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- Feb 1, 2023
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Hello friends, current MS2 here at a mid-tier MD school. I have talked to a few successful IR applicants and listened to some IR podcasts (sound of IR, kinked wire etc) and it seems like going to conference and making connections is very important in this relatively small field. In a specific episode, all the guests mentioned that the PDs at their away rotation knew them in some way because they chatted at SIR or something. That might just be a coincidence but I feel like I have to go to the conference this year, both because I want to learn something, but also want to improve my chances of getting to know a few people and potentially help me get some desirable away rotation opportunities next year.
My school do not have a home IR residency program (or DR), so I haven't formed any meaningful relationship with any IR attending yet (something I definitely want to achieve during M3 once I actually set foot into our community-ish hospital). The only connection for now is being acquainted with an academic IR attending/researcher at a nearby academic center and writing up a small research project for him, but believe it or not I have never even met him in person, only communicated via email and zoom. All other researches I am doing are DR/NM at this point, so those mentors won't be attending SIR. The only other person I know there is an upperclassman.
My questions are
1) how to effectively network at such an event? When I search advice online a lot of people say just let your home program attending/research PIs introduce you, but I am not sure that's feasible for me.
2) I have a very specific geographical preference for away rotation and eventually residency because my wife lives there. Can I seek out those PDs at SIR and hopefully talk about their projects and say I want to do some researches with them during M3 year (my M3 is spent at that location)? Does that seem overly eager and borderline stalking?
3) Any advise are appreciated. I genuinely love radiology and have published research in DR/NM, but finding IR connections and research has really been a struggle in my preclinical years because our school just doesn't have home programs/departments/attending/physician groups. I do want to learn and see cool researches by attending SIR this year, but I would be lying if I don't admit that networking to improve my chances for away rotations and eventually residency is a goal.
Thank you
My school do not have a home IR residency program (or DR), so I haven't formed any meaningful relationship with any IR attending yet (something I definitely want to achieve during M3 once I actually set foot into our community-ish hospital). The only connection for now is being acquainted with an academic IR attending/researcher at a nearby academic center and writing up a small research project for him, but believe it or not I have never even met him in person, only communicated via email and zoom. All other researches I am doing are DR/NM at this point, so those mentors won't be attending SIR. The only other person I know there is an upperclassman.
My questions are
1) how to effectively network at such an event? When I search advice online a lot of people say just let your home program attending/research PIs introduce you, but I am not sure that's feasible for me.
2) I have a very specific geographical preference for away rotation and eventually residency because my wife lives there. Can I seek out those PDs at SIR and hopefully talk about their projects and say I want to do some researches with them during M3 year (my M3 is spent at that location)? Does that seem overly eager and borderline stalking?
3) Any advise are appreciated. I genuinely love radiology and have published research in DR/NM, but finding IR connections and research has really been a struggle in my preclinical years because our school just doesn't have home programs/departments/attending/physician groups. I do want to learn and see cool researches by attending SIR this year, but I would be lying if I don't admit that networking to improve my chances for away rotations and eventually residency is a goal.
Thank you
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