Publications with the help of a parent?

[TamaleShroveDoc]

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My father is in medicine and he does lots of research and gets lots of publications. I've joined him on a few projects and now have 2 publications. Obviously, these can't hurt my application, but I'm wondering if med schools will discount them somewhat because my father's name is right next to mine in the citation. Do you think these publications hold as much weight as ones done with a professor or some other non-family member?

 

[gyngyn]

What do you think?

 

[stems]

My father is in medicine and he does lots of research and gets lots of publications. I've joined him on a few projects and now have 2 publications. Obviously, these can't hurt my application, but I'm wondering if med schools will discount them somewhat because my father's name is right next to mine in the citation. Do you think these publications hold as much weight as ones done with a professor or some other non-family member?

OfCourse they will. I certainly would.

 

[osprey099]

A publication is a publication.

 

[thefritz]

My father is in medicine and he does lots of research and gets lots of publications. I've joined him on a few projects and now have 2 publications. Obviously, these can't hurt my application, but I'm wondering if med schools will discount them somewhat because my father's name is right next to mine in the citation. Do you think these publications hold as much weight as ones done with a professor or some other non-family member?

I would think that your father would be more willing to put your name on a paper for doing nothing than an unrelated professor would. Maybe I'm the only one.

And who has publications for med school admissions? That's a residency requirement, and only for a couple. med school admissions is 95% gpa and mcat and 5% interview skills/common sense. If anything it makes you look like a gunner trying to resume build. If you decide to list them, I would not mention it anywhere else in your app. It will be awkward enough when they ask you about it in the interview and you have to admit you dad was the lead author. So, your dad wants you to go to med school, huh...
Not a path you want to go down during an interview.

 

[stems]

A publication is a publication.

Not true, a publication is not a publication. A publication in Nature is not the same as a publication in the Journal of Podunk Science. A publication with a fathers name next to yours makes it seem like good old daddy helped you get a publication without you doing the same extent of work as someone whose father wasn't adding his kid on his publications.

 

[music2doc]

I would think that your father would be more willing to put your name on a paper for doing nothing than an unrelated professor would. Maybe I'm the only one.

And who has publications for med school admissions? That's a residency requirement, and only for a couple. med school admissions is 95% gpa and mcat and 5% interview skills/common sense.

I would echo this. That said, they are still pubs and look good regardless (just a bit more dubious perhaps).

 

[TamaleShroveDoc]

What do you think?

Well, from my standpoint I believe they are less impressive. Anyone in my situation could have done them pretty much. My dad took care of most of the work, and it was more of a learning process for me. That said, med schools might view them differently than me, IDK

 

[stems]

I would echo this. That said, they are still pubs and look good regardless (just a bit more dubious perhaps).

I would disagree, it may actually look bad.

 

[TamaleShroveDoc]

Not true, a publication is not a publication. A publication in Nature is not the same as a publication in the Journal of Podunk Science. A publication with a fathers name next to yours makes it seem like good old daddy helped you get a publication without you doing the same extent of work as someone whose father wasn't adding his kid on his publications.

Yea, thats what I'm worried about

 

[gyngyn]

Well, from my standpoint I believe they are less impressive. Anyone in my situation could have done them pretty much. My dad took care of most of the work, and it was more of a learning process for me. That said, med schools might view them differently than me, IDK

You have enjoyed a benefit of privilege. It will be considered in this light.

 

[SN12357]

My father is in medicine and he does lots of research and gets lots of publications. I've joined him on a few projects and now have 2 publications. Obviously, these can't hurt my application, but I'm wondering if med schools will discount them somewhat because my father's name is right next to mine in the citation. Do you think these publications hold as much weight as ones done with a professor or some other non-family member?

Why didn't your dad pull strings to get you into someone else's lab? I've certainly seen that enough. The most severe nepotism I've seen everyone involved still understood the importance of maintaining at least a shell of credibility.

I honestly have no idea how adcoms will view this (or if they'll notice it) but I sure hope it's not considered the same as pubs obtained in other contexts.

 

[TamaleShroveDoc]

Why didn't your dad pull strings to get you into someone else's lab? I've certainly seen that enough. The most severe nepotism I've seen everyone involved still understood the importance of maintaining at least a shell of credibility.

I honestly have no idea how adcoms will view this (or if they'll notice it) but I sure hope it's not considered the same as pubs obtained in other contexts.

