Making connections with desired programs through research

[freakonomics]

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Hi everyone,

Lont story short, I am from California, hoping to match back there for residency from a med school in Midwest. I have a few research projects that I am working on my own that I can ask literally any attending for guidance and corresponding authorship. I was thinking of making connections to programs in California by emailing and contacting them. I also work with attendings here for a few projects, so I hope to have something out from my home program as well.

And I was wondering if it would ever frowned upon by attendings there or here at my home program or litrally anyone for doing that. Is it always that I have to publish research with doctors at home program?

Thank you.

 

[ophthodoptho]

Hi! So one person's opinion.....

Your question is a bit odd. You definitely don't just have to publish research only with doctors at your home program, getting to know people at other programs is always a plus if you make a good impression. However, I don't think emailing them and asking them to supervise a project you've already started is the best way to go about it. If you want to make real connections in California that will help you match there, I would do an away rotation there or better yet take a year to do a substantial research project at a Cali school you love and work really hard while there to be productive. That being said, I don't think a research year is necessary for everyone - a lot of people make solid connections during away rotations and write case-reports etc while there. You could also email a PI to ask if there's a project of theirs you can work on IF you can meet with them in person periodically while you're home in Cali. I just don't know how productive a virtual-only relationship is with attendings if you want them to support you in matching/make phone calls, etc...there won't be that much they can say about you because they won't really know you. Good luck!