papers - how much do they help?

[bosky]

When applying for radiology resisdency programs, how much do papers help?

Is authorship order recognized? Do people recognize the quantum difference between first author and the rest?

What journals have the most pull? What would be your top 5 or top ten list?

What about abstracts and presentations at meetings? international meetings?

Thanks.

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[bat21]

Research helps if you are amarginal candidate or trying to get into the top tier. The coveted journals are Radiology and AJR. I doesn't matter what order your name is listed in term of authorship. It is very helpful however, if you get to know these professors who can write a detailed reference letters for you.

 

[bosky]

That's kind of depressing to think that authorship order doesn't matter. In my experience, the difference between first author and "other" is immense. First authors do all the experiments, write the paper and deal with the referees.

If I was an interviewer (which I'm not) I would be very skeptical of middle authors. Sometimes they actually contribute, other times they just played the game well or happened to be in the right place at the right time....

Re: your comments - can a recommendation be worth much if it's written by a well-respected PhD in the research field (aka your senior author)?

I like AJR and Radiology, but what about other more basic science journals such as MRM?

 

[lrg]

Research is a big help at any of the university departments where faculty are involved in research themselves. The journal you've published in is much less important than what # you are in the author list (meaning are you first author or not first author).

Journal quality is important when you're applying for faculty positions because people use it as an indication of the quality of your research and therefore the likelihood that you will bring in grants and money to the department. As a residency applicant, it is not nearly as relevant because they recognize that you were working on some faculty member's project. What is important is that you were first author because that shows that you were the one who both helped design the project and did the majority of the grunt work - something they are looking for in a resident.