Somebody please advise me on what to do this summer:(

[Cups123]

I really need some assistance in deciding how to spend my MS1 summer. Since this is the only summer I'm going to have, I'd really like to use it wisely. I have a lot of research under my belt, 4 co-author papers and like 15 peer-reviewed abstracts. I'd rather not spend my summer doing research but if residencies, esp competitive fields, really like to see it then I will suck it up and do it again. I also would like to make some money and that makes research appealing. At the same time, I think that getting clinical experience would be valuable in general but also for the boards- things tend to stick in my head easier when I have seen it in action and since I have the worst memory in the world, I figure any help that I can get would be good. So my questions are, what do people that have gone through this think? Does clinical experience help in doing better second year and on the boards as it gives you insight into the bigger picture? Do I have enough research for residency? I'm just completely confused and our school really doesn't have many resources....any help would be really appreciated...

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[arsenewenger]

Why don't you shadow a doctor in your field of interest. Better still, go to Africa and go help build shelter for motherless babies. They will appreciate your altruistic act(s) and , am sure, Residency Directors will take note as well.



PS.Don't forget to tell them that you are doing it just to pad your extremely impressive resume/CV. And By the way, do not bring back malaria because any disease from Africa, at all, can totally ruin any shot you may have at that prestigious program in only God knows where.

 

[Johnny_D]

Do you usually need to build yourself up and toot your own horn? You already know the answer to your questions, so I don't understand why you need a pat on the back from us.

If you do things just to pad your CV, that is sad. You should do things because you want to. Besides, a summer of research will not yield much if it is bench research.

Instead of the shelters for motherless babies, maybe you should build a house big enough for your ego.

 

[Cups123]

um. thanks for such a sarcastic reply.

I wrote an honest post because I really just want an honest answer. If you are implying that I am just doing certain things because I want to simply pad my resume, good for you..thats fine.

To be clear, all I was asking is based on other peoples experience (people that were in similar positions as me) what the best option is. I have already done quite a bit of research - but I don't know what a lot is considered and want to make sure that I don't do anything drastically out of the ordinary...since most people in my shoes are pursuing research. At the same time, i'd like to do something that would put in me in a better position to do well on the boards...because if first year grades are any indication of them, i will not be in a good position at all. Anyway, anyone that has any input, i'd appreciate it.

 

[Cups123]

Do you usually need to build yourself up and toot your own horn? You already know the answer to your questions, so I don't understand why you need a pat on the back from us.

If you do things just to pad your CV, that is sad. You should do things because you want to. Besides, a summer of research will not yield much if it is bench research.

Instead of the shelters for motherless babies, maybe you should build a house big enough for your ego.

are you guys crazy?
I did not mean this post to be what it is being made out to be. JEEZ. People are so jumpy on this site...

 

[njbmd]

I really need some assistance in deciding how to spend my MS1 summer. Since this is the only summer I'm going to have, I'd really like to use it wisely. I have a lot of research under my belt, 4 co-author papers and like 15 peer-reviewed abstracts. I'd rather not spend my summer doing research but if residencies, esp competitive fields, really like to see it then I will suck it up and do it again. I also would like to make some money and that makes research appealing. At the same time, I think that getting clinical experience would be valuable in general but also for the boards- things tend to stick in my head easier when I have seen it in action and since I have the worst memory in the world, I figure any help that I can get would be good. So my questions are, what do people that have gone through this think? Does clinical experience help in doing better second year and on the boards as it gives you insight into the bigger picture? Do I have enough research for residency? I'm just completely confused and our school really doesn't have many resources....any help would be really appreciated...

Out of the top five people in my class only one (me) actually did anything other than chill during the summer of M1. (I had a paid teaching position). All of us got into great residency positions without studying for Boards, doing research or anything thing else that we didn't want to do. The other four folks chilled out and beached it.

Most medical students spend this summer doing something fun because it's essentially your last free summer until you pass your specialty boards. If I had it to do over again, I would have chilled because my teaching job was enjoyable but I could have used the time to hang out, refresh and get ready for second year.

Think long and hard before you give up this valuable vacation time. If you MUST do something academic, be sure to allow some vacation time before you start back. There isn't much Board study that you can do that is going to make any significant difference in your Board scores because you haven't finished second year. If your grades are good, you don't NEED research.

