Residencies and Research

[HalfListic]

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It seems that a handful of residencies require research in order to be more competitive. My question is, how specific would the research need to be? Does it need to be in a specific, related field? Or is research is research is research in this case?

 

[cliquesh]

It seems that a handful of residencies require research in order to be more competitive. My question is, how specific would the research need to be? Does it need to be in a specific, related field? Or is research is research is research in this case?

Published research is what matters. Ideally in the field you are interested in, but any published work will do. The research requirement is really exaggerated, though. It's more of a plus than a requirement, except at the few programs that want to train physician scientists. Your USMLE score is by far more important.

There are many MS1 summer fellowships offered between the summer of MS1 and 2. You should try to sign up for one of those as soon as you can and be as productive that summer as possible. You'll probably get your name on something by the end of the summer.

 

[HalfListic]

Published research is what matters. Ideally in the field you are interested in, but any published work will do. The research requirement is really exaggerated, though. It's more of a plus than a requirement, except at the few programs that want to train physician scientists. Your USMLE score is by far more important.

There are many MS1 summer fellowships offered between the summer of MS1 and 2. You should try to sign up for one of those as soon as you can and be as productive that summer as possible. You'll probably get your name on something by the end of the summer.

Awesome, thanks for the answer...this makes sense.

 

[ValentineLissar]

Do you need prior research experience and knowledge of how to do certain laboratory techniques to sign up for those MS1 summer fellowships?

 

[MedPR]

Do you need prior research experience and knowledge of how to do certain laboratory techniques to sign up for those MS1 summer fellowships?

No.

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[Cuongoff]

Let's say we have a good amount of research in undergrad and one publication. Would that be sufficient or do they want you to get pubs in med school? (Like, if you do research in med school but just can't get a pub, will that be suffice?)

 

[MedPR]

Let's say we have a good amount of research in undergrad and one publication. Would that be sufficient or do they want you to get pubs in med school? (Like, if you do research in med school but just can't get a pub, will that be suffice?)

Unless you can think of something more significant to add to your residency application during the summer after M1, you should probably just do research. Especially since you are wanting to do neurosurg.

 

[IslandStyle808]

Do you need prior research experience and knowledge of how to do certain laboratory techniques to sign up for those MS1 summer fellowships?

I remember interviewing for lab positions before in the past. This holds true for almost any research. You don't need to have lab technique "know how" just an interest in the research the lab is partaking in.

One PI told me that "Even I am learning techniques along the way when researching something." So you may start a study not knowing half the lab techniques (or more) needed to complete the study. This is what research is (i.e. the learning process).

 

[DrBumblebee]

Published research is what matters. Ideally in the field you are interested in, but any published work will do. The research requirement is really exaggerated, though. It's more of a plus than a requirement, except at the few programs that want to train physician scientists. Your USMLE score is by far more important.

There are many MS1 summer fellowships offered between the summer of MS1 and 2. You should try to sign up for one of those as soon as you can and be as productive that summer as possible. You'll probably get your name on something by the end of the summer.

Is there any difference to do the research with professors at a medical school or a research university?

Does clinical research weigh more value than scientific (biology, microbio, chem, etc.) research in the residency application?

 

[CopToEM]

Is there any difference to do the research with professors at a medical school or a research university?

Does clinical research weigh more value than scientific (biology, microbio, chem, etc.) research in the residency application?

It's really not far removed from doing research to get into medical school. They just want to see that you can juggle 25 things at once. Going to med school and coming out with As is one thing... going to med school, being the president of two clubs, doing summer research, and going on overseas mission trips, AND coming out with As... that's a different story.

It's no secret that most med students don't come into medical school wanting the same specialty they end up going into. Thus, just choose a research project that interests you. No one at any level expects you to do research you don't like just for the sake of padding your application.