Questions about Research in medical school.

[seelee]

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I am an M1 (starting this fall), and I am toying with the idea of Ortho as a specialty.

I keep hearing about the importance of research experience.

In undergrad I spent two years doing thermodynamic research, and I will have about 4 papers under my belt (one, maybe two as first author).

My questions are as follows:
1.) Does UG research have any bearing for residency?
2.) When is it possible to do research during medical school, do you have to take a year off?
3.) How much research is enough? Do you have to publish, or just make a significant contribution?
4.) Anything else that is pertinent.

Thanks.

 

[DHT]

I am an M1 (starting this fall), and I am toying with the idea of Ortho as a specialty.

I keep hearing about the importance of research experience.

In undergrad I spent two years doing thermodynamic research, and I will have about 4 papers under my belt (one, maybe two as first author).

My questions are as follows:
1.) Does UG research have any bearing for residency?
2.) When is it possible to do research during medical school, do you have to take a year off?
3.) How much research is enough? Do you have to publish, or just make a significant contribution?
4.) Anything else that is pertinent.

Thanks.

1. All research has bearing on residency. Doing research in UG shows an early interest and dedication to research thus legitimizing your claims to want to continue it - plus gives you some early peer reviewed publications (I'm sure you will see it takes FOREVER to get a pub into print even when the manuscript is done). However doing some kind of research in med school is more important than the UG, but it all helps.
2. Don't take a year off unless you REALLY want to. There is time to do research in the summer between M1/M2 and then during more relaxed rotations in M3 (psych, family med, ect..)
3. Just do what you can. PDs just want to see that you are interested in research, are capable of understanding the thought process behind it, and following through with a project.
4. Stay away from Basic science research in med school. Chances are you won't get anything published with the time you have. Try to work with MDs that may be able to write you a letter one day.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

1. All research has bearing on residency. Doing research in UG shows an early interest and dedication to research thus legitimizing your claims to want to continue it - plus gives you some early peer reviewed publications (I'm sure you will see it takes FOREVER to get a pub into print even when the manuscript is done). However doing some kind of research in med school is more important than the UG, but it all helps.
2. Don't take a year off unless you REALLY want to. There is time to do research in the summer between M1/M2 and then during more relaxed rotations in M3 (psych, family med, ect..)
3. Just do what you can. PDs just want to see that you are interested in research, are capable of understanding the thought process behind it, and following through with a project.
4. Stay away from Basic science research in med school. Chances are you won't get anything published with the time you have. Try to work with MDs that may be able to write you a letter one day.

Thanks I had the same Q's 👍

 

[Bond8204]

1. All research has bearing on residency. Doing research in UG shows an early interest and dedication to research thus legitimizing your claims to want to continue it - plus gives you some early peer reviewed publications (I'm sure you will see it takes FOREVER to get a pub into print even when the manuscript is done). However doing some kind of research in med school is more important than the UG, but it all helps.
2. Don't take a year off unless you REALLY want to. There is time to do research in the summer between M1/M2 and then during more relaxed rotations in M3 (psych, family med, ect..)
3. Just do what you can. PDs just want to see that you are interested in research, are capable of understanding the thought process behind it, and following through with a project.
4. Stay away from Basic science research in med school. Chances are you won't get anything published with the time you have. Try to work with MDs that may be able to write you a letter one day.

I worked at a medical school doing cancer research (benchtop/animal work) for a year after college and before med school. I'm now between first and second year--The OREF didn't do their med student grant this year and I needed something that would pay, so I ended up doing Memorial Sloan Kettering's summer research fellowship (again, benchtop cancer research).

I know that some research background is good but mine obviously has nothing to do with orthopaedics. Is helping with some research feasible (like every Saturday, say) in 2nd year of med school...how do you get involved in orthopaedic research to begin with?

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I worked at a medical school doing cancer research (benchtop/animal work) for a year after college and before med school. I'm now between first and second year--The OREF didn't do their med student grant this year and I needed something that would pay, so I ended up doing Memorial Sloan Kettering's summer research fellowship (again, benchtop cancer research).

I know that some research background is good but mine obviously has nothing to do with orthopaedics. Is helping with some research feasible (like every Saturday, say) in 2nd year of med school...how do you get involved in orthopaedic research to begin with?

I can't answer your Q and I'm only a measly med student to-be, but I did do a bunch of bench cancer research as well...and the cool thing about cancer research is it is pretty interdisciplinary in nature. For example, there are orthopaedic oncologists. It might not be clinical or directly related to your future career but it's more related than, say, derm or ophth research. The latter two, of course, also benefit from cancer research 😎