What is the average number of publications (manuscripts) and posters/oral presentations a medical school applicant has?

[peppathepig]

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Hi everyone! What is the average number of publications (manuscripts) and posters/oral presentations a medical school applicant has? for just MD, and also MD/PhD?

 

[plshelpmeineedhelp]

i would assume 0

 

[sousa7]

MD? 0-1.
MD-PHD? 1-3 most likely

 

[peppathepig]

i would assume 0

just edited my question: what about average number of posters/oral presentations?

 

[peppathepig]

MD? 0-1.
MD-PHD? 1-3 most likely

what about average number of posters/oral presentations? not sure if this differs

 

[deleted1065184]

Average publications for MD applicants is definitely around 0, average for MD/PhD applicants is somewhere between 0-1, with the bulk of applicants still not having a publication. But to be clear, most MD and MD/PhD applicants do not have a publication.

Poster/oral presentations is different, I'd say the average is probably somewhere between 1and 3, with most applicants probably having at least 1. Important to point out this part is speculation.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What do you count as a poster? An internal symposium just for chem majors (example)? A summer program research fair? A regional research fair? A national conference like ASCB? or ABRCMS?

Zero posters. Most applicants are told to focus more on journal articles over posters or abstracts. Most adcom faculty with research are similarly inclined to value publications.

When you become a grad student you can start counting posters and orals... but really articles and grants are most valued.

 

[LizzyM]

Median number of posters/publications by applicants? I'd say Zero.

 

[deleted1065184]

This is really interesting, because virtually every premed, medical student, and resident I know had at least 1 poster presentation somewhere before medical school lol

 

[deleted1065184]

What do you count as a poster? An internal symposium just for chem majors (example)? A summer program research fair? A regional research fair? A national conference like ASCB? or ABRCMS?

Zero posters. Most applicants are told to focus more on journal articles over posters or abstracts. Most adcom faculty with research are similarly inclined to value publications.

When you become a grad student you can start counting posters and orals... but really articles and grants are most valued.

Ofc pubs are valued more than poster/oral presentations, but pubs are also exponentially harder to get lol. OP's post isn't asking about what's more valued, they're asking about what applicants have.

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

Some schools make it so easy to get posters because they hold research symposiums and force anybody who got a research program grant to present a poster.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Ofc pubs are valued more than poster/oral presentations, but pubs are also exponentially harder to get lol. OP's post isn't asking about what's more valued, they're asking about what applicants have.

Given the limited space on the application, whatever one includes has some perceived value. And my answer is still zero (mode) for publications and posters, even though a lot of people list research activities.

 

[mediocrestudent97]

On average, as everyone else has said 0. However if you do have the opportunity to present at a national conference like SfN or get published in a small journal as a 2nd or 3rd author it goes a long way.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

On average, as everyone else has said 0. However if you do have the opportunity to present at a national conference like SfN or get published in a small journal as a 2nd or 3rd author it goes a long way.

I wouldn't turn down those experiences. If you stay in academics, it's good to get that practice.

Note that some medical schools do some limited recruiting at research conferences like SACNAS and ABRCMS. You can also do your own networking with faculty and grad students at the schools on your list.

Presenting your research is something I value (my emphasis) regarding your science and academic competencies, though most adcoms I know focus on grades and MCAT. But the point has also been made that certain schools do more to support student research so it's as much a sign of school resources (privilege) as it is an individual accomplishment.

 