Please help!!--Quick Advice for MS3

[wonderboy00]

Hi guys,
I'm a 3rd year right now and I was planning on taking a year off between my third and fourth years to do derm research at a relatively big-name institution. I am very excited about this experience, but the only qualm I have though is that the research is composed strictly of clinical trials and case reports, versus more traditional basic science research. I was just wondering if the derm academicians (i.e chairmans of programs) view clinical trials as being inferior and less "academic" to basic science research. The only reason I bring this up is that the chairman at our school's ENT dept. feels that clinical research is nowhere up to par with basic science research, and he advised against me doing this year of clinical research...please let me know if you guys know whether the derm community has the same outlook...any insight would be very much appreciated. thanks so much!

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[Palintology]

Hi guys,
I'm a 3rd year right now and I was planning on taking a year off between my third and fourth years to do derm research at a relatively big-name institution. I am very excited about this experience, but the only qualm I have though is that the research is composed strictly of clinical trials and case reports, versus more traditional basic science research. I was just wondering if the derm academicians (i.e chairmans of programs) view clinical trials as being inferior and less "academic" to basic science research. The only reason I bring this up is that the chairman at our school's ENT dept. feels that clinical research is nowhere up to par with basic science research, and he advised against me doing this year of clinical research...please let me know if you guys know whether the derm community has the same outlook...any insight would be very much appreciated. thanks so much!

You'll certainly find programs that put an emphasis on basic science research and view clinical research less favorably. However, I would say this is a small minority of programs and that the opposite is true as well in that some places that are more clinically oriented won't look carefully at applicants that have lots of basic science research. I did a year of (non-derm) basic science research and was able to carve out a couple derm-related clinical projects on the side... My advice would be to do whatever you find more satisfying or could see yourself doing long term. Also, recognize that all the research in the world isn't going to get you interviews if your grades or board scores are subpar.

 

[wonderboy00]

thanks for the insight!
i did some basic science research between my 1st and 2nd years, and I definitely think that I would enjoy clinical research a lot more. But you're right, it is definitely hard to gauge the impact factor of clinical vs. basic science research in general. For those of you who primarily have clinical research, do you mind telling me the interviewers' outlook on this part of your application (i.e was he impressed? unimpressed?)
thanks again guys!

 

[wonderboy00]

Also, recognize that all the research in the world isn't going to get you interviews if your grades or board scores are subpar.

hehe yea i've heard that quite a few times now (stupid uber-competitive derm!)...thankfully though, i've done really well in my first two years and got a solid 250 on the boards....i'd just like to be involved in more research to help establish myself as an academician.