I am not really sure what specialty I want to go into right now. I am wondering if I should try to do some research next summer (say in radiology or oncology) just in case I want to get into a competitive residency or should I just work for a FP in my school's summer internship program to build my clinical skills? Any input or personal experience would be very helpful.
Do something you'll enjoy. If you'd enjoy working in rads or oncology, go for it. If you'd rather read cheap fiction on a beach somewhere, do that instead. Don't worry about honing your clinical skills. You'll have lots and lots of time for that. Cheers, doepug MS III, Johns Hopkins
don't forget that USMLE's right around the corner... kidding! MS-1 summer may be our very last free summer? do something fun
How about working abroad??? I'm planning to work on an HIV/AIDS project in a third-world country. Great way to combine travel with clinical research.
If you think you'll be able to handle giving up the summer, then do it. I thought I was prepared to do that, but looking back on it, I wish I would have taken that time to do anything but work. I did research in the summer after first year. I learned a lot and gained some experience, but I was working most days of the week for a 5-6 hours a day all 8 weeks of my summer. I didn't have vacation time at all. Burned-out doesn't even begin to describe how I feel now, nearly 3 months into the second year.
sc cdc, hope all is well with you... i also really want to work with hiv clinics this summer somewhere abroad. i was wondering if you had any information about cool programs... take care! swaroop johns hopkins, MS I
This is a good question, but I can't even think past the next day. I've heard that having some research experience is a "must" when you apply for residency b/c programs are starting to incorporate some research. Is this true or just another product of the rumor mill? I have no clue what I want to do this summer... ::sigh::
If you're not sure that you want to do research in your career and there isn't a project that really excites you, don't do it! This summer is your last summer and you need to do something that will make you happy and leave you feeling refreshed to start a second year of studying madness. I don't know anyone who didn't feel completely burnt out by spring of first year and I know several who regret doing good-for-the-resume summer research.
I'm hoping to participate in a Harvard-CDC program in Vietnam, and I am not sure if non-Harvard students can join the program or not. It's a program in which physicians, and students in the summer, from Harvard and CDC travel to Vietnam to train doctors, help the government write guidelines, conduct epi and clinical research, etc... I don't any info on any other program, but I'm certain Hopkins has countless opportunities abroad as well.
My advice would be to do some research or externship while making sure you also have a couple of weeks of vacation if possible (it depends on the school how much time you have off). Research is not a necessity for matching into competitive specialties, but it helps. What I did was do 6 weeks of research in radiology / neurology and take 3 weeks off for vacation to rejuvenate. Although I would have matched somewhere for radiology without this research, I don't think I would have matched at the same quality of program. In fact, I am pretty sure that my research was a main factor in my matching at my current program (a university based program with a lot of research).
Is anything short of 10 weeks of research sufficient though? It just seems hard to be able to read up, prepare, get data and get a paper in that time frame? Is anyone doing research doing the year as credit/elective?
I will be staying as far away from research as possible, since I really loathed my research experiences I did in undergrad summers. I think you should do what you want with the summer, since it really does seem like about the last chance to get away and do something for yourself for the forseeable future. If you would enjoy research and you want to match into a residency program that incorporates a lot of research, more power to you: someone's got to do it. For me personally, I probably would not want to match into a residency program that emphasizes research and requires research to get in, since that is not my area of interest. I think the great thing about medical school is that you can find a path in medicine that you enjoy and make a career out of it, and if you follow your interests you will end up much happier than if you are just trying to pad your resume.
