Summer research before MS1

[Cataract]

Hi folks. I'll be an MS1 this fall and I was just accepted into a summer research program. I applied to the program in case I didn't get into med school, but now I'm considering going with it. I'm really excited about it because it's paid research in tissue engineering in a nice place near an old crush. On the other hand, I'll be far away from family and friends before starting medical school and aside from money, I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Is there any benefit in this for residency? I'm considering EM as a specialty so I don't know if tissue engineering is iimportant. Is it on the same level as research done in medical school? Any advice is appreciated.

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[The Angriest Bird]

Unless you REALLY like the residency or REALLY need the money, take the summer off to do everything that makes yourself super happy.

I was in your shoes. I thought med school was pretty easy since I steamrolled college science classes. Nope. Med school kicks ***, my friend. This may be your last summer for nothing but relaxing and having fun for the next 7-8 years. And I'm not kidding.

 

[Cataract]

Thanks for the advice. I know I should be decompressing, but honestly, I can't afford to do much besides bum around the house for 3 months. Before I make a decision, I wanted know if that's something that I could put down on my residency application. Does anyone know?

 

[AppTrail]

Thanks for the advice. I know I should be decompressing, but honestly, I can't afford to do much besides bum around the house for 3 months. Before I make a decision, I wanted know if that's something that I could put down on my residency application. Does anyone know?

I also was wondering this as well. I'm entering med school in Fall this year, and I have an internship at the NIH, so technically, I won't have started med school...

I don't entirely agree with the relax-for-the-entire-summer theory. I think it works for some people, but for me, I feel like I have to do something compelling, productive, or worthwhile. When I'm idle, I feel like my brain rots away. I mean, traveling would be the ideal case in which you relax, learn and experience, but of course that costs money.

 

[sendwich]

I also was wondering this as well. I'm entering med school in Fall this year, and I have an internship at the NIH, so technically, I won't have started med school...

I don't entirely agree with the relax-for-the-entire-summer theory. I think it works for some people, but for me, I feel like I have to do something compelling, productive, or worthwhile. When I'm idle, I feel like my brain rots away. I mean, traveling would be the ideal case in which you relax, learn and experience, but of course that costs money.

that's how a lot of us felt before starting M1. But trust the advice you get here. Summer before M1=R!E!L!A!X!

 

[Mortal_Lessons]

I doubt any type of research you do prior to M1 will really do much in the way of making you competitive when it comes time for residency. Unless you're honestly interested in doing the research and getting something out of it that you might pursue the summer between M1 and M2, you should just take it easy and relax.

 

[Maxprime]

Unless you're already a pro at tissue engineering, you'll spend weeks trying to get up to speed on what you're doing and why.

The #1 rule is do what you want with your last summer. If you enjoy research, definitely do it - no shame in enjoying it. But if you don't enjoy it, do something you love because you're not going to be able to it again for a long time.

 

[Dionysus]

The #1 rule is do what you want with your last summer. If you enjoy research, definitely do it - no shame in enjoying it. But if you don't enjoy it, do something you love because you're not going to be able to it again for a long time.

I think Maxprime's advice is great.

I chose to continue research my summer before medschool because I enjoyed it. I learned a lot in that time, but I was also working at my own pace, which was very comfortable.

I'm not to the point of applying for residency, so I can't give you great advice on how your M0 experience will look on that app. I am curious myself. But I can tell you I enjoy research and enjoyed my M0 research which helped me get an M1 summer scholarship which likely helped me get a year-out research program. And that pattern of activity will look great on a residency app at an academic institution.

Long story short, think baby steps, not leaps from M0 to residency.

Also, concerning your question whether tissue engineering is applicable to EM. The answer you will see most often is that any research is good. It doesn't have to be in the field you end up in. Residency directors know that most students change their interests in their clinical years. But if you have experience and interest in research, it will likely carry over between fields.

