Psychiatry research question

[drsara23]

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Hello!
So I recently got accepted into an Ivy league for a Masters degree in clinical research and one of the mandatory requirements is a mentored research project. Since my research interest is in psychiatry, I was offered two potential research projects to work on, 1. psychiatric neuroimaging and 2. the genetic basis of psychiatric disorders. Therefore, I'm in a dilemma as to which research project should I go for since I have to pick one and also submit a thesis before I graduate. Advise/suggestions please?

 

[hamstergang]

Advise/suggestions please?

Pick the one you like more?

 

[notdeadyet]

Ditto hamstergang.

The two areas you mention are two of the most common areas of psych research right now. You'd be fine with either.

 

[phonyreal98]

Are there any specific skills that you are looking to obtain from this experience?

 

[WisNeuro]

Oh, pick the neuroimaging one! It will teach you all about data mining and how inadequate statistical methods can lead to publishable results!

 

[Amygdarya]

Oh, pick the neuroimaging one! It will teach you all about data mining and how inadequate statistical methods can lead to publishable results!

I agree with your point, though to be sure there is plenty of data mining and inadequate statistical methods to be learned in studying genetic basis of psychiatric disease, especially if you do that with GWAS and such.

I chose to do neuroimaging-based psychiatry research because I like pretty pictures.

 

[WisNeuro]

I agree with your point, though to be sure there is plenty of data mining and inadequate statistical methods to be learned in studying genetic basis of psychiatric disease, especially if you do that with GWAS and such.

I chose to do neuroimaging-based psychiatry research because I like pretty pictures.

Oh, I know. I was mostly being facetious. I spent 2 years doing neuroimaging work, so I have the bias of knowing the many shortfalls and seeing the shoddy work that gets published. I did mostly fMRI and fear conditioning stuff.

 

[phonyreal98]

Oh, I know. I was mostly being facetious. I spent 2 years doing neuroimaging work, so I have the bias of knowing the many shortfalls and seeing the shoddy work that gets published. Mostly fMRI and fear conditioning stuff.

Haha @WisNeuro and @Amygdarya yall two are cracking me up!

 

[WisNeuro]

I chose to do neuroimaging-based psychiatry research because I like pretty pictures.

Dat DTI tho!

 

[Amygdarya]

Oh, I know. I was mostly being facetious. I spent 2 years doing neuroimaging work, so I have the bias of knowing the many shortfalls and seeing the shoddy work that gets published. I did mostly fMRI and fear conditioning stuff.

Yep, I spent enough time in research to become thoroughly disillusioned and bitter about it, too (which is one of the reasons I decided to go into medicine - at least physicians do something useful every once in a while), and yet somehow I couldn't help getting involved in research in medical school. As my research mentor told me after finding out I was going to medical school, you can take the girl out of research but you can't take research out of the girl.

Seriously though, I'd like to do outcomes research to see what works and what doesn't for psychiatric patients, which may actually be clinically useful, but it's not really feasible to start a decent outcomes project as a medical student. Maybe when I grow up.

Dat DTI tho!

Haha yes.

Oh, and to the OP: @drsara23 just as was already suggested, do what sounds more interesting to you and/or which research mentor/team you like more.