power of research

[anotherhopeful]

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hi all,

i know rad onc is ridiculously competitive, but i also know that research plays a big role in the field and is, hence, looked upon highly. i was curious tho...say you have a 229 with mostly/all Ps your clinical year...but with a couple abstracts in the field, do you stand a chance in this field? or would you need something on the level of a phd to make yourself a valid contender?

thanks!

 

[stephew]

please see faq and prior threads on this. The short answer is no. you dont need a phd.

 

[BraggPeak]

Now that the match is over, I think people can give you better advice. Just from people that I met on the interview trail, most candidates had a good amount of research. There were supposedly 36 candidates with PhD's applying and there were also several MDs who did a research year. Just from memory, I remember meeting at least-- 2 student who did the Doris Duke program, 2 students who did the Howard Hughes Research program, and I think 4 who did the NIH Clinical Research Training Program, and based on the who's who it looks like all matched well! So if you have below avg rad onc board scores, you will need something to beef up your application, but don't get a PhD. Committment to the field means a lot. Good luck.

 

[Pewl]

Now that the match is over, I think people can give you better advice. Just from people that I met on the interview trail, most candidates had a good amount of research. There were supposedly 36 candidates with PhD's applying and there were also several MDs who did a research year. Just from memory, I remember meeting at least-- 2 student who did the Doris Duke program, 2 students who did the Howard Hughes Research program, and I think 4 who did the NIH Clinical Research Training Program, and based on the who's who it looks like all matched well! So if you have below avg rad onc board scores, you will need something to beef up your application, but don't get a PhD. Committment to the field means a lot. Good luck.

That sounds like sage advice. I looked at the "Charting Outcomes" pdf a while back and I noticed approximately 20% of applicants have PhD's. Strangely enough, only 7 other applicants had "other degree." I was wondering if you came across any applicants with an M.S. in Biomedical Physics or Radiation Therapy physics or someone that was a rad onc physicist. I feel like a bird without a mate! 😕