 

[premeddick]

I doubt any type of research you do prior to M1 will really do much in the way of making you competitive when it comes time for residency. Unless you're honestly interested in doing the research and getting something out of it that you might pursue the summer between M1 and M2, you should just take it easy and relax.

Is this true? What if you have published prior to starting medical school? Will residency programs look favorably upon this research experience?

 

[luitime2585]

I am in the same position. I have been selected for a competitive internship at the National Cancer Institutes. My mentor seemed pretty relaxed and cool. If I choose to go, I can also explore the DC area and other parts of Virginia, which would be cool. I have to respect with the medical school students are saying, because they are going through it. However, I feel that if you could see the internship as a stepping stone to more competitive internships for medical students (e.g. Howard Hughes Scholars), which will def help you for residencies from what I hear, then my thought is that it would be a good choice (i.e. to take the internship).

 

[kdburton]

Hi folks. I'll be an MS1 this fall and I was just accepted into a summer research program. I applied to the program in case I didn't get into med school, but now I'm considering going with it. I'm really excited about it because it's paid research in tissue engineering in a nice place near an old crush. On the other hand, I'll be far away from family and friends before starting medical school and aside from money, I'm not sure if it's worth it.

Is there any benefit in this for residency? I'm considering EM as a specialty so I don't know if tissue engineering is iimportant. Is it on the same level as research done in medical school? Any advice is appreciated.

Heres the way that I looked at it for this summer (and I'm going to be between MS1 and MS2)... This is my main requirements for this summer:
1) I need to get a job that paid at least enough money to cover rent (leftover money from MS1 loans should get me through with everything else)
2) I needed to find the above job that would hire me for a limited time (just the summer) but would still give me a couple weeks off to relax or take a vacation
3) It would be really nice if this job looked good on my CV when applying for residency a few years down the road

With that said I'm going to be doing EM research at a level 1 trauma center this summer. You definitely don't need research if you want to go into EM, but it can't hurt you and it will still look [at least somewhat] attractive a few years from now if you decide to apply for a residency in a different field. Another plus to doing research in a field you think you're interested in is maybe you'll find out that you don't like it, or maybe you'll be exposed to some other type of medicine that you like more. Yet another plus is that you'll get to meet some docs early could act as your mentors and guide you throughout med school. So the bottom line is if you need the $$, unless theres something else that you'd much much rather be doing, then I would do the research.

 

[ZagDoc]

Is this true? What if you have published prior to starting medical school? Will residency programs look favorably upon this research experience?

All impressions I have garnered are no, pretty much everything you do up till the day you matriculate doesn't mean jack to residencies.

Research in medical school is as much about networking as it is about being able to put the little nugget on your match application.

 

[Bushido416]

Summer research can be very helpful especially if you get a mentor who takes an interest in you and is willing to have you back the next summer or something like that. Or it can help you decide you don't ever want a job where research is involved. I've been doing a full year of military research and I matriculate in the fall. I don't think when residency programs see my application they will be able to say oh these 5 novel publications with his name on it don't mean jack because he didn't even have his first year of anatomy under his belt. Any research that can get you published or get you working with someone to make connections with other people can be helpful later on in life. I haven't had med school experience but in real world it's not always what you know it's who you know. Relaxing sounds like a wonderful idea but being out in the real world away from school and study routines made me miss it so bad I'm feel that I'm going to attack it harder than people who are still in their senioritis stage and just got back from chillin at the beach. But oh well what do i know *shrug

 

[167649]

All impressions I have garnered are no, pretty much everything you do up till the day you matriculate doesn't mean jack to residencies.

Research in medical school is as much about networking as it is about being able to put the little nugget on your match application.

The research experience itself may be of no interest to them, but publications are permanent additions to your CV.

