Incoming MS1 wondering about research

[thegreengreatdragon]

Hey guys, I had a question about research and residencies.
Would doing a certain type of research hurt my chances for a different area of residency? For example, I find basic gastro research really cool, but I have no idea if I want to go into that or not for my actual specialty in the future. I just find the research going on in that field absolutely fascinating. Would doing that hurt my chance in another specialty when it comes time for residency applications? Do residency programs care about what research you've been doing or more about how involved you are (publications, level of commitment, etc.)? Should I wait until 2nd year to find a lab that maybe fits into a specialty I find myself drawn to? I want to start research earlier, especially since my program has ample time for research in my first year, so I could really get myself established then. Plus, I really enjoy doing research. However, I really don't want to box myself in, because I want to go into medical school with an open mind when it comes to my future specialty.

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[ERDOC555]

Hey guys, I had a question about research and residencies.
Would doing a certain type of research hurt my chances for a different area of residency? For example, I find basic gastro research really cool, but I have no idea if I want to go into that or not for my actual specialty in the future. I just find the research going on in that field absolutely fascinating. Would doing that hurt my chance in another specialty when it comes time for residency applications? Do residency programs care about what research you've been doing or more about how involved you are (publications, level of commitment, etc.)? Should I wait until 2nd year to find a lab that maybe fits into a specialty I find myself drawn to? I want to start research earlier, especially since my program has ample time for research in my first year, so I could really get myself established then. Plus, I really enjoy doing research. However, I really don't want to box myself in, because I want to go into medical school with an open mind when it comes to my future specialty.

Start research early, regardless of the subject, and then morph into research in your chosen field. It looks much better to have random research in MS1/MS2 than no research at all, especially if you're continuing research during MS3/MS4 in your field of interest.

 

[thegreengreatdragon]

OK, thanks for the input! I think I posted this in the wrong forum, so I'll repost it in the main MS forum, but thanks for the advice!