Its definitely still credible. I put in a substantial amount of work and attended several meetings with him and other medical students who were also involved. I was a legitimate part of the team, and its not like my father just listed my name. It didn't involve lab work, it was an analytical editorial published in a journal.

 

[SN12357]

Its definitely still credible. I put in a substantial amount of work and attended several meetings with him and other medical students who were also involved. I was a legitimate part of the team, and its not like my father just listed my name. It didn't involve lab work, it was an analytical editorial published in a journal.

But it doesn't *look* credible, is my point.

 

[BLACKMD]

Sucks being overqualified and privileged sometimes. Can't you work with someone else so you don't have this problem?

 

[Donald Juan]

Its definitely still credible. I put in a substantial amount of work and attended several meetings with him and other medical students who were also involved. I was a legitimate part of the team, and its not like my father just listed my name. It didn't involve lab work, it was an analytical editorial published in a journal.

Don't worry. Lots of people get publications for doing BS work and adcoms know this. The only difference is they will definitely know that yours in particular were BS. It's still a publication. It's not like every other student with a publication walked into their PIs office on the first day and laid out their idea for a large scale research project that they came up with independently.

If your question is: should you list them/not list them on your app? Definitely list them.

If your question is: should you make sure you can talk about them if asked in an interview? Definitely (that goes for anybody else with any publication).

 

[Samir Desai]

If you've been involved in a research project (whether or not it leads to publication), be ready to discuss your involvement in a medical school interview. I know this sounds obvious but I can give you many examples of interviewees that were unable to discuss their participation in a meaningful way.

I even recall an applicant who was published, and had documented her publication in the AMCAS application. When I asked her what journal it was published in, she couldn't remember its name.

In your case, you can expect to be asked about your research. You should be prepared to answer how you came to be involved in it, what you did, why you did it, and what you learned. What skills or qualities did you develop through the experience? What were your roles and responsibilities? If you can speak about it in depth, then you will go a long way in addressing any concerns the interviewer may have about you and your father being coauthors.

 

[gumdrops]

But it doesn't *look* credible, is my point.

Yeah, one pre-med I knew got a reasonably interesting publication out of high school with her mother as senior author. They had different last names but alas, she didn't anticipate having to put her mother's name and profession on her primaries. 😉 To cut the story short, she ended up getting into medical school on her second try and all was fine at the end.

I know that she had used this publication to win multiple competitions and gain acceptance to a very prestigious undergrad but it just didn't cut it by the time she applied for medical school. Adcoms notice this stuff, especially at the research-oriented schools and in this day and age where every other person has spent time in a research lab. She ended up at her state school. Once again, it was a good enough school but nowhere near the caliber she was expecting.

Another friend's dad very smartly put him in his collaborator's lab. He worked hard, got a Nature publication as a first author and was admitted to virtually every MSTP he applied to. He was a great researcher though so I have no problem with his acceptances. I love the quote above about how nepotism should be at least conducted intelligently. Your publication will just be one more entry rather than a real asset to your application. I'm very sorry to be so negative but you should have considered all of this before taking the easy way out.

 

[gumdrops]

Honestly, this is all pretty sad. I feel as if this thread should be stickied as a cautionary tale. If this person had earned their way into a lab, the recommendation letter or abstracts would have a) been credible b) been far more meaningful than any publication out of a parent's lab. I hope people consider this stuff when planning activities to help them get into medical school.

 

[Strudel19]

It's really just a bonus. Most people applying don't have publications. Yes, a publication is a publication. But it's your Dad. It's kind of like getting a LOR from your Dad.

 

[Goro]

Concur strongly with my learned colleague. I've seen many rejectees think just because they listed a publication, or even mention lab research as an EC, that it would magically slide them into an acceptance. When pressed on whatt hey did, they're clueless.

No Nature/Cell/Science paper will get you into medical school.

Any AdCom member will look at your paper in the same light as a relative writing you a LOR.

If you've been involved in a research project (whether or not it leads to publication), be ready to discuss your involvement in a medical school interview. I know this sounds obvious but I can give you many examples of interviewees that were unable to discuss their participation in a meaningful way.

I even recall an applicant who was published, and had documented her publication in the AMCAS application. When I asked her what journal it was published in, she couldn't remember its name.

In your case, you can expect to be asked about your research. You should be prepared to answer how you came to be involved in it, what you did, why you did it, and what you learned. What skills or qualities did you develop through the experience? What were your roles and responsibilities? If you can speak about it in depth, then you will go a long way in addressing any concerns the interviewer may have about you and your father being coauthors.