Must I do research in medical school?

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I've been told to not do research for the sake of doing it, but to find some sort of project that you are already passionate about and pursuing that.

If you're going into a non-super competitive non-research heavy specialty, then sure.

If you're going for ophtho/ortho/NSG/derm/rad onc/surgical subspecialty or really anything else considered competitive (either by specialty or by rotation) then no.
 
I've been told to not do research for the sake of doing it, but to find some sort of project that you are already passionate about and pursuing that.

Probably depends on your school. If your school has tons of researchers in your field of interest (and that field is the one you think you'll apply to ) then it might be possible to find a research project that really interests you. If the department is small then so whatever is available.
 
OP - Have you referred to Charting Outcomes for the Match 2011 in helping you plan out your research-related goals? Page 15 and 16 may be helpful to you and your fellow classmates.

http://www.nrmp.org/data/chartingoutcomes2011.pdf

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Research / Presentations / Publications can be overwhelming to the inexperienced, but it does not have to be as time consuming as some people make it.
Research experiences can range from Case Reports and work on Clinical Trials, to even an assessment of health-related surveys on local perceptions to access and quality of care.
Publications can also come from a variety of modalities as well - there are quite a few potential strategies at getting published - Some journals have a "guess this picture" section where you may be able to find something interesting to submit and write about. My friend in med school published a writeup of Frederic Foley (Foley catheters), and this was very advantageous to him on the interview trail for urology.

However, my understanding regarding research and publications is that words don't carry any weight, but publications and accepted submissions do.
 
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