Research without specialty preference

[NWwildcat2013]

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I really want to go through third year and just experience the different specialties but I feel pressure, for all potential specialties except for FM and psych, to do research. Of course research can only help but it seems like it's becoming standard in most specialties to some extent.

How can I balance not wanting to make a decision until I've experienced everything with the desire to improve my application with some research? Should I just choose a specialty to research in that I have even the slightest level of potential interest in?

Summary: I enjoy research in general and have prior experience but I don't know how to direct my efforts without a strong preference for a specialty.


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[Ace Khalifa]

Shadow before 3rd year so that you can "experience" different specialties before that critical year. Then once you have a better idea of what you like, try to do research that corresponds to your interests.

Alternatively, you can try to find research that is broadly applicable. For example, if you help out with research on metastatic carcinomas that originate from the lungs and infiltrate the brain, you've covered heme/onc, pulmonlogy, neurology, neurosurgery, and pathology.

I'm just a first year about to become a second year, so if any upperclassmen give better advice, then you should listen to them. I knew what I wanted to do coming into med school, and for this summer I'm doing multiple research projects, some in my "intended" specialty, one of them in a random but still marginally interesting specialty.

Also, ANY research is better than NO research, no matter what specialty you want to do. It would be ideal to do research in the specialty you eventually apply for, but it's not absolutely necessary barring a few exceptions.

 

[TBV]

early on it doesn't matter but you should try and publish. Cancer is broadly applicable so maybe go for that.

 

[NWwildcat2013]

Shadow before 3rd year so that you can "experience" different specialties before that critical year. Then once you have a better idea of what you like, try to do research that corresponds to your interests.

I think I'll have to go for the latter suggestions because I did shadow and I'm one of those people that didn't have anything really grab my attention.


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[NWwildcat2013]

early on it doesn't matter but you should try and publish. Cancer is broadly applicable so maybe go for that.

So how important is this for "medium" competitive specialties (e.g. anesthesia, IM, OBGYN, maybe some gen surg). Is a lack of research something a good step and good grades or AOA can offset?


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