MS0 Oto Research

[AMedStud]

I am interested in oto and was considering conducting oto research this summer between MS0 and MS1. How did you guys go about finding a good project to work on? I am currently conducting allergy/immunology research, but do not have experience specifically in oto. What types of projects would be applicable given my limited background in oto? Is there anything else that I can do this summer to make myself a better candidate?
Also, is it advantageous to conduct research at one’s own school? Although there is ample oto research in my hometown, I am currently accepted to a med school in a different city. As med school will undoubtedly be time consuming, how feasible is it to work on the project during med school rather than just the summers (as this would be an advantage for conducting research at my med school)? Thank you for your time and help.

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[giganerd1982]

MS0 grasshopper,

so glad to hear that you are interested in OTO. now this may certainly change during your four illustrious years of medical school that that IS fine as research is research.
if i were in your shoes, i would start research at your home school in ENT this summer. e-mail a bunch of the ENT faculty at your school and let them know in which aspects of research you are interested (clinical or basic science). find which project/mentor suits you best and go with it. to work with one/two ENTs over the next 4 years is huge! you will get an excellent LOR and the department will consider you their beloved adopted son. it is definitely possible to do research during all four years of medical school. i did it and now have 4 publications to my name.
the interview process has treated me kindly thus far and i think much of it has to do with my research experience (though not in ENT). you're on the fast track to success. best of luck.

-M4

 

[AMedStud]

Thanks for your response! I am looking forward to this summer and medical school.
How do you guys manage to get so many publications while in medical school? What qualities do you look for in a good ENT research mentor/project? Finally, are extracurricular activities (other than research) important for applying to residency?

 

[Sonnet]

you will get an excellent LOR and the department will consider you their beloved adopted son.

Puhleeze, my friend! 1/3 of ENT applicants are female, as you have undoubtedly seen on the trail, and AMedStud did not specify his or her gender. How can you make this kind of old-boys'-club, secret-deal-on-the-golf-links assumption as though we oto chicas did not exist?

 

[resxn]

Puhleeze, my friend! 1/3 of ENT applicants are female, as you have undoubtedly seen on the trail, and AMedStud did not specify his or her gender. How can you make this kind of old-boys'-club, secret-deal-on-the-golf-links assumption as though we oto chicas did not exist?

Oh I don't know, Sonnet, but we treated all the women in our program (50% to be exact) as "one of the guys." Didn't seem to bother them at all.

I don't think gender really plays much of a role in ENT anymore. Maybe with a few of the old guard and the rare male doofus, but that's it.