Interested in Surgery- 2nd year trying to be proactive

[MAS91]

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Current second year, interested in surgery: ortho or gen + fellowship
Besides, doing well on boards- what else should I focus on. Looking for advice

 

[Spectreman]

Current second year, interested in surgery: ortho or gen + fellowship
Besides, doing well on boards- what else should I focus on. Looking for advice

Truck loads of time for everything else during 3rd year, just worry about boards.

 

[You shall know the Truth]

I asked those same questions when I was in 2nd year. Study for boards and do well. If you do have a little time see if a surgeon will let you shadow.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

You need to start research. The days where you can just study the material the first 2 years and do everything else after boards are gone.

For ortho you need to start making connections. If there are any programs near your school reach out and see if they have any research you can jump on.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Current second year, interested in surgery: ortho or gen + fellowship
Besides, doing well on boards- what else should I focus on. Looking for advice

Really, doing well on boards is the only real way to be be proactive in DO school other than research. And research is usually not present at most DO schools. I would add trying to present something at an ortho conference to try and rub shoulders/network. But really, if you don't get the boards none of the other stuff will matter.

 

[Dr.Bruh]

Really, doing well on boards is the only real way to be be proactive in DO school other than research. And research is usually not present at most DO schools. I would add trying to present something at an ortho conference to try and rub shoulders/network. But really, if you don't get the boards none of the other stuff will matter.

I honestly think that as long you score a 240 as a DO and get above the interview cutoff there’s diminishing returns after that. If you get 240+ Connections, research and killing auditions are gunna be the things that make you match more than getting a 250 va a 260. The people at my school who matched MD derm, ophtho, Uro this year all had 240-245 but they all had extensive research and/or made connections and killed their rotations to the point the the programs told them point blank they’d be ranked.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I honestly think that as long you score a 240 as a DO and get above the interview cutoff there’s diminishing returns after that. If you get 240+ Connections, research and killing auditions are gunna be the things that make you match more than getting a 250 va a 260. The people at my school who matched MD derm, ophtho, Uro this year all had 240-245 but they all had extensive research and/or made connections and killed their rotations to the point the the programs told them point blank they’d be ranked.

I know the apps of about 10 or so killer DO matches and only 2 of them had insane (265+) scores. The rest were all in the 240s, with two even in the 230s. You absolutely have to have research and connections if you want to be the guy who matches these programs.

By research I mean multiple peer reviewed publications in well known journals, often with a few of them as first author.

 

[giguerex35]

I know the apps of about 10 or so killer DO matches and only 2 of them had insane (265+) scores. The rest were all in the 240s, with two even in the 230s. You absolutely have to have research and connections if you want to be the guy who matches these programs.

By research I mean multiple peer reviewed publications in well known journals, often with a few of them as first author.

any tips on how to establish these connections and research at places outside of your school faculty. Im a first year in the south and there doesnt seem to be a whole lot going on in terms of surgical research or much medical research in general unless you drive like 4 hours each way. Are summers when I should focus on this then and just do whatever relevant research I can get in the mean time?

 

[Synchronous]

When you are on your surgery rotation talk to the residents about their research. We can always use some help crunching numbers and inputting data. When I was a student I found some residents doing stuff I was interested in and asked if I could help out. Doing the data input isn’t glamorous but it got my name on some abstracts that were presented at regional and national conventions. I went to some of the conventions too and that’s how I made connections. Some of that research is now published.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

When you are on your surgery rotation talk to the residents about their research. We can always use some help crunching numbers and inputting data. When I was a student I found some residents doing stuff I was interested in and asked if I could help out. Doing the data input isn’t glamorous but it got my name on some abstracts that were presented at regional and national conventions. I went to some of the conventions too and that’s how I made connections. Some of that research is now published.

but those rotations are only 4-6 weeks correct? Is that enough time to jump onto a research project and still be included in the pub?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

but those rotations are only 4-6 weeks correct? Is that enough time to jump onto a research project and still be included in the pub?

Yes.

 

[giguerex35]

When you are on your surgery rotation talk to the residents about their research. We can always use some help crunching numbers and inputting data. When I was a student I found some residents doing stuff I was interested in and asked if I could help out. Doing the data input isn’t glamorous but it got my name on some abstracts that were presented at regional and national conventions. I went to some of the conventions too and that’s how I made connections. Some of that research is now published.

thanks for the help. Any tips on doing these things (connections & research) in years 1 & 2

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

thanks for the help. Any tips on doing these things (connections & research) in years 1 & 2

Yes I am in a similar situation. I have an interview at an MD school with lots of research opportunities and research integrated into the curriculum, but I am assuming for now that I am going to KCU which doesn’t have many research opportunities. There are many MD schools in the area though. Is it easy to reach out to different PI’s and say “hey I am a medical student at X university, can I participate in your research?”

 

[Schwifty]

Yes I am in a similar situation. I have an interview at an MD school with lots of research opportunities and research integrated into the curriculum, but I am assuming for now that I am going to KCU which doesn’t have many research opportunities. There are many MD schools in the area though. Is it easy to reach out to different PI’s and say “hey I am a medical student at X university, can I participate in your research?”

