Summer research dilemma

[Salt Salt]

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I'm an M1 at a research-oriented school in a big city, very interested in academic psychiatry. I have the possibility of creating my own research project in a very small town, with guaranteed funding and housing, and no application process. Research in an idyllic small town would be great, as I'm getting really burnt out with living in a big city. On the other hand, I have the opportunity to stay at my own university, working with a well-known researcher on a really cool project. This would involve applying for an NIH student grant, which is a hassle (but I've been told winning one is good for an aspiring academic physician's CV). I know that residencies don't care that much about summer research as an M1, but any advice is appreciated. Would one of these options be better than the other for keeping open the option of a career in academic psych?

Both would have the opportunity to publish, but if I stayed at my university, it would likely go to a better journal, be with well-known co-authors, and might even involve more than one paper.

Pros of small town:
Much preferred location
Better lifestyle (probably)
Free housing, with perks
No application process

Pros of staying at my institution:
Institution has well-known psych department
Would work with a big name PI
PI would be a good mentor in the field as well
Better/more publications, possibly
Would involve getting an NIH student grant - good for CV?

 

[wolfvgang22]

What a great problem to have! Any chance you could do one this year, and the other next year?

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

You probably will have no problems matching at your home institution, but the university research may help give you an advocate during your match.

 

[Salt Salt]

What a great problem to have! Any chance you could do one this year, and the other next year?

The M1 summer is the last "free summer" that med students at my school will have. So unfortunately, I have to pick—although there is a chance for substantial research in our fourth year.

 

[HarryMTieboutMD]

Where will you be a competitive applicant will be dictated chiefly by 1) Your Step 1 score, 2) Your academic performance, 3) where you go to medical school (actual order can vary). Then comes everything else- the content of the research (2 months) likely won't matter all that much. If you really want to, you can apply for some of the well known 1 year fellowships after MS2/MS3 (Doris Duke, etc) to establish a legitimate portfolio.

HOWEVER, in thinking about your long term future in academia, having an amazing mentor is absolutely indispensable. I had three throughout medical school, who are huge names in psychiatry, neurology, and addiction medicine, and one of the former got me in contact with another huge name in academic psychiatry, with whom I did a rotation and had a letter. I had recommendations from all four, and though I have no idea if it impacted where programs ranked me (I matched at my #1), at every interview the interviewer would bring up my rec letters and specifically how he or she is friends with Dr. _______. More importantly, I still communicate regularly with my mentors and talk about interesting cases, career advice, etc. And I'm continuing to do this in residency (big name department with a lot of well known psychiatrists).

 

[mats7]

Where you be a competitive applicant will be dictated chiefly by 1) Your Step 1 score, 2) Your academic performance, 3) where you go to medical school (actual order can vary). Then comes everything else- the content of the research (2 months) likely won't matter all that much. If you really want to, you can apply for some of the well known 1 year fellowships after MS2/MS3 (Doris Duke, etc) to establish a legitimate portfolio.

HOWEVER, in thinking about your long term future in academia, having an amazing mentor is absolutely indispensable. I had three throughout medical school, who are huge names in psychiatry, neurology, and addiction medicine, and one of the former got me in contact with another huge name in academic psychiatry, with whom I did a rotation and had a letter. I had recommendations from all four, and though I have no idea if it impacted where programs ranked me (I matched at my #1), at every interview the interviewer would bring up my rec letters and specifically how he or she is friends with Dr. _______. More importantly, I still communicate regularly with my mentors and talk about interesting cases, career advice, etc. And I'm continuing to do this in residency (big name department with a lot of well known psychiatrists).

Crap! How much does where you go to medical school matter? =(

 

[notdeadyet]

Crap! How much does where you go to medical school matter? =(

In general, you're as good as your last position. Where you went to undergrad may have seemed important when applying to medical school, but by the time you're applying for residency, no one cares about undergrad.

You can be a stand-out applicant going to any medical school, but going to a good program can improve your chances of getting into a particularly competitive residency. Once you finish residency, your ability to get your first good academic job can be greatly helped by going to a good residency. After that, your last job is most important.

Having said that, the most important thing that follows you around in academics is where you went to residency. I have no idea where anyone went to medical school, but I know where most went to residency, even once they've been faculty for a good while. Only in academia do you commonly run into the issue of talking to someone at a social event and saying, So, where are you from? and getting the reply, "Duke." No, I mean, where are you from geographically? "Oh, White Plains..." This has happened to me more than twice.

 

[mats7]

In general, you're as good as your last position. Where you went to undergrad may have seemed important when applying to medical school, but by the time you're applying for residency, no one cares about undergrad.

You can be a stand-out applicant going to any medical school, but going to a good program can improve your chances of getting into a particularly competitive residency. Once you finish residency, your ability to get your first good academic job can be greatly helped by going to a good residency. After that, your last job is most important.

Having said that, the most important thing that follows you around in academics is where you went to residency. I have no idea where anyone went to medical school, but I know where most went to residency, even once they've been faculty for a good while. Only in academia do you commonly run into the issue of talking to someone at a social event and saying, So, where are you from? and getting the reply, "Duke." No, I mean, where are you from geographically? "Oh, White Plains..." This has happened to me more than twice.

I have been going to a few social events with big names and the first thing people ask is, "Where did you go to medical school?" Second question is, "Well, where did you go to undergrad?" I turned down a highly ranked school to go to a cheaper school and I'm never sure if it was the right decision! But it's good to know residency matters a lot!

 

[HarryMTieboutMD]

I have been going to a few social events with big names and the first thing people ask is, "Where did you go to medical school?" Second question is, "Well, where did you go to undergrad?" I turned down a highly ranked school to go to a cheaper school and I'm never sure if it was the right decision! But it's good to know residency matters a lot!

That's just it; where you went to college and medical school become interesting pieces for conversation, but that's about it.

Example:
Important faculty member: Where'd you go to medical school?
Me: Florida
Faculty member: So you're a Gator?
Me: Yeah but I did my undergrad at Michigan, so I bleed Maize and Blue (and depending on to whom I am talking, I will insult tim tebow/urban meyer)
Rinse, repeat.

I've seen similar convos happen among my colleagues for Harvard, Yale, and the like though instead of football the conversation is steered toward "oh what house were you in?" For professional advancement, it's all about residency, what you do in residency, and beyond...