Not Interested In Research...Will I Be Limited?

[Dr JPH]

I have never been interested in research. I didn't do any during my undergrad and I am not really planning to do any while at PCOM.

Will this limit me when it comes to certain residencies?

At this point in time I am not sure what I want to do, possibly Emergency Medicine, but that could quite possibly change.

Should I maybe look for research, either lab or clinical?

Comments?

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[bigfrank]

Hi, as I understand the current opinion and practice regarding research as a means to attaining certain residency positions...

For EM, it is not considered to be necessary to attain a spot; however for other-different fields such as Ophtho, Ortho, Derm, etc., participation in research becomes more and more important.

This is presumably for a few reasons: it rounds out your application (hopefully setting you apart from and above the rest) and it portrays to the PDs that you have a sincere interest in the field.

But, as always, research cannot make up for poor clinical grades, Step I/II, etc.

Hope this helps. Best wishes.

 

[Amy]

So, you're saying that residency programs are looking for applicants who've done research? How are we supposed to get research experience during med school?? There's free time between first & second year, but other than that, we're kinda too busy with SCHOOL to get significant research experience! Please enlighten me...

 

[Mindy]

Amy: Research is quite easy to be had in medical school. My advise, however, is not necessarily to spend a great deal of time doing bench research. Rather publish a case report in the field you are interested. It gets you a publication, shows interest in your field, and "rounds out" your application without being a ton of work.

Spend time looking through the journals of the field you are interested in and see how case reports are handled. Ask attendings if they know of a case they think is worthy of writing up. Find pertinent literature about the case "subject" and write a paper in accordance to the journal's writer's guidelines (found in the journals themselves or on-line). Literally you can do one in less than 2 weeks.

Mindy

 

[zpdoc]

Amy,
Hi, I am doing one of the NIH research fellowships mentioned in the above post (between 2nd and 3rd yr.). It's an extra year added on to the grand total, but if you enjoy research at all, it's a great program because you are basically free to choose which lab you want to work with, from over a thousand highly respected researchers who work at the NIH. Here is a link to more info if you're interested:

<a href="http://www.hhmi.org/research/cloister" target="_blank">www.hhmi.org/research/cloister</a>

If you have any other questions about the program, just let me know.

 

[abram]

I have taken a year off between college and medical school to do research (rheumatology). Will this be useful when I apply for residency four years from now?

 

[bold and beautiful]

Does any one know about any research program taking FMGs who have done one year of internship ( residency)

 

[guavero]

What kind of research will help into? Clinical or basic science?

El Tico

 

[abram]

does anyone have answers to questions on this thread?

 

[energy_girl]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Mindy:
•Amy: Research is quite easy to be had in medical school. My advise, however, is not necessarily to spend a great deal of time doing bench research. Rather publish a case report in the field you are interested. It gets you a publication, shows interest in your field, and "rounds out" your application without being a ton of work.

Spend time looking through the journals of the field you are interested in and see how case reports are handled. Ask attendings if they know of a case they think is worthy of writing up. Find pertinent literature about the case "subject" and write a paper in accordance to the journal's writer's guidelines (found in the journals themselves or on-line). Literally you can do one in less than 2 weeks.

Mindy•••••Is it really that easy??? How do you go about finding attendings? I'm a rising second-year, and as an MSTP student, I have been doing basic science research for five years without a publication (lots of bad luck). I would love to be involved in some clinical work, and would love to write up some clinical cases. But how do you go about approaching attendings for this??? And would journals really accept a case study that easily? I've had so much trouble trying to publish that I can't imagine it to be so easy!

 

[guavero]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by energy_girl:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by Mindy:
•Amy: Research is quite easy to be had in medical school. My advise, however, is not necessarily to spend a great deal of time doing bench research. Rather publish a case report in the field you are interested. It gets you a publication, shows interest in your field, and "rounds out" your application without being a ton of work.

Spend time looking through the journals of the field you are interested in and see how case reports are handled. Ask attendings if they know of a case they think is worthy of writing up. Find pertinent literature about the case "subject" and write a paper in accordance to the journal's writer's guidelines (found in the journals themselves or on-line). Literally you can do one in less than 2 weeks.

Mindy•••••Is it really that easy??? How do you go about finding attendings? I'm a rising second-year, and as an MSTP student, I have been doing basic science research for five years without a publication (lots of bad luck). I would love to be involved in some clinical work, and would love to write up some clinical cases. But how do you go about approaching attendings for this??? And would journals really accept a case study that easily? I've had so much trouble trying to publish that I can't imagine it to be so easy!•••••Hey Don't give up, I'm kinda of curious what kind of basic science research have you been doing for the past five years? I have also been working on basic science (microbiology) for the past 3 years. Publishing is hard, but especially hard if you send them to good journals... maybe you can try some other journals...

El tico

 

[Mindy]

Energy girl:

Yup, it's really that easy. Many attendings (particularly ones that publish anyway) typically have dozens of cases they'd "love to write up if they had the time." I have two publications (which are combination of case series and bench research) in press right now, and a third in review. I have been working on them for ~1 1/2 years...but the actually dedicated work only took a few months...even presented one of them in Cambridge UK. I'm first author on all 3.

How? I knew I wanted to publish so I found a pathologist (my field of interest) who was actively publishing. (Has a good name in the field, published &gt;100 articles himself.) He had some project ditzels that "love to write up, but...blah blah blah." So I took them over, wrote them up, sent them off, cried when I got them back with the standard "we'll publish 'em but we hate everything about them so re-write them entirely", rewrote them, now they are in press.

My "research" background: Art school prior to med school. I think ambition is key. Pick a field first. Then figure out which attendings are into research. Track down the type of papers they publish on medline. E-mail them your interest in pursuing a managable small publishable project, inquire about authorship (so many I know have been screwed.)

I feel its our responsibility to further medical science, even if we aren't predominantly researchers...share your knowledge!

Mindy

 

[energy_girl]

Mindy and others,

That was really helpful and encouraging advice! I am definitely interested in keeping some clinical connection during my research years, so I think getting some exposure to the clinical staff will be helpful for additional experience as well as publishing. My only concern would be whether attendings would like a preclinical student contacting them. Should I just go ahead and start writing emails to all sorts of attendings?

Thanks again!