is research a requirement to match

[172821]

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After creeping on this forum for a couple of months it has seems to me that almost everyone who is applying for rad onc has some impressive research. So my question is, if i have almost no research (a couple of case reports and minor non-radonc research) should i even bother applying? I think im a decent candidate otherwise (step 1 = 256 and near top of my class albeitat at a small midwestern school). What do you guys think?

 

[Cancerdancer]

see the "Charting Outcomes in the Match v 2" thread. as you can see, even the candidates not matching tended to have a few research projects. however, your board score and likely AOA (?) would suggest you could probably match.

Assuming you're an early 3rd year given Step 1 completion, just get involved in some RadOnc research ASAP. Have a home institution? If that's the case, you're in good shape, even ahead of the game some might say. Keep in mind the "research projects" on ERAS match stats are just activities people describe as being involved in on the ERAS form, doesn't imply completed projects.

 

[Gfunk6]

I agree with Cancerdancer in that "research project" on the ERAS match stats is a very nebulous term. The vast majority of successful applicants has some sort of "research," but what does this actually mean?

I'll tell you what it does NOT mean: a first author paper in a peer-reviewed journal. The minority of applicants have this, esp. when you factor out the PhDs.

What you should aim for is RadOnc relevant research with an appropriate end-point. By appropriate end point, I mean that you should present your research somewhere (it can be @ your med school research day or ASTRO) AND/OR publish it somewhere.

If you have a bunch of research projects w/ no end point then AdComs will think that you either were too lazy to finish them or they didn't produce anything meaningful.

Oh, and to answer your main question: YES APPLY!!! This forum is tremendously skewed towards "top" applicants applying to "top" programs. Not all programs are looking for applicants with a lot of research, though you may not know it from reading this forum.

 

[napoleondynamite]

After creeping on this forum for a couple of months it has seems to me that almost everyone who is applying for rad onc has some impressive research. So my question is, if i have almost no research (a couple of case reports and minor non-radonc research) should i even bother applying? I think im a decent candidate otherwise (step 1 = 256 and near top of my class albeitat at a small midwestern school). What do you guys think?

Well, you've got a few things to put in your "research" section of ERAS at least. To answer your question, YES research is pretty much a requirement for this field (with a few rare exceptions). I wouldn't discount case reports if you got them published..nothing wrong with that in my opinion. The candidate who should be sweating is the one with nothing at all to write in the publication section. It's not too late for you to jump in on some more substantive research either..that will only boost your CV and give you something more to discuss in interviews..even if you don't publish it, it's important to show that you are actively engaged and interested in radonc research.

 

[LCK]

I don't post that much, but wanted to respond to give some encouragement as I sound much like yourself. I am a 4th year currently applying for rad onc. I have a step 1 score almost identical to yours and am also in the top of my class at a lesser known medical school. BUT...I only started a research project in rad onc a few months ago as I found out about the field late in my third year. Luckily, I did have 2 papers already, but not in rad onc (just like you again). One was a retrospective chart review type thing (not first author) and the other was a case report (first author). My step 2 score was very high, but not sure how much this matters. Anyhow, I currently have 18 interviews and I think 8 or so rejections out of 52 applications. The "top" programs are typically the ones I am getting rejections from, but I am starting to feel confident that I can match (although of course I will be nervous until I find out I actually matched). And even if you want to go into academics as I do without a significant background in research, I think you can make your own way wherever you go. It may just not be as easy as places like MDACC and MSKCC. So my point is: definitely apply! But also try to at least get involved in a rad onc project as soon as you can even if not published by the time you interview. Good luck- I think you will be just fine.

 

[Pewl]

I've started to wonder how important board scores are in this field. I know that the match data shows some pretty high numbers (236 being the average matching score) but after speaking to a number of program directors, I'm starting to get this impression that they don't really pay that much attention to step 1 scores. One of them even asked "What's the average nowadays? I don't even know." On top of that, a few of the directors recommended away rotations. They said that after you do an away rotation there at the place, grades and board scores are barely even looked at. The residents at the program echoed this sentiment as well. Of course, these are not MD Anderson or MSKCC that I'm talkin about about here, but still!

I don't post that much, but wanted to respond to give some encouragement as I sound much like yourself. I am a 4th year currently applying for rad onc. I have a step 1 score almost identical to yours and am also in the top of my class at a lesser known medical school. BUT...I only started a research project in rad onc a few months ago as I found out about the field late in my third year. Luckily, I did have 2 papers already, but not in rad onc (just like you again). One was a retrospective chart review type thing (not first author) and the other was a case report (first author). My step 2 score was very high, but not sure how much this matters. Anyhow, I currently have 18 interviews and I think 8 or so rejections out of 52 applications. The "top" programs are typically the ones I am getting rejections from, but I am starting to feel confident that I can match (although of course I will be nervous until I find out I actually matched). And even if you want to go into academics as I do without a significant background in research, I think you can make your own way wherever you go. It may just not be as easy as places like MDACC and MSKCC. So my point is: definitely apply! But also try to at least get involved in a rad onc project as soon as you can even if not published by the time you interview. Good luck- I think you will be just fine.

 

[172821]

Thanks for all the good advice. Its been pretty encouraging and I only have one problem: there is no rad onc research going on at my school.

I am at a small town clinical site for my third year (best location for my wife) and will have the opprotunity to spend alot of time with the town radiation oncologist (yep, only one). But as i said above, there is really no rad onc research going on. Any other advice to spice up my app other than going on an away rotation?

 

[BraggPeak]

consider taking a year-off to do research. this is pretty common for people applying in RadOnc and I'll bet it will really open a lot of doors for you since you dont have a home RadOnc program. Research and who you have letters from really matters in this field. Programs that you could do research through, include: Howard Hughes, NIH Clinical Research Training Program, and Doris Duke.

 

[stephew]

not correct. board scores are important.

I've started to wonder how important board scores are in this field. I know that the match data shows some pretty high numbers (236 being the average matching score) but after speaking to a number of program directors, I'm starting to get this impression that they don't really pay that much attention to step 1 scores. One of them even asked "What's the average nowadays? I don't even know." On top of that, a few of the directors recommended away rotations. They said that after you do an away rotation there at the place, grades and board scores are barely even looked at. The residents at the program echoed this sentiment as well. Of course, these are not MD Anderson or MSKCC that I'm talkin about about here, but still!

 

[stephew]

Thanks for all the good advice. Its been pretty encouraging and I only have one problem: there is no rad onc research going on at my school.

I am at a small town clinical site for my third year (best location for my wife) and will have the opprotunity to spend alot of time with the town radiation oncologist (yep, only one). But as i said above, there is really no rad onc research going on. Any other advice to spice up my app other than going on an away rotation?

i think youre going to have to do something that shows you reall want this.Its fair enough not being in a place with much opportunity. but if you tell programs you didnt want to bother with an away opportunity. they'll really wonder about your motivations. and wonder why you can say you want to do radonc without having more experience.

 

[172821]

i think youre going to have to do something that shows you reall want this.Its fair enough not being in a place with much opportunity. but if you tell programs you didnt want to bother with an away opportunity. they'll really wonder about your motivations. and wonder why you can say you want to do radonc without having more experience.

Sorry, in my old post i should have wrote "Any other advice to spice up my app in addition to going on an away rotation?" rather than "Any other advice to spice up my app other than going on an away rotation?"

 

[stephew]

i would try to get a quick project done on your rotation..