What are ways to improve your resume during the summer?

[LebLlama]

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This summer I plan to:

Spend time with my wife and son
Study for step 1
Relax


but I also want to do something to improve my application come residency time. What is the best thing to do to improve my chances? Research? Volunteering?

thanks

 

[mcloaf]

Are you an M1?

 

[LebLlama]

yes...

 

[mcloaf]

Dedicated step studying seems like a waste to me, but your curriculum might be different than mine.

Anyway, I'd try to hop on a research project in a field that interests you.

 

[Gracile]

Please do not study for Step I summer after first year.

The best things to do are to either relax if you're not shooting for a competitive specialty, or to do research.

G'luck!

 

[Kaputt]

Relax and take your family on a vacation! You have the gift of a summer break. You'll never get another one again. Don't waste it by doing some worthless Step 1 prep that won't budge your eventual score by more than a quarter of a point.

 

[LebLlama]

Thanks for your responses. Research is probably the best way to invest time if I'm going to do something. Hope I can find an appropriate research gig by then.

Kaputt yes I agree to enjoy my last summer lol. I'm taking my wife and kids to Disneyworld! 😀 I'm curious, why would you say studying for step 1 wont improve your score? If nothing else, wouldn't reviewing material from the 1st year be beneficial?

 

[LebLlama]

oh and does undergrad research count at all? Or is that not applicable to residency applications anymore.

 

[DrEnderW]

oh and does undergrad research count at all? Or is that not applicable to residency applications anymore.

It does but doesn't carry as much weight from what I have been told. Publications will always be on your CV.

 

[evilbooyaa]

Do research if you want something academic to do.

Reviewing Step 1 material is not high-yield in the summer between MS1 and MS2. You're more than welcome to do it, but the vast majority of SDNers (who as a group are all about studying/pre-studying/post-exam studying/etc.) believe there are two times when you should definitely not study - The summer before MS1, and the summer between MS1 and MS2.