Research for cards in Med school?

[Peter8989]

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If you were interested in cardiology during medical school, what type of research would you do? Would cardiology research be good or would that look narrow minded when applying to your IM residency? If that doesn't look good (even though it interests you), what other types of INTERESTING research could you do?

 

[DoctorFunk]

I'm interested in this question as well. I'm highly interested in cardiology, and have set up research with an academic cardiologist on the physiological effects of certain exercise regimes on the vasculature, specifically the protective benefits it might confer. I've been assured that I will get a publication out of the work, which is really exciting, but I wonder if the project is medically related enough to help me out much, or if I should be exploring ways to supplement my resume with clinical research?

 

[Peter8989]

Ya... Also what I wonder is if it looks bad to be TOO interested in cardiology when trying to secure an Internal Medicine slot. I mean, don't they want to train future Internal medicine docs and not cardiogists? Maybe they don't mind being a spring board though? 😛

 

[remedios]

Ya... Also what I wonder is if it looks bad to be TOO interested in cardiology when trying to secure an Internal Medicine slot. I mean, don't they want to train future Internal medicine docs and not cardiogists? Maybe they don't mind being a spring board though? 😛

I don't think that matters. A fair number of people in my interview groups were "differentiated", i.e., they already knew what they wanted to go into, mostly either Cards or ID. PDs don't really care whether you already know what fellowship you think you want to go into. They just want to make sure that you are a good resident while you are there.

 

[ucla2usc]

I put that I was planning on Cards in my personal startement and one of my letter writers explicitely said it also (he is a Cardiologist). I also did Cards research throughout 4th year. Virtually eveywhere I interviewed, I was interviewed by a Cardiologist. I matched in my first choice (UCSF) and got all my interviews including MGH/BWH/Hopkins.

In no way did I feel penalized for knowing what I wanted to do. In fact, it makes sense to know what you want since you apply early in your R2 year and don't have too much time to make up your mind before starting the application. Most people who don't know early wind up taking a year off after residency because they had to wait to till early R3 year to apply. All the top programs have like a third (and sometimes half!) of their residents going into Cards, so they must not mind too much or they wouldn't pick them that way.