MD & DO MS1 Summer research - Harvard Uro unpaid vs. NIH Derm paid

[FishermanDon99]

I am trying to decide on which opportunity to take. I am not entirely sure what field I am interested in yet but I did like the thought of derm early on in med school even though it has been somewhat of a snooze in class. After hearing a lot of good things about Urology I decided that could be a cool endeavor to pursue as well. I ended up getting two really competitive offers but am torn as to which to accept. I don't want to not do the derm research now, then end up actually committing to derm and having to take a year off for research. I also had to ask for some favors to put my applications in the right hands for both and I don't want to piss people off now and then have to go back and ask them for help in 3 years come match time.

What advice would you recommend for a broke/excited/undecided MS1?

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[slowthai]

Having to do the research year won't be because you didn't do derm research in the summer. It'll really depend on what your app looks like come third year. If it's got a paucity of research or your step is below average, then I think a research year would be a necessity at that point.

Also, if the favors you're talking about include letters, you could just save them (if you used interfolio) for if you end up having to do a research year in either field. They ask for letters of recommendation.

I wouldn't worry about pissing them off, that's what they're there for; to get pissed off by students. On a serious note, I highly doubt they'll even care. This decision is about what you want, not them.

But to answer your question, I'd go with derm, only because it's paid.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

Make a poll for SDN to decide. I'd say derm research.

 

[Dr. Doctor MD]

I am trying to decide on which opportunity to take. I am not entirely sure what field I am interested in yet but I did like the thought of derm early on in med school even though it has been somewhat of a snooze in class. After hearing a lot of good things about Urology I decided that could be a cool endeavor to pursue as well. I ended up getting two really competitive offers but am torn as to which to accept. I don't want to not do the derm research now, then end up actually committing to derm and having to take a year off for research. I also had to ask for some favors to put my applications in the right hands for both and I don't want to piss people off now and then have to go back and ask them for help in 3 years come match time.

What advice would you recommend for a broke/excited/undecided MS1?

The truth of the matter is that you really need to know which one you'd actually enjoy. If Derm is a snooze in lectures, you may hate the field because a ton of residency is reading since clinic can only expose you to so much and derm has an absurd breadth of material. That being said, you need to shadow in clinic and see if you like the day to day clinical practice (speed/patient population/clinic flow), because if you fall in love with clinic, you'll be much more likely to grind through the reading. Urology is way different, most of your residency will be spent learning and perfecting your procedural and surgical skills to become highly competent. Both fields are awesome in their own ways, but very very different in day to day practice. You need to determine ASAP what you'd enjoy doing daily for 30-40 years. The summer research in Uro or Derm will set you up for success in each respective field and give you a leg up on getting early research and exposure.

So my advice to you is to forget about the pay difference and try to rapidly determine which field you would enjoy the daily grind in (via shadowing). If you don't have time to figure this out and have to make the decision now and don't have a clear preference, then I would chose derm because 1. You will get some pay and 2. Derm is much more research heavy than urology. If all else is equal go with the paid derm research, but hopefully you can figure out which path is a better fit for you before committing to research.

 

[LoGo]

Derm. It’s more competitive, more research emphasis for matching and you get paid. No brainer (as long as you somewhat like derm).

 

[FishermanDon99]

Thank you all for the insight! Any thoughts on which to choose if I ultimately decide to pursue plastics? My school does not have a program or strong ties so I am not sure how real my chances are in the first place, but If I have the step score in a year plus this strong research I would definitely consider it. On the one hand Uro is surgical, but the derm position has slightly more prestige and has the whole aesthetics and quality of life dynamic.

 

[slowthai]

Thank you all for the insight! Any thoughts on which to choose if I ultimately decide to pursue plastics? My school does not have a program or strong ties so I am not sure how real my chances are in the first place, but If I have the step score in a year plus this strong research I would definitely consider it. On the one hand Uro is surgical, but the derm position has slightly more prestige and has the whole aesthetics and quality of life dynamic.

Derm. Easily. There's a significant amount of overlap in certain areas. I'm sure people that have been gunning for one switch to the other pretty often.

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Thank you all for the insight! Any thoughts on which to choose if I ultimately decide to pursue plastics? My school does not have a program or strong ties so I am not sure how real my chances are in the first place, but If I have the step score in a year plus this strong research I would definitely consider it. On the one hand Uro is surgical, but the derm position has slightly more prestige and has the whole aesthetics and quality of life dynamic.

Derm. There's overlap in reasons to call a dermatologist and plastic surgeon. When I'm in the ER and have a laceration in a tenuous location, the two I think of calling are Derm and Plastics.

Also, get that bread while the bread is there to be gotten

David D MD - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[Mass Effect]

These are two vastly different fields. What exactly is it you like about them, specifically derm since you said it was a snooze in class? Is it the money and prestige? The competitiveness of it?

 

[FishermanDon99]

I like that you can see people of all ages and that you get to do some procedures and can even have long-term contact with some patients. Seeing the same conditions (SCC, BCC, eczema, fungal rash, acne) over and over with the rare exception seems a bit monotonous. LIfestyle is important too.

Uro department at my school is exceptional. Anatomy and what little exposure I have to surgery are very interesting. Being able to definitively say I "fixed your XYZ" rather than "let's try this and see what happens" is another pro. Prospects of doing a grueling gen-surg residency not as appealing. Life style is again important.