How to pick a research project...

[Futuredoc1364]

I performed a search on the topic of "research" in the Allo forum and I read pretty interesting ideas. There are some issues that I'd like to learn more about .

So it seems that the agreement is that it doesn't matter if my future choice of specialty is unrelated to my research project in med school. I can see what people here consider more important is whether a research project actually leads to a publication or poster. Am I on the right track here? Furthermore, most people here seem to agree that it is much easier to get a publication out of basic as opposed to clinical research. During undergrad, I made a mistake and joined a lab which ended up not having enough funds to support the projects. I never really got anything out of the projects.

My med school actually requires us to do research to graduate. I was planning to spend some of the break figuring out what projects are available and sorting something out for the summer. There is this website my school has which lists some of the available projects, but it does not provide a lot of details. Let's say that I find three projects that I find interesting. Do you think I should contact all the PI's at the same time and see which ones seem to have projects more interesting and more likely to lead to a publication withing ten weeks? Or do you think it is better to contact PI's one at a time? I just want to use the most time-efficient way as I know that I won't have a lot of time to put into it during the spring semester. What is the best way to figure out whether my cooperation can actually lead to a publication? Should I meet with them and ask?

As a side note: Is joining student interest groups similar to research in that it does not matter what type of group I get actively involved with? I have agreed to serve as a first year rep for my school's psych club because I felt that I should do something besides school. It will not be much work, but I have no idea whether psychiatry is actually what I want to do. I have considered it before, but it is not even what I have a strong interest in. Any thoughts on this and the research topic?

Thanks and happy holidays everyone!

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[Pinkertinkle]

I think the hierachy of research goes something like this:
#1 research in field of interest with publication(s)
#2 research in any field with publication(s)
#3 research in field of interest without publications
#4 research in any field without publications

Try to shoot for as high as possible on that rank order. The first two can be further complicated by authorship order, but any publication beyond 3rd author I personally consider same as no publication.

It is also generally accepted that it's easier to publish doing clinical research but that basic science publications are somewhat more valuable.

Regarding interest groups they're of no real value beyond getting to know professors in specific fields, so for purposes of residency it doesn't matter.

 

[docbill]

Get involved in research that you would enjoy! Do NOT choose something you doing like because of benefits. If you are enjoy someting very much you will be successful at it.

 

[Futuredoc1364]

Thanks for the input. I actually looked at my school's website right now and they really don't have a lot of info about the projects they have listed (pretty much the title of the project, the department, and the PI). So I guess the only way for me to figure out what these projects actually are and how much work there is to do is to email a bunch of these PI's. This way I could learn about the projects and, what types of procedures I will be doing and whether there is potential for publication.

Do you think I should try to extract all this information using email or I should set up personal appointments with the PI's who get back to me?

 

[DocLan]

I think the hierachy of research goes something like this:
#1 research in field of interest with publication(s)
#2 research in any field with publication(s)
#3 research in field of interest without publications
#4 research in any field without publications

Try to shoot for as high as possible on that rank order. The first two can be further complicated by authorship order, but any publication beyond 3rd author I personally consider same as no publication.

It is also generally accepted that it's easier to publish doing clinical research but that basic science publications are somewhat more valuable.

Regarding interest groups they're of no real value beyond getting to know professors in specific fields, so for purposes of residency it doesn't matter.

Really 3rd author as no publication? I would agree for clinical research or a case report, but I would consider myself very lucky if it was 3rd for a basic science publication if I even 3rd, depending on the number of authors (estimate around 5-6 avg)

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Really 3rd author as no publication? I would agree for clinical research or a case report, but I would consider myself very lucky if it was 3rd for a basic science publication if I even 3rd, depending on the number of authors (estimate around 5-6 avg)

3rd author is fine, I said beyond that being fourth, fifth, and onward at which point one can't really be sure if the author contributed anything of substance to the article.

 

[sendwich]

i just started talking with some PI's about summer reseach and one has offered to let me work in his lab. the thing is, his is a eye lab and he seems to think that students who work in his lab should be interested in optho (he didnt ask me anything about that before opening his lab up to me). his research sounds really interesting to me but does it really matter what sort of research project/lab you work with, especially with labs that do "specialized" research? i'm not sure at this point about which field. i mean, couldn't i "apply" this experience to another field (if interviewers as "why'd you work there?") if i happen to go into another field?