MD M1 Should I move on from this research mentor? Potential consequences?

[Approach]

Hi all,

I’ve been in contact (phone call, emails) over the last 7 weeks with a physician (Dr. S) in a competitive surgical specialty I’m interested in doing funded summer research through my school. My school requires an application due in 2 weeks to be submitted to be funded for the summer research program.

Dr. S has offered projects to me but has been sporadic/delayed in response (assuming she is just swamped), with the last communication ten days ago. (I have sent a follow-up). I’m getting nervous as I don’t have a fallback mentor for research right now.

Should I start reaching out to other physicians for research? I’m worried Dr. S will respond after I elect to move forward with another physician, she will be annoyed/and potentially impact our relationship/burn a bridge for wasting her time. But with the application deadline approaching I'm sweating a bit.

TIA! Sorry for typos ; mobile

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[eteshoe]

IMO you can go ahead and set up something more solidified w/ another attending. When this other person inevitably responds - you can still work with them. You're free to work w multiple people - but if funding is involved, prioritize your productivity and stable mentorship. Sporadic mentors are fine as long as you're not solely depending on them. During med school I've worked w/ several attendings and PhD scientists - they all know I have multiple projects (this is unfortunately an arms race). As long as you deliver on your work know one cares.

 

[Approach]

IMO you can go ahead and set up something more solidified w/ another attending. When this other person inevitably responds - you can still work with them. You're free to work w multiple people - but if funding is involved, prioritize your productivity and stable mentorship. Sporadic mentors are fine as long as you're not solely depending on them. During med school I've worked w/ several attendings and PhD scientists - they all know I have multiple projects (this is unfortunately an arms race). As long as you deliver on your work know one cares.

Thank you, this morning— based on this perspective, I emailed another physician as a mentor with my own project ideas (one who I have a prior relationship with), so hopefully, I get something rolling. Should Dr. S get back to me, I have the horsepower to continue their research projects, I won't probably wouldn't need them for summer 2024.

Lesson to future readers: Have your teeth in multiple conversations at once! I regret not hedging my bets sooner.

 

[operaman]

Nicely done. Yeah nothing wrong with having multiple things going at once - it’s almost expected honestly. Everyone knows research is academic currency and bonus will fault you for trying to earn it everywhere you can.

If you’re in academics, which in med school and residency you sorta are, the goal is to end up with multiple projects going at once but each at a different stage of the process. This roughly means one IRB/protocol you’re writing, one currently submitted to IRB pending approval, one approved where you’re currently collecting data, one where data is collected and being analyzed, one where you’re working on an abstract/manuscript, and one or more currently in submission/review.

As a student, tough to do this with a single mentor unless they’re very productive and organized. I got to this point toward the end of M3, but it’s a nice place to be. If you do a dedicated research year, this is where a good mentor can get you fast usually by having you start some projects rolling before you even begin the year. I feel like research is a stop and go activity with lots of waiting built in. Having lots of things going is a nice way to use the waiting time on one project to make headway on another.

 

[mistafab]

I read your title only.

The answer is move on.

Research is 90% mentor, 10% topic. Learn this lesson now and move on, you’ll thank yourself later.