If you get into an MD school, go there, but its not that hard to find research at KCU, I setup research within the first few weeks of classes starting, and other students that do research also reach out to MD schools in the area either by finding connections to those schools within KCU or by just emailing people.

 

[MAS91]

Thank you guys for your replies!

 

[Synchronous]

If you’re a 1st or 2nd year, join the surgery club. They often have events where residents or Attendings come in and teach suturing. Then when they’re at the event ask if they’re doing any research that you can help on. Or ask 3rd or 4th year students that you may know to hook you up with some project or introduce you to some residents. I have random students from my med school emailing me and I’m more than happy to include them in stuff if they actually follow through with it.

 

[Deecee2DO]

I know the apps of about 10 or so killer DO matches and only 2 of them had insane (265+) scores. The rest were all in the 240s, with two even in the 230s. You absolutely have to have research and connections if you want to be the guy who matches these programs.

By research I mean multiple peer reviewed publications in well known journals, often with a few of them as first author.

how do you go about doing that? Like what did these people do to get research opportunities like that? Impressive. Im sure it matters where you do the research right? and Im guessing they started during M1

 

[superior_vena_cana]

How competitive will it be to target the former GS AOA programs?

 

[Deecee2DO]

Does it matter significantly where you do the research or as long as it is quality research?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

How competitive will it be to target the former GS AOA programs?

Competitive but not nearly surgical sub level. Board scores around the national mean make you competitive for former AOA GS programs.

Does it matter significantly where you do the research or as long as it is quality research?

Matter? No, but it can help make connections.

 

[Deecee2DO]

Competitive but not nearly surgical sub level. Board scores around the national mean make you competitive for former AOA GS programs.



Matter? No, but it can help make connections.

Exactly thats what I thought so I am at a DO program in NJ and the research here probably wont get me anywhere because the researchers and clinicians dont really have ties to anywhere significant so my question is am I much better off with my time looking up and contacting people in research at a nearby MD programs like Penn, Cooper, Jeff, Temple or Rutgers NJMS?

 

[AlteredScale]

Yes I am in a similar situation. I have an interview at an MD school with lots of research opportunities and research integrated into the curriculum, but I am assuming for now that I am going to KCU which doesn’t have many research opportunities. There are many MD schools in the area though. Is it easy to reach out to different PI’s and say “hey I am a medical student at X university, can I participate in your research?”

You will make life much harder going to a DO school in terms of finding research. Even though KCU is surrounded by MD institutions (UMKC and KU) the likelihood of obtaining research between the two is going to be small for the following reasons:

1) Their MD students get first dibs on all research projects
2) There are new policies regarding having outside medical students conduct research
3) Your classmates wanting to also do surgery may have already taken up the project before you even had the motivation to shotgun email the faculty

If you're fine grinding it out to find projects then def go ahead and run with it. You'll get something it just may not be the project ur interest or at the right time for you to complete it since it's so hard to get plugged in.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Exactly thats what I thought so I am at a DO program in NJ and the research here probably wont get me anywhere because the researchers and clinicians dont really have ties to anywhere significant so my question is am I much better off with my time looking up and contacting people in research at a nearby MD programs like Penn, Cooper, Jeff, Temple or Rutgers NJMS?

I mean connections with bigger names is always a huge benefit but if you can’t get those high quality research output should be your focus regardless of where it comes from.

 

[AlteredScale]

Exactly thats what I thought so I am at a DO program in NJ and the research here probably wont get me anywhere because the researchers and clinicians dont really have ties to anywhere significant so my question is am I much better off with my time looking up and contacting people in research at a nearby MD programs like Penn, Cooper, Jeff, Temple or Rutgers NJMS?

what year are you.

 

[Schwifty]

You will make life much harder going to a DO school in terms of finding research. Even though KCU is surrounded by MD institutions (UMKC and KU) the likelihood of obtaining research between the two is going to be small for the following reasons:

1) Their MD students get first dibs on all research projects
2) There are new policies regarding having outside medical students conduct research
3) Your classmates wanting to also do surgery may have already taken up the project before you even had the motivation to shotgun email the faculty

If you're fine grinding it out to find projects then def go ahead and run with it. You'll get something it just may not be the project ur interest or at the right time for you to complete it since it's so hard to get plugged in.

I heard the other day that KU won't be taking any outside students for research anymore (MD or DO), but I haven't confirmed this

 

[AlteredScale]

I heard the other day that KU won't be taking any outside students for research anymore (MD or DO), but I haven't confirmed this

Not sure if or why that's the case. But if it is that would be sad. It's understandable though I guess.

I am currently sitting in the lab of lead investigator here in KU for on a research rotation lol.

 

[Schwifty]

Not sure if or why that's the case. But if it is that would be sad. It's understandable though I guess.

I am currently sitting in the lab of lead investigator here in KU for on a research rotation lol.

Ya I really hope its not true, I would really like to get into research at KU, but its just what I heard form one of the faculty at KCU

 

[Deecee2DO]

what year are you.

M2