I just finished my second-year and will be a third-year in a couple of days. Last summer, after my first-year, I did a combination of clinical research and an "externship" (which really amounted to nothing more than holding stuff during surgery) and tried to continue the research into the year. I honestly couldn't put the time into all that and keep up my grades.
Second-year is very difficult compared to first-year. I'd put more time into my studies and try to have a life outside the classroom rather than burnout trying to juggle class, research, and some semblance of a life. Save whatever clinical research you want to do for your third-year/fourth-year when you have more of a "fund of knowledge" to speak intelligently about your projects.
Believe it or not, even after one-year of medical school those articles don't make much sense -- knowing pathology, pathophys, and micro helps out a lot. 🙂
