Research/Publications

[premedjunkie1233]

Hey guys, incoming M1 here. I'm going to a school that focuses on public health and has many public health initiatives in the community, but not as much wet lab research. My interests do fall within the realm of public health but after talking with many M1/M2's, there aren't many opportunities for publications with those professors that do this research.

My question for you guys is that how crucial is it to have publications for residency? I'm taking an early look into summer programs between M1-M2 and there were a few internships by the State Health Department, and CDC, that I'd be interested in, but don't think it would yield any publications. I don't know which specialty I want to pursue, but would like to keep my doors open. Thanks!

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[OnePunchBiopsy]

Publications are not needed for most specialties.

Secondly, research cannot hurt you. It always looks good having it, even if you don't have any publications.

Publications are a way to show that you work hard and are a student who goes "above and beyond." They are more crucial for very competitive fields, such as Derm, Plastics, Neurosurg, to name a few. Research with the intent to look good for competitive specialties is usually focused in these areas. If you did decide to pursue a competitive specialty, I don't think a public health pub would help you as much as a pub in basic science or clinical research. The exception being an authorship in a big name journal such as Science, Nature, PNAS, etc (anything in these is gold IMO)

 

[avgn]

I don't think a public health pub would help you as much as a pub in basic science or clinical research. The exception being an authorship in a big name journal such as Science, Nature, PNAS, etc (anything in these is gold IMO)

Wrong target journals... The big ones here would be Lancet, AJPH, JAMA IM, Annals, HSR, maybe NEJM, JAMA, BMJ

 

[OnePunchBiopsy]

Wrong target journals... The big ones here would be Lancet, AJPH, JAMA IM, Annals, HSR, maybe NEJM, JAMA, BMJ

Wrong journals? Dude, if a med student got their name in ANY of these journals their ticket to residency would be prewritten. I was speaking generally (hence the etc.).

 

[lymphocyte]

Hey guys, incoming M1 here. I'm going to a school that focuses on public health and has many public health initiatives in the community, but not as much wet lab research. My interests do fall within the realm of public health but after talking with many M1/M2's, there aren't many opportunities for publications with those professors that do this research.

My question for you guys is that how crucial is it to have publications for residency? I'm taking an early look into summer programs between M1-M2 and there were a few internships by the State Health Department, and CDC, that I'd be interested in, but don't think it would yield any publications. I don't know which specialty I want to pursue, but would like to keep my doors open. Thanks!

It depends. For example, only half of derm programmes even look at research as a selection criteria for interviews. But 80% of rad onc programmes care. http://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PD-Survey-Report-2014.pdf

The kind of research you'd need to make a difference on your application would almost certainly not be the kind of research you could over a summer.

I'd do what you're actually interested in and get the best possible Step 1 score. Step 1 opens far more doors than a few months of research.

 

[avgn]

Wrong journals? Dude, if a med student got their name in ANY of these journals their ticket to residency would be prewritten. I was speaking generally (hence the etc.).

But you limited it to the basic sciences, which means your etc. did not represent the correct selection of applicable journals. And no, trust me, I've seen how overconfidence bc one has a second author JAMA pub can backfire. Nothing is guaranteed

 

[OnePunchBiopsy]

But you limited it to the basic sciences, which means your etc. did not represent the correct selection of applicable journals. And no, trust me, I've seen how overconfidence bc one has a second author JAMA pub can backfire. Nothing is guaranteed

I'm up at 5am arguing latin semantics regarding high profile scientific journals, with a pokemon.

What's next? I bet one of my SP's in Step 2 CS will stand up when I walk in the room and shout "You want my chief complaint? Well you'll have to duel me for it," and challenge me to a children's card game.


....okay, I'll stop now. It's been a long night of Qbank.

 

[Anicetus]

In 2016 and beyond, research is unofficially needed for most competitive specialties and residencies. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. It's a sick reality setting in. It's about as required as shadowing was for applying to medical school and becoming another hoop to get through.

 

[Psai]

In 2016 and beyond, research is unofficially needed for most competitive specialties and residencies. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. It's a sick reality setting in. It's about as required as shadowing was for applying to medical school and becoming another hoop to get through.

Competitive specialties, yes. Competitive areas, yes. But if you don't do research you can still match at perfectly good programs. Just don't expect the Brigham to invite you for an interview.