Research Importance in Medical School

[dep15105]

Hi all!

I'm an incoming MS1 at a top 10 research-oriented school. I was wondering how important research will be moving forward in the medical pipeline.

I'm asking because:
1) I'm not aiming for uber competitive specialties - I think I'd like to do primary care or emergency medicine since being a generalist appeals to me. I can see why competitive specialties might like to see research, but I'm not sure about primary care specialties. However, even if I do a less competitive specialty, I'd like to train with the best residencies on the west coast so I'm not sure if that changes the game.
2) Even though I did a lot of wet lab and translational research in undergrad, I never really enjoyed it and it really felt like I was doing it to just check off the boxes to make me competitive for medical school. Nothing against research, it's just not interesting to me.
3) I will be going to DGSOM, which is #6 ranked in research, so I'm not sure if it would look weird if I never did any research.

I know that in medical school I will need to prioritize things more heavily and that time will be limited. Just wanted to know how much to prioritize research in my case. I also know that I worked really hard in undergrad to get here and I feel like I'd like to not overtax myself and burn out in the long run. If I don't need to do something that I don't enjoy, I would rather move on and prioritize my time for other things.

However if research is in fact very important, what is the usual commitment of research for most medical students? Do people aim for pubs and grants? When do most medical students start doing research? Is it mostly during the summer or in the middle of the school year? Thanks!

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[aldol16]

If you're aiming for the top residencies in any field, you're going to need some semblance of research. Obviously more for super competitive fields but even in less competitive fields, if you're interested in the top residencies, then you'll want some research interest on your CV. I think you should think about why you want to go to those specific residencies. The top residencies are top because they are academic and produce academic physicians. If you don't like research, why do you want a top academic residency?

In terms of how to, get involved in clinical research. It's faster paced than wet lab work and produces results/publications quicker. People generally get involved after settling into med school. Many people elect to do research in the summer after their M1 year but it's not a requirement at all. You can do research during the year (med school has ample time for this).

 

[dep15105]

If you're aiming for the top residencies in any field, you're going to need some semblance of research. Obviously more for super competitive fields but even in less competitive fields, if you're interested in the top residencies, then you'll want some research interest on your CV. I think you should think about why you want to go to those specific residencies. The top residencies are top because they are academic and produce academic physicians. If you don't like research, why do you want a top academic residency?

In terms of how to, get involved in clinical research. It's faster paced than wet lab work and produces results/publications quicker. People generally get involved after settling into med school. Many people elect to do research in the summer after their M1 year but it's not a requirement at all. You can do research during the year (med school has ample time for this).

Thank you, very helpful insights! Another field that I'm interested in is public health and policy, so perhaps research in that realm might be something that I will consider, along with clinical research as you mentioned.

I think I will do some soul searching between now and med school and stay open minded of the possibilities.