Do something fun that gets you away from medicine and medical school. You need the balance and you have plenty of summers plus elective time during fourth year that you will use for academic/clinical pursuits. As an M1 there is very little that you can do clinically because you just are not ready. You can't get this time back once it is gone.

 

[AppTrail]

If you do things just to pad your CV, that is sad. You should do things because you want to. Besides, a summer of research will not yield much if it is bench research.

Your logic doesn't make sense at all. People pad their CV for a reason: to improve their chances of success. Just like you wake up everyday and go to medical school. I mean, do you really wake up thinking, "Boy, I'm so happy and eager to go to school today!?!?!?". No you do it because you're just another robot of society, congratulations for being a product of your environment, just like everyone else.

 

[ginger60]

What I have been told about needing research to get into a competitive residency is that those residencies like students who show interest in doing research--any research. Someone who has multiple pubs like yourself clearly fulfills that criterion. Getting pubs as a co-author with a top researcher in that specialty is also an obvious plus, but since most students don't realize what specialty they want to go into until 3rd year (and even if they have an idea before then they often change their minds), its not worth worrying about getting in the perfect research job during your last free summer EVER.

IMO, the only good arguments for doing research during your M1-M2 summer are a) you need the money and can find a funded project 2) you have absolutely no research experience and are considering a competitive specialty and 3) you really truly enjoy doing research more than anything else and thus wouldn't have created this thread. Many of my classmates did research because funding was easy to get--I did not and am so happy I didn't. I chose instead to do a spanish immersion program for half the summer, and spend the rest near the beach. I shadowed a few doctors informally, did no board study, and just basically enjoyed myself. If you have some research under your belt and aren't pressed for money, then figure out something that you want to do for fun while you are still young (travel, learn another language, sky-dive, etc.) and do it because the opportunity probably won't present itself again for a long time. Even if you want to earn some money, seriously consider whether that summer stipend is worth giving up 2 glorious months of doing whatever you want. You can throw in some medical exposure such as a volunteer project or shadowing, but meaningful "clinical" experience during your summer is very hard to get as a medical student much less as an M1/M2. Furthermore, as another poster already said neither the clinical experience nor board study is really going to help much 6 months - 1 year down the line when you take step 1. What will matter is learning the material during second year, and the best way to prepare yourself for that is to have a fun, relaxing summer.

 

[Cirrus83]

Well, first off what specialty do you want to go into? If it's not uber mega hyper competitive I think you can just chill.

But yeah, money's kind of a problem if you don't do something this summer.

Personally I pretty much have to do research since I have no previous research experience at all, so be glad that you have the option to chill.

 

[Green Chimneys]

I wrote an honest post because I really just want an honest answer.

The reason people are jumping on you is because your original post came off more pompous than honest. Consider your level of research experience; it is almost certainly better than everyone in your class that does not have a PhD, and maybe a small handful of others. That puts you in the 90-95th percentile in terms of your research merits. Even after some of your class does research this summer, you'll still be way ahead of at least 85-90% of your classmates if you did nothing. Thus, asking if you NEED to do more research when you're going to be in the top 10-15% of applicants in that regard comes off arrogant as the answer is obvious.

Spending time with a clinician will not help you study for the boards (you don't see anything that answers the questions USMLE asks anyway) but it may help you get an idea of what you want to do with your life. If that's something you're interested in, do it. If not, then get the heck out of town and just enjoy yourself.

 

[praying4MD]

I spent my MS1 Summer at a friend's house in the South of France, then in Paris for Bastille Day, then visiting with family in London. I spent the last several months of my fourth year traveling to Turkey, the Middle East, Italy, and Eastern Europe. My colleague spent her MS1 summer doing research and her fourth year doing all extra electives. I matched to an excellent program, as did she. Later that year, I had a massive operation and landed on a hospital bed for several months, sick as hell. I was never happier and never regretted my decision to use my time as I did. Instead of seeing an extra four months of horrid flourescent lighting in a dirty, dingy hospital, being yelled at by upper level residents, I saw amazingly stunning parts of the world that will remain etched in my memory till I die and am a better person for it. I came to residency more upbeat, less burned out, and ready for the challenges, without the added edge of cynicism that many of my colleagues had after working too long without any breaks.

But that's just me.