Research during 4th year?

[nychila]

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Are the only 2 options for conducting research for residency applications either after 1st year summer or during 1st/2nd year alongside classes? I don't suppose that it's possible to do any research during 3rd year. Is research that could be put into residency applications possible during 4th year?

How do people have so many research experiences or publications by the time they apply to residency? It seems especially difficult if the student is applying to a competitive specialty but did not conduct research in that field after 1st summer.

 

[ulikedaggers]

I know people who have finished up projects from MS1 during MS3. I think it depends on your schedule. Some schools have time during MS3 for electives and that's probably a great time to do some research.

 

[JJMrK]

Doing research during MS1/2 summer and continuing during second year is the best option. You can work on projects alongside 1st and 2nd year classes if you have good time management skills. During third year you can typically get a lot done on lighter rotations and vacation weeks/blocks. Some people take a year off for research, most commonly between 3rd/4th year. Fourth year is probably too late to start anything that will end up on your ERAS, but it is an excellent time to finish up a project or start a new one not intended for you application.

 

[ulikedaggers]

Doing research during MS1/2 summer and continuing during second year is the best option. You can work on projects alongside 1st and 2nd year classes if you have good time management skills. During third year you can typically get a lot done on lighter rotations and vacation weeks/blocks. Some people take a year off for research, most commonly between 3rd/4th year. Fourth year is probably too late to start anything that will end up on your ERAS, but it is an excellent time to finish up a project or start a new one not intended for you application.

How does that year off between M3/M4 work? Obviously you'd still be a student as determined by the school, but would you be a student as determined by lenders (i.e. would you still be in deferment?)

 

[JJMrK]

Yeah, but I'm not sure of the details as I haven't done it personally. Most people are also able to find some type of funding.

 

[sobored]

How does that year off between M3/M4 work? Obviously you'd still be a student as determined by the school, but would you be a student as determined by lenders (i.e. would you still be in deferment?)

If you apply for and win a competitive year-long grant, usually the grant agency will help you with loan and interest deferment for that year. I have no idea how any of that stuff works, but someone, somewhere out there does.

 

[WaylonS]

How does that year off between M3/M4 work? Obviously you'd still be a student as determined by the school, but would you be a student as determined by lenders (i.e. would you still be in deferment?)

Yes, if it's an official program (NIH-research scholar's program, Sarnoff. Fogarty/Fulbright, DD, and the HHMI programs), you will be able to submit a deferment request because they are treated as graduate level research fellowships. The Department of Education has a loan deferment form: you fill out the top, someone from the program fills out the bottom, and you're done

If a PI is going to give you funding to work in their lab for a year, I don't know if you'll be able to get a deferment

The nice thing about a research year is not only are you conducting new research, but you have time to finish other papers and projects you started in M1-M3

 

[Frazier]

How do people have so many research experiences or publications by the time they apply to residency? It seems especially difficult if the student is applying to a competitive specialty but did not conduct research in that field after 1st year

You do it by stacking projects and PI's. I can't imagine that med students amass 15+ pubs by approaching projects in a purely sequential manner with only one PI.

From the student's control, it comes down to project fit, PI fit, understanding their limitations, and having goals clearly laid out.

You can sift through my recent post history if you want some more in depth thoughts on what I wrote above.