Research Time Commitment

[Poit]

Sup SDN Dawgs,

I don't want to do research when I'm studying for the USMLE, so I'm wondering if people just do semester-long research? Just during the first semester of M2? What is a standard weekly time commitment for research? I'm guessing it varies, but I don't think I could take on anything that requires more than 4-5 hrs/week of my precious free time.

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[Breaking Free]

Sup SDN Dawgs,

I don't want to do research when I'm studying for the USMLE, so I'm wondering if people just do semester-long research? Just during the first semester of M2? What is a standard weekly time commitment for research? I'm guessing it varies, but I don't think I could take on anything that requires more than 4-5 hrs/week of my precious free time.

From what I have seen during my first two years of medical school so far, if people do research, they do keep it at a minimum, but most students won't go over 8 hours. I know there were some weeks where I was around 8 and volunteering a few more hours, and it was way too much!

 

[mimelim]

Most of my medical students put in ~40-50 hours on a small/medium project, spread out over maybe 2-3 months. If they know they are going into vascular, they are far more likely to be here just hanging around. This is all clinical, outcomes research mind you, so most of it can be done as long as you have internet access.

 

[basophilic]

Most of my medical students put in ~40-50 hours on a small/medium project, spread out over maybe 2-3 months. If they know they are going into vascular, they are far more likely to be here just hanging around. This is all clinical, outcomes research mind you, so most of it can be done as long as you have internet access.

Wait, 40-50 hrs/week during school year or in summer break? If during school, isn't that too much alongside coursework/Step studying?

Also, for research within a specific desired specialty, is it better to do it concentrated like that (lots of hours over a small period of time) or to do a little bit every week in the same lab over 3-4 years?

 

[Pasmal]

Wait, 40-50 hrs/week during school year or in summer break? If during school, isn't that too much alongside coursework/Step studying?

Also, for research within a specific desired specialty, is it better to do it concentrated like that (lots of hours over a small period of time) or to do a little bit every week in the same lab over 3-4 years?

40-50 hrs total in a 2-3 month project was how I read that. So about 3-5 hrs per week

 

[Merely]

I'm pretty sure clinical research is much less time intensive than basic lab research so def keep that in mind

 

[CubsFan314]

One of the benefits of doing clinical research as a student rather than basic science is that you can do it on spare 15 minutes periods from home, in between classes, during lunch, etc. that you would not be able to accomplish if you needed to be in the lab to do it.

 

[basophilic]

One of the benefits of doing clinical research as a student rather than basic science is that you can do it on spare 15 minutes periods from home, in between classes, during lunch, etc. that you would not be able to accomplish if you needed to be in the lab to do it.

That's interesting. But does that mean I could do research at a different (not close by) med school?

 

[osprey099]

One of the benefits of doing clinical research as a student rather than basic science is that you can do it on spare 15 minutes periods from home, in between classes, during lunch, etc. that you would not be able to accomplish if you needed to be in the lab to do it.

Are basic science publications generally viewed as more prestigious than clinical pubs since they take longer and more work?

 

[Dr Blue]

Are basic science publications generally viewed as more prestigious than clinical pubs since they take longer and more work?

no. pubs are pubs

 

[eteshoe]

Are basic science publications generally viewed as more prestigious than clinical pubs since they take longer and more work?

Depends on who you ask. Some basic scientists do.

 

[mimelim]

Wait, 40-50 hrs/week during school year or in summer break? If during school, isn't that too much alongside coursework/Step studying?

Also, for research within a specific desired specialty, is it better to do it concentrated like that (lots of hours over a small period of time) or to do a little bit every week in the same lab over 3-4 years?

3-5 hours/week sounds about right. There is one guy that is starting to run his own experiments and is around 10+ hours a week despite going to school in a different city................

How you spend your time matters at the program that you are doing the research. Nobody else cares. They want to know your publication history, your LOR and then what your PI says when they invariably call them and ask.

Are basic science publications generally viewed as more prestigious than clinical pubs since they take longer and more work?

no. pubs are pubs

I depends, but I tend to disagree. Most faculty recognize how much work it requires to get something done in basic science. With that recognition it all depends on what a particular program is looking for. For example, we have a massive Vascular surgery oriented basic science lab. Most of our faculty will not really care about clinical vs. basic science, but you bet that our chairman and the lab director care about basic science background. It would be a HUGE bonus if you said that you were interested in continuing. On the other hand, many places don't have the basic science and it will be meaningless.