 

[diosa428]

Basically, you can put it on your residency apps, but unless you do research IN medical school, no one is going to be impressed that you did a couple of months before you started medical school. If you show continued interest in research, that's more what matters, and those 3 months are certainly not going to make or break your app. Do it if you really want to, but I'd advise relaxing and spending time w/friends and family.

I also agree with whoever said that publications are always helpful. However it's highly unlikely that you will end up with a pub doing summer research, unless you are like 18th author, which isn't that great.

 

[dizzyorange]

oops

 

[Maxprime]

I also agree with whoever said that publications are always helpful. However it's highly unlikely that you will end up with a pub doing summer research, unless you are like 18th author, which isn't that great.

If someone is only going to be in the lab for a few months, odds of them getting authorship definitely decreases compared to someone else who helped out but is sticking around.

I'm sure there are exceptions to this - but I can't imagine coming into a new lab on a new project and authoring a paper in just 2-3 months. Most grad students take a full month just to analyze data, tie up loose ends, make the other authors happy, and get the thing submitted.

 

[167649]

If someone is only going to be in the lab for a few months, odds of them getting authorship definitely decreases compared to someone else who helped out but is sticking around.

I'm sure there are exceptions to this - but I can't imagine coming into a new lab on a new project and authoring a paper in just 2-3 months. Most grad students take a full month just to analyze data, tie up loose ends, make the other authors happy, and get the thing submitted.

Ditto. We used to have medical students come through the lab on summer rotations, and ask us "So, how many papers am I going to put out?" I'd answer "Uhhh....about zero."

If it is a simple case study in the realm of clinical research, I guess it could be possible to jam something out in a few months. But with basic science, it can take years of work to get a pub. Basic science publications (especially first authored) are very difficult and time consuming.

 

[Mr hawkings]

Basically, you can put it on your residency apps, but unless you do research IN medical school, no one is going to be impressed that you did a couple of months before you started medical school. If you show continued interest in research, that's more what matters, and those 3 months are certainly not going to make or break your app. Do it if you really want to, but I'd advise relaxing and spending time w/friends and family.

I also agree with whoever said that publications are always helpful. However it's highly unlikely that you will end up with a pub doing summer research, unless you are like 18th author, which isn't that great.

What if said research was for a few years (before matriculation) and the research area was directly related to the residency field. I would think that publications would help. Am i wrong?

 

[diosa428]

What if said research was for a few years (before matriculation) and the research area was directly related to the residency field. I would think that publications would help. Am i wrong?

Publications ALWAYS help. That's what I was saying. But doing research before med school, while certainly not overlooked, will never help you as much as doing significant research IN med school - unless that research happens to also come with an additional degree (ie, PhD, MPH is often helpful w/residency apps as well). Doing research in med school is what matters b/c it demonstrates that you're interested in research/academics, which is often what the big powerhouse residencies are looking for. However, most premeds do research before med school.... that's not really going to help you stand out.

Also, I'm willing to be that if you did research in the area you eventually ended up doing residency in, and you never did any research in that area as a med student, residencies would wonder why.

 

[167649]

What if said research was for a few years (before matriculation) and the research area was directly related to the residency field. I would think that publications would help. Am i wrong?

I'll say again, publications are permanent additions to your CV. They are one of the very few exceptions to the "clean slate" rule, in that (unlike things like EC's) they don't reset at every stage of your training, they carry over. The research experience itself, however, does not carry over.

So the publications will always be there. As far as research before MS1, diosa summed me up pretty well.

Since we are on the subject of publications; as myself and others have already said, it almost always takes a long time and a lot of effort to publish. But even spending a long time in the lab doesn't necessarily mean that you will get one. You have no idea how the study will turn out, what results you get. You don't know if your results will be acceptable to a journal. Many people do studies for years without any succesful publications. Never, ever do research only for the sake of getting your name on pub-med to boost a resume, you're wasting your time and setting yourself up for dissapointment. Do research because you like it. If you can get a publication, all the better, but try to worry about the study itself and what you are learning from the experience.