Research year AFTER med school graduation???

[lilycat]

I have a somewhat unusual situation -- for several reasons, I will not be entering the match this year. There is a small chance I will consider scrambling when all is said and done, but it is unlikely. So, I'm looking at doing a year of research (ideally clinical research) while I apply for residency next year. I've worked in research before -- basic science as an undergrad, clinical studies coordinator for 2 years after undergrad prior to starting med school. However, doing this after graduating from medical school, and doing this only for a year, I'm wondering if this changes the playing field -- namely are there issues in securing funding for my salary that I need to be aware of? How much in salary should I ask for? (I have a potential situation that I've been offered, but they want to know how much I want).

If anyone has been in this situation, pondered it for themselves, or knows a friend who has been in this situation, I would love to hear any tips or advice. From asking around, it sounds like the funding issue will be my biggest hurdle, and my school, while encouraging, has been far from helpful in the logistical details involved.

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[community]

Hey Lilycat,
The bottom line is that when your first loan payment rolls around you will need to pay it, not to mention your living expenses (car insurance, health, food, rent/mortgage, etc.). After four years of training, I would think you are worth it. Getting a medical degree is no joke and you should be compensated accordingly.

I was in a similar situation after undergrad when many academic labs were offering me anywhere from $20,000 t0 $35,000. I ended up working for a major pharmaceutical company and did research and was paid over $50,000 with great benefits and a relocation package. It made my life a lot easier during the two years I worked and I was easily able to afford medical school apps/interview travel on top of my other expenses.

You should not be the person to make the first offer. It puts you at a disadvantage. Let them make the first offer and negotiate up from there remembering that you won't get what you don't ask for. Feel free to PM me after you get the offer. My husband has a degree in industrial and labor relations and is usually good at that negotiating stuff. Good luck, and if I remember correctly I look forward to working with you as a future OBGYN!!!

community

 

[beary]

Unfortunately, postdoc fellows just don't make very much money at all (at least in academics). NIH stipends only pay low 30-35k, and this is for Ph.Ds with several years of research experience. I don't imagine you will be able to find much higher in academics. I don't know anything about the pharmaceutical industry route.

Good luck.

 

[bubblegumbezoar]

Lilycat,

I have considered exactly what you are asking about because I am in a similar situation to you. First of all, I spoke to some PhDs in terms of doing research for a year in between seeking residency. Here's what they told me: first of all, as an MD, you are considered the equivalent of an PhD in terms of education. This means that you are no longer considered a research technician or whatever the equivalent is at your residency. You would be considered a POSTDOC. So, you would make around $5,000 annually than a residency at your institution. Not too bad, actually.

Now, one thing that would be important (after speaking to the dean of the medical school) would be for that research to be applicable to your field of interest. If it is not applicable (i.e. let's say you work on G-protein coupled receptors in brain cancer rather than let's say cervical cancer due to PI's at your institution, and you are more interested in gyn onc than heme onc, you can still do something ob/gyn related). I'm giving ob/gyn examples to you based on the last response, but you could adjust this to any field if that is not actually what you are interested in, by the way. What I mean is that you can work at a homeless women's clinic, organize sex education at public schools, do a smaller study with a different PI not for any compensation, or even just volunteer at an STD clinic. The situation could also work for any other type of a field. The PD just said that they would want for you to keep showing commitment and interest to that particular chosen field. Lastly, clinical research could be a bit tricky as you would not be medically licensed, and so the contact you would be able to have with patients would probably be less than what we had in our third and fourth years of medical school.

A second option would be to delay graduation by a year, and take some electives in two or three different fields to re-confirm or whatever the case may be what excites you. This would incur quite a lot more debt, but you would be a fresh graduate with clinical work within the past year.

Okay, sorry for the long post, and hopefully this is helpful to you. One last thing about the post-doc. You basically compile a CV, then contact PIs at your institution. The timing is flexible (i.e. most PhDs do three years at one post-doc), but you can customize it to one year. You just need to find a small, definable goal, which is achievable in one year.

 

[lilycat]

Thank you all so much for your responses -- they have been really helpful.

Bubblegum -- Did you mean $5,000 less than a resident or $5000 more than a resident? I'm guessing you didn't mean $5000/year. It's good to hear that research outside of my field of interest (which is ob/gyn) would be acceptable, because that would certainly make it easier to to find a position -- casting a wider net so to speak. As far as getting clinical experience doing clinical research, I know it's not the same as being a clinical student or resident, but you still get some exposure and I feel like I would be less "rusty" on my clinical skills doing that, vs. basic science research (just based on my past experience as a CRC).

Community -- I know exactly what you mean about not making the first move. However, one of the positions that could be out on the table right now is basically a position that is being custom-designed for me by a large private Ob/gyn group with its own hospital and diagnostic center. This is why they want to know what my salary requirements would be. This position has the possibility to be perfect, so I'm trying to find a figure that is fair, but not too high to scare them off.

 

[bubblegumbezoar]

Lilycat-

It would depend on the state, but in general, a postdoc (1st year of training) makes $2,000-$5,000 less annually than a first year resident. The NIH makes the salary lines for a post-doc, which you can look up at nih.gov. It sounds like you already have a great offer.