I'm an MS3, applying to Ophthalmology in 2021, and currently unsure if I need a research year. My resume is light on research because I really love to do engineering and entrepreneurship work. My personal statement when applying to med school was about being a leader in both clinical medicine and technical innovation, and it worked well but I'm not sure if residencies appreciate this as much. Here is my resume:
Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
Step 1: 262
Step 2: not yet taken
Work and Service
Co-Founder and Hardware Lead of a Vision Screening Startup:
> Developing hardware+software platform that increases access to comprehensive visual health exams
> Leading development of smallest retinal cameras ever built, along with associated software for auto-alignment, auto-focus, auto-capture
> Responsible for a team of 4 engineers, project lead for contracts worth ~$300k with optical engineering consultants, company valued at $3M based on most recent round of funding. ISMMS Student Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship & Innovation, ISMMS Innovation Award and $40k grant for company
Participating in student-run free clinic for uninsured
> Access-to-Care Team in MS1+2, connecting patients with social services
> Chronic Care Senior in MS3, longitudinally medically managing and coordinating care for 2 complex patients
> Ophthalmology Senior in MS3, seeing patients in ophthalmology clinic
Co-Founder and Clinical Lead of an Oral Health Startup (undergrad to MS2, now dissolved due to pesky insurance regulations)
> Developed hardware+software platform that allows primary care providers to conduct oral health exams, just like dentists
> Raised $300k, completed accelerator in China, initiated clinical trials with premier institutions in India, Bolivia. Top 10 Telemedicine Company @ UCSF Digital Health Awards, Named Global Young Leader in Oral Cancer
Research:
> Contributed to development of a novel perimetry algorithm specific to ptosis, abstract in ARVO, manuscript in review
> Co-author on Nature Eye review article on portable screening technologies, manuscript in review
> Submitted SBIR grant for development of novel retinal cameras from National Science Foundation and NIH for $256k
> Developed HPV plasma DNA assay for head & neck cancer detection in summer between MS1 and MS2, poster presentation
So research is pretty obviously a weak point. No first author publications. I've also been told that my startup work will make me seem greedy, but I just genuinely love building a team and getting funding, and I truly believe that doing it in the private sector accelerates how quickly R&D begins to impact patients.
Really unsure of whether I should do a research year. I don't need to match in the upper echelon like Wills, Bascom Palmer, etc, but I would like to end up at a "good" program, especially Chicago programs like Northwestern, UIC, UChicago because they are closer to home.
What immediate thoughts come to your mind when you see a resume like this, both good and bad?
Am I likely to match with this resume without adding any research?
Really appreciate your help. I fell in love with clinical ophthalmology pretty late, but I'm totally enamored now and am sooo looking forward to residency 🙂
Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
Step 1: 262
Step 2: not yet taken
Work and Service
Co-Founder and Hardware Lead of a Vision Screening Startup:
> Developing hardware+software platform that increases access to comprehensive visual health exams
> Leading development of smallest retinal cameras ever built, along with associated software for auto-alignment, auto-focus, auto-capture
> Responsible for a team of 4 engineers, project lead for contracts worth ~$300k with optical engineering consultants, company valued at $3M based on most recent round of funding. ISMMS Student Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship & Innovation, ISMMS Innovation Award and $40k grant for company
Participating in student-run free clinic for uninsured
> Access-to-Care Team in MS1+2, connecting patients with social services
> Chronic Care Senior in MS3, longitudinally medically managing and coordinating care for 2 complex patients
> Ophthalmology Senior in MS3, seeing patients in ophthalmology clinic
Co-Founder and Clinical Lead of an Oral Health Startup (undergrad to MS2, now dissolved due to pesky insurance regulations)
> Developed hardware+software platform that allows primary care providers to conduct oral health exams, just like dentists
> Raised $300k, completed accelerator in China, initiated clinical trials with premier institutions in India, Bolivia. Top 10 Telemedicine Company @ UCSF Digital Health Awards, Named Global Young Leader in Oral Cancer
Research:
> Contributed to development of a novel perimetry algorithm specific to ptosis, abstract in ARVO, manuscript in review
> Co-author on Nature Eye review article on portable screening technologies, manuscript in review
> Submitted SBIR grant for development of novel retinal cameras from National Science Foundation and NIH for $256k
> Developed HPV plasma DNA assay for head & neck cancer detection in summer between MS1 and MS2, poster presentation
So research is pretty obviously a weak point. No first author publications. I've also been told that my startup work will make me seem greedy, but I just genuinely love building a team and getting funding, and I truly believe that doing it in the private sector accelerates how quickly R&D begins to impact patients.
Really unsure of whether I should do a research year. I don't need to match in the upper echelon like Wills, Bascom Palmer, etc, but I would like to end up at a "good" program, especially Chicago programs like Northwestern, UIC, UChicago because they are closer to home.
What immediate thoughts come to your mind when you see a resume like this, both good and bad?
Am I likely to match with this resume without adding any research?
Really appreciate your help. I fell in love with clinical ophthalmology pretty late, but I'm totally enamored now and am sooo looking forward to residency 🙂
