What if your research doesn't get published??

[95439]

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I just completed a month long rotation doing research on Acute Ischemic Stroke imaging, and was told I would have at least 1, if not 2 articles with my name on them by the end of the month. However, my preceptor told me today (the last day of the rotation), that unless I come in more, that will not be the case....I have two away rotations coming up, and it will be difficult, if not impossible to do so. Does anyone know how this will affect my chances of getting a good residency? I put down on my ERAS application that I 'should be be published in November or December'...what should I do? I really don't want the main topic at my interviews to be 'so why aren't you published when you said you would be'?

 

[typhoonegator]

Research almost never behaves the way you want it to. Your issue isn't really that you don't have a publication, its that you said you would.

Personally, I think many people put way to much weight on publications for your career stage. While they are nice to have, I prefer to see applicants that delved into a research project that affirmed their interest in neurology rather than someone who wrote up some BS case report that was clearly ghostwritten by the last author. You'll have plenty of time to worry about your publication history when you're fighting for a K-23.

So, hopefully you've learned to not count your chickens before they've hatched. Moving forward, if someone asks you about your publications, just tell them that you really enjoyed your project on X, but that you haven't had enough time to amass a large enough sample size to give you enough power blah blah blah. Problem solved.

 

[95439]

Research almost never behaves the way you want it to. Your issue isn't really that you don't have a publication, its that you said you would.

Personally, I think many people put way to much weight on publications for your career stage. While they are nice to have, I prefer to see applicants that delved into a research project that affirmed their interest in neurology rather than someone who wrote up some BS case report that was clearly ghostwritten by the last author. You'll have plenty of time to worry about your publication history when you're fighting for a K-23.

So, hopefully you've learned to not count your chickens before they've hatched. Moving forward, if someone asks you about your publications, just tell them that you really enjoyed your project on X, but that you haven't had enough time to amass a large enough sample size to give you enough power blah blah blah. Problem solved.

Thanks Typhoonegotiator....I appreciate it and it alleviates some of my concerns. So you don't think a residency program that I've received an interview to is going to change their mind about me because it turns out I haven't been published? (There's still a chance I might, I just obviously don't want to say 'for sure' anymore...). Are there any programs notorious for being sticklers about research? Thanks again for your help and advice!

 

[PhakeDoc]

Research almost never behaves the way you want it to.

Rinse. Lather. Repeat x 1000. If I was stating it, I'd actually take out the "almost".

 

[Amos]

Thanks Typhoonegotiator....I appreciate it and it alleviates some of my concerns. So you don't think a residency program that I've received an interview to is going to change their mind about me because it turns out I haven't been published? (There's still a chance I might, I just obviously don't want to say 'for sure' anymore...). Are there any programs notorious for being sticklers about research? Thanks again for your help and advice!

Blue-Sorry to hear about the research thing. It's a bit unfortunate you listed it on your application since it is now fair game during the interivew. I think the vast majority of people that do research understand how long it can take to get stuff published (espeically basic science). However you now run the risk of running into someone that thinks you were intentionally trying to overstate your application.

The good news is a lot of places don't read your application too closely. They will just remember you mentioned something about a research project you were helping with. Just be ready to talk about how your team is still in the process of preparing the manuscripts and be able to describe how you contributed in depth.

I'm not a program director, but not having any papers should not count against you most places.

 

[typhoonegator]

Well, there are places that weigh research heavily in their decisions, but publication != actual research in all cases.

Focus on the positives, and tell them about all the research you did on acute stroke neuroimaging. Tell them that it isn't ready for prime-time yet, but you're trying to put a manuscript together. Done and done.

 

[95439]

Unfortunately, I sortakinda mentioned it in my personal statement too, so I think it's hard to miss. It's just frustrating, because I was promised that I would get a paper published during my month there....so I feel as though it's not really my fault. But obviously I can't say anything bad about it during an interview...
Regardless, thank you guys for the advice and support. I appreciate it! I'll just have to go in some more and see what I can drum up on the research front..(it's an interesting project anyway).