Losing faith in my Research

[auferstehen92]

Looking forward to my M1 summer, I have an opportunity to continue research in a lab that I worked at last summer. Although I didn't find the research incredibly interesting, I liked it well enough and I have a really good relationship with the PI. I got a decent publication out of the experience, and I would be working towards a primary author publication this summer. I could also work my way into a few additional publications and some more presentations.

Despite the potential benefits, I'm having second doubts about going down this avenue. My primary concern is that I'm not entirely convinced that the research is really leading towards anything meaningful. I know I'm a relative novice so I should trust the PI, but basic research can be incredibly frustrating and I can't help but feel like I'd be wasting my time this summer elucidating some esoteric interaction in a cell signaling pathway that might be useful in developing a drug decades from now. The research also isn't in a field that interests me from a career standpoint so that doesn't help with motivation.

I guess I'm not sure if I should just bite the bullet and dedicate one more summer to this research area, or if it would be better to "start over" and find a new PI/project. Time is a also a major factor since I only have 5 weeks off during the summer at my institution and I'll be moving to a different campus in December of next year. 6-7 months just does't seem like enough time to build a strong relationship with a PI and work towards a first author publication in a new field, especially if it's basic research.

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[Anti-PD1]

What fields are you interested in?

My experience this cycle.

Pubs > no pubs
Basic science > clinical
Clinical research is easier

Given how well poised you are with your current PI, I'd follow through, publish, call it quits. Then start doing clinical research with a productive PI in a field you're interested in.

There's no guarantee you will publish with a new PI. However, it's also important to be interested in what you do. There's no right answer. Just what feels right to you.

 

[summergirl]

What fields are you interested in?

My experience this cycle.

Pubs > no pubs
Basic science > clinical
Clinical research is easier

Given how well poised you are with your current PI, I'd follow through, publish, call it quits. Then start doing clinical research with a productive PI in a field you're interested in.

There's no guarantee you will publish with a new PI. However, it's also important to be interested in what you do. There's no right answer. Just what feels right to you.

Can you/someone else elaborate on why basic science research is better than clinical research? I am genuinely curious because I am a MS1 currently trying to decide on what research to do this summer and i’ve always thought clinical research (i.e. testing the effectiveness of a medication against breast cancer) is more relevant and thus better than basic science research (i.e. researching the chemical compositions of hemoglobin)?

 

[nlax30]

I don’t know why you say one type of research is better or easier than the other..... Both have their inherent difficulties/headaches and I would be hard pressed to say that one is looked at much different than the other if it’s a decent project that you put a lot of effort into. Individual faculty will certainly have their own focus but in general I wouldn’t say one is “better” than the other.

 

[doc05]

There's no point in doing research that you don't enjoy.
Getting a competitive residency spot doesn't require basic science research in an esoteric field. In fact, this is something you should probably avoid, unless your goal is to be a basic scientist.
Find your specialty of interest and then get involved in ongoing projects (both clinical and basic science) relevant to your chosen specialty.

 

[DerpStore]

Looking forward to my M1 summer, I have an opportunity to continue research in a lab that I worked at last summer. Although I didn't find the research incredibly interesting, I liked it well enough and I have a really good relationship with the PI. I got a decent publication out of the experience, and I would be working towards a primary author publication this summer. I could also work my way into a few additional publications and some more presentations.

Despite the potential benefits, I'm having second doubts about going down this avenue. My primary concern is that I'm not entirely convinced that the research is really leading towards anything meaningful. I know I'm a relative novice so I should trust the PI, but basic research can be incredibly frustrating and I can't help but feel like I'd be wasting my time this summer elucidating some esoteric interaction in a cell signaling pathway that might be useful in developing a drug decades from now. The research also isn't in a field that interests me from a career standpoint so that doesn't help with motivation.

I guess I'm not sure if I should just bite the bullet and dedicate one more summer to this research area, or if it would be better to "start over" and find a new PI/project. Time is a also a major factor since I only have 5 weeks off during the summer at my institution and I'll be moving to a different campus in December of next year. 6-7 months just does't seem like enough time to build a strong relationship with a PI and work towards a first author publication in a new field, especially if it's basic research.

Don't do basic science if you don't want to be a basic scientist. If you want to be a basic scientist, many academic/big name places will love you. There are other things you can do to make them love you as well. But please don't have the opinion that laboratory based research is necessarily esoteric- there is so many things about medicine and the human body we have yet to understand.

It sounds like you should do clinical research, especially if you're moving campuses. Your research will likely not be affected by your move as most of it (if a retrospective chart review, which I feel most med student clinical research is) is done on a computer. Best of luck!