Question about research and matching

[ms1finally]

So, I'm just a first year medical student. I really think that I would like to go into EM eventually, but I know that's a long way off and I will probably change my mind a million times between now and then. In the mean time I have the opportunity to do research this summer. For some reason the thought of doing EM research just doesn't appeal to me, though. I'd really like to pursue psychiatry research this summer. Obviously no one will ever know that I had the opportunity to do EM research and didn't take it, but would having some EM research on my resume as opposed to some other field make me THAT much better a candidate? I anticipate having a pretty average academic record through med school.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[skhichi]

So, I'm just a first year medical student. I really think that I would like to go into EM eventually, but I know that's a long way off and I will probably change my mind a million times between now and then. In the mean time I have the opportunity to do research this summer. For some reason the thought of doing EM research just doesn't appeal to me, though. I'd really like to pursue psychiatry research this summer. Obviously no one will ever know that I had the opportunity to do EM research and didn't take it, but would having some EM research on my resume as opposed to some other field make me THAT much better a candidate? I anticipate having a pretty average academic record through med school.

Yeah, i'm a first year as well. I was wondering how important research is in landing a decent EM residency (not talking about Harvard), but maybe Emory or UAB. Also, does it really matter if the research is not directly related to the ER.

 

[bulgethetwine]

Yeah, i'm a first year as well. I was wondering how important research is in landing a decent EM residency (not talking about Harvard), but maybe Emory or UAB. Also, does it really matter if the research is not directly related to the ER.

A few notes:

1. Research, even for those programs who place a premium on it -- it's not important WHAT you did, so much as you demonstrated the commitment to seeing it done. Interested in psych? Take the psych position. That's a no brainer. Even people who are holders of a big 'research card' don't necessarily have research that is officially tagged "EM" research. I have a colleage who has a PH.D in biology. It's not directly applicable to ANY medical specialty (well, maybe medical genetics) but the fact she had demonstrated such a commitment stood her well when matching a residency.

2. You will find as you use this board over the coming weeks/months/years that there is, with maybe one exception, no such thing as a distinction between "decent" residencies and "not decent" residencies -- I won't bore you with the details (it is easily researched through multiple time-honored threads here) but if you gave even your fictional list of Emory, Harvard, and UAB to 100 residents across the country and asked the list to be returned to you in order of preference (based on whatever metric you like -- competitiveness, quality, desireability, etc) you would likely end up with a result equally proportioned between all permutations of such a fictional list. In short, it is a by-product of tight regulations by the residency review committee in the country that all programs are kept up to scratch which affords us the luxury of being able to put more emphasis on, perhaps, other intangible factors (like geography, personality of the other residents, price of house, strength of school football team, etc ) when it comes to choosing. This is different than other specialties where such a large gap between "desireable" and "non-desireable" residencies exists (e.g. internal medicine with greater than 500 programs across the nation)

In summary, do the research in whatever field tickles your fancy. Or don't. There is nothing wrong with taking the summer off to do nothing (or at least something completely outside of medicine) between 1st and 2nd year. It doesn't doom your changes to success in the match.

 

[ms1finally]

Great . That's kinda what I was thinking. Thanks much!

 

[trkd]

I was wondering how important research is in landing a decent EM residency (not talking about Harvard), but maybe Emory or UAB.

Harvard is so far from the top of places I would choose. Don't get me wrong, I am sure it is a lovely program. But I would much rather be soaking it up in San Diego or some other place that has been blessed by mother nature.