so I'm already behind. Also, I want to make it clear that I don't care about getting into a top ortho program.

You are not behind.

The most important things in matching in Ortho are board scores, letters of rec, and med school grades. Unfortunately there are more well qualified applicants than there are positions available. For that reason, it is in your best interest to do everything that you can to improve your application - including research.

One research project in neurosurgery is good but it may not be sufficient to match at a top orthopedic program. I would recommend you doing a project with someone in your school's Ortho dept.

I empathize with you my friend. I hate research but it's a necessary evil if you want to make it in a surgical subspecialty. But be warned it's a recurring theme. You're going to have to do research to get into fellowship, meet your residency graduation requirement, meet your fellowship graduation requirement... It feels like it's never ending.

Good luck

 

[toooldforthis]

........ be warned it's a recurring theme. You're going to have to do research to get into fellowship, meet your residency graduation requirement, meet your fellowship graduation requirement... It feels like it's never ending. ......

Sigh, seems like there is a lot of that on this road to medicine.