how to optimize a research year

[bowlofmushypeas]

I know the answer to this will vary, but I'd like to get a general idea of a good goal when taking a research year to strengthen applications. I'm asking for my husband who I know will have a STEEP road ahead--decent board scores, no clinical honors in cores or on his first home derm rotation, and decided between MS3/4 to apply derm based on rotation experiences so no ECs or "derm interest" activities prior to now. Currently, he's started a derm research year and is wondering what a good goal would be in terms of pubs, presentations, etc as well as advice on what else he can do since it's very late in the game that he's started to think about this. For instance, I assume it'd be counterproductive to do a research year and not end up publishing anything. He's also shadowing a dermatologist biweekly.

In case anyone's wondering, I'm posting as a fellow med student who will be couples matching with a husband who's too cool for SDN and would love to not deal with this more than once!

Thanks all!

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[asmallchild]

I know the answer to this will vary, but I'd like to get a general idea of a good goal when taking a research year to strengthen applications. I'm asking for my husband who I know will have a STEEP road ahead--decent board scores, no clinical honors in cores or on his first home derm rotation, and decided between MS3/4 to apply derm based on rotation experiences so no ECs or "derm interest" activities prior to now. Currently, he's started a derm research year and is wondering what a good goal would be in terms of pubs, presentations, etc as well as advice on what else he can do since it's very late in the game that he's started to think about this. For instance, I assume it'd be counterproductive to do a research year and not end up publishing anything. He's also shadowing a dermatologist biweekly.

In case anyone's wondering, I'm posting as a fellow med student who will be couples matching with a husband who's too cool for SDN and would love to not deal with this more than once!

Thanks all!

A good research year should involve some mixture, or ideally all, of the below:
- a chance to work with a PI who has a history of getting his/her fellows into dermatology programs
- a chance to work on a project that can be completed within a year
- publication or publications
- a chance to travel/present/network at conferences
- an outstanding LOR from the PI

Shadowing of a dermatologist biweekly is likely overkill and unlikely to add anything to his application, wishing you guys the best of luck