Research Year: Wasting my time?

[jejun]

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Hi I currently have a strong Step 1 (250/99) but I've been considering taking a year off for research through Doris Duke or a similar program to personally decompress, improve my application, and get exposure to research/academic medicine.

I was previously interested in oncology/rad-onc, but after some thought I am now strongly considering radiology. I will be shadowing a Radiologist shortly to see how I feel. I know the field is very competitive and if I take a year off for research I want to make sure I get something out of it. If I were to do research in oncology with publications through a prestigious program would that help me match in a competitive city? (If I could do a project based in Radiology that would be great, however, I don't know if there are as many available through these research programs.)

 

[PokerDoc]

Hi I currently have a strong Step 1 (250/99) but I've been considering taking a year off for research through Doris Duke or a similar program to personally decompress, improve my application, and get exposure to research/academic medicine.

I was previously interested in oncology/rad-onc, but after some thought I am now strongly considering radiology. I will be shadowing a Radiologist shortly to see how I feel. I know the field is very competitive and if I take a year off for research I want to make sure I get something out of it. If I were to do research in oncology with publications through a prestigious program would that help me match in a competitive city? (If I could do a project based in Radiology that would be great, however, I don't know if there are as many available through these research programs.)

Oh boy i dont know where to start.. yes its a waste of time. If you like radiology, dont take a year off for research, your score is more than fine.

 

[2012mdc]

Hi I currently have a strong Step 1 (250/99) but I've been considering taking a year off for research through Doris Duke or a similar program to personally decompress, improve my application, and get exposure to research/academic medicine.

I was previously interested in oncology/rad-onc, but after some thought I am now strongly considering radiology. I will be shadowing a Radiologist shortly to see how I feel. I know the field is very competitive and if I take a year off for research I want to make sure I get something out of it. If I were to do research in oncology with publications through a prestigious program would that help me match in a competitive city? (If I could do a project based in Radiology that would be great, however, I don't know if there are as many available through these research programs.)

I'd say it depends on a few things.

1) Do you really like research?
2) How highly regarded is your med school?
3) Do you want to end up somewhere like MGH/UCSF or will you be happy at a decent program in a competitive city?
4) Are you going to have any pubs if you don't take the year off?

From talking to other applicants on the trail, a research year if productive can really help with getting a lot of the elite interviews. It can make up for having a good but not great Step 1 (avg is up to 240 now), not having AOA, or not going to a prestigious med school.

Obviously I'm referring to anecdotal evidence. In my experience the applicants who get a majority of the elite interviews (top 10) have a great Step 1/AOA and or many clinical honors/highly regarded med school/good research.

4/4 makes you an absolute stud obviously
3/4 should get you a lot of the top programs
2/4 should get you some of the top programs

Don't know enough to comment on 1/4 or 0/4

 

[colbgw02]

Just to expound on what 2012mdc said: this reallly depends on how much you enjoy research and what your long-term career goals are.

If you legitimately enjoy research, and aren't doing it mostly to improve your competitiveness, then there's value in that year that can't be measured on an application or CV. If you want to get into #1 best-ever radiology program so that you can eventually become staff at #1 best-ever radiology department with a CV 10 pages long, then this year could prove fundamental to a long career built around research.

If your goals are anything other than those, then a year of research is largely a waste of time.

 

[jejun]

Thanks for your responses.

My school matches well but isn't a top 20. It's a state school. I haven't had any legitimate research experiences so I'm not really sure how I feel about research. I do hate number crunching and data collection. My projects in undergrad weren't substantial and I haven't ever published. I looked at the match data and it seems like a lot of people matching into Rads have pubs. I wouldn't mind becoming staff at the #1 best-ever radiology department with a CV 10 pages long haha... but I could be happy at any respected program.

Anymore feedback is welcome. If there are other ideas for taking a year off doing something cool related to Radiology feedback is welcome!

 

[2012mdc]

Thanks for your responses.

My school matches well but isn't a top 20. It's a state school. I haven't had any legitimate research experiences so I'm not really sure how I feel about research. I do hate number crunching and data collection. My projects in undergrad weren't substantial and I haven't ever published. I looked at the match data and it seems like a lot of people matching into Rads have pubs. I wouldn't mind becoming staff at the #1 best-ever radiology department with a CV 10 pages long haha... but I could be happy at any respected program.

Anymore feedback is welcome. If there are other ideas for taking a year off doing something cool related to Radiology feedback is welcome!

I wouldn't do it. You don't have to do it to match well and you don't seem very into research

 

[shark2000]

You waste your time. I think you will match at a descent programs.

 

[nikmad]

How would you advice an IMG with in a similar situation. Good to Great Step 1 and 2 scores, with a month of clinical elective in radiology. Would a year or two of research make the applicant strong enough in matching to a Radiology program. Assuming the interest and hard work is there.

Just to expound on what 2012mdc said: this reallly depends on how much you enjoy research and what your long-term career goals are.

If you legitimately enjoy research, and aren't doing it mostly to improve your competitiveness, then there's value in that year that can't be measured on an application or CV. If you want to get into #1 best-ever radiology program so that you can eventually become staff at #1 best-ever radiology department with a CV 10 pages long, then this year could prove fundamental to a long career built around research.

If your goals are anything other than those, then a year of research is largely a waste of time.

 

[Neuronix]

I wouldn't mind becoming staff at the #1 best-ever radiology department with a CV 10 pages long haha...

This takes an enormous amount of effort, personal sacrifice, and internal motivation. One doesn't simply walk into Mordor...