Published yet?

[Tweetie_bird]

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so here's a teaser....
if you have done clinical research, and been published a few times, how much do the publications really count (assuming you are a co-author)? I am not sure if I wanna do mostly research after residency, or if I wanna stick with clinical...although right now, academic medicine sounds quite tempting. I just don't know yet, where I wanna go with my MD licence eventually.

Question is--with a "semi average" GPA from a pretty good school; and hopefully an AVERAGE MCAT, would stuff like publishing papers really get your foot into the door..and hopefully INTO a med school? whaddya say?

Tweetie

 

[vyc]

i have one paper and two abstracts published.
i'm not sure how much that's helping me but i like to think it's a good thing.

i'm not applying for MD/PhD programs but still a lot of interviewers ask me about my research.

do research and try to get published if it's something you enjoy, whether or not you'll actually decide to go into academic medicine later on. but don't do it with the sole intention of impressing the ad coms.

 

[mma]

I think my research has definitely helped get my foot in the door. Interviewers always write down the name of the journals I have published in--I assume they put in their letter of eval to the adcom.

It is definitely valuable to start doing some research pre-med school--it gives you some idea of what you like and helps you be able to read medical literature more critically.

mma

 

[Tweetie_bird]

yeap, that's exactly what i was thinking.
When I originally joined each team I have been published with, I did it with the sole intentions of ENJOYING what I did. The publications each time came out of sheer luck...each of the PI's loved me and wanted to help my career.

I just don't want to sound like a hypocrite when I go to interviews and tell them "I like clinical medicine" when I have a pile of research papers published. I have been told before, that I should do MD/Phd...but I hardly see them have time to do patient work, which is more so what I am leaning towards.

Another quick question--if you have submitted your paper, and it's not yet published, should you still notate it on your application? How about if the paper didn't get published, but it did make it to a national conference?

Thank you for your replies!
Tweetie

 

[Ciardeme]

I hope it helps, i am the co-author of 7 journal articles, 3 abstracts and 2 poster presentations. Too bad that won't sway the Ad comm from looking past my 22 on the MCAT! 🙄

 

[rajneel1]

publishing is all about luck. it is good however. you don't need a PhD to do research or to assist in research.

 

[brandonite]

I've got two summers and three terms of research, and have yet to be published. So, you're well ahead of me! 😀 Most of my works have been done with a lot of collaborators, so my PI couldn't just add me to the paper without getting the approval of a ton of people...

Anyway, I think it would help, but it would depend a lot on the type of school you are applying to. If you are applying to a school with a primary care focus, then it probably doesn't matter. But to a top research school, it's almost a must (research, not publications, that is).

And, I'm a research-oriented kinda guy, who's just applying MD, for now. MD's do a lot of research, which will be emphasized if you go to a research school. MSTP is more for those who want to incorporate the basic science into medicine. So, you're not alone in applying MD, even though you're interested in research! I couldn't see myself going through medical school, and then not even getting to see patients... 😀

 

[MacGyver]

Originally posted by brandonite:
•MD's do a lot of research, which will be emphasized if you go to a research school. MSTP is more for those who want to incorporate the basic science into medicine. So, you're not alone in applying MD, even though you're interested in research! I couldn't see myself going through medical school, and then not even getting to see patients... 😀 •••

Just because you go the MSTP route does NOT mean you wont be able to see patients if you want to. Surely you wont be able to do a 50/50 split but it IS possible to do basic science research (which as you suggested the MSTP is largely suited for) and also treat patients.

 

[warpath]

I seem to be the only one who has no research experience. I hope that doesn't count against me. My research experience is zilch! 😀

 

[mma]

Tweetie_bird,

If you have not yet been published, but are in pre-publication, I would mention it in the extra-currics section of AMCAS and discuss it in detail in interviews (good answer for, "Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about yourself?"). Same goes for conference presentations. (Both would go on a professional CV, so both can go in your application.)

Also, about the clinical medicine thing--the Dean of Admissions at Tufts told us a story about an applicant who had published a great deal in microbiology. At her interview, she discussed her burning interest in primary care and clinical medicine. She as rejected because they thought she was lying. (She had a PhD in micro and had never had any volunteer or patient experience.) Now, I am not saying that you should not discuss your interest, if genuine, in clinical medicine during interviews, but I don't think I would highlight it. (Unless, of course, you frame it in a discussion of research in general. For example: "I like clinical medicine." "Oh, yeah, well, none of your research is clinical..." "Yes, it is not. But, while doing bench work, I found that my research and I would benefit greatly from seeing the applications and applicability of what I have studied. This has led me to want to pursue clinical medicine instead of bench work. Thank you.")

Either way, research is good.

Good luck!

mma 😀

 

[brickmanli]

I co-authored two papers, including one in high school. Didn't do S for me, no acceptances yet.

I don't think research and publications will give you the extra push into med school, unless it's in Science or Nature. What does counting yeast cells have to do with patient care? Of course, there's the challenge, but I could go climb a mountain or something.

My suggestion is, as a premed, do health-related volunteer work and clinical research (like trials and stuff). If you love biological research, perhaps you should be considering getting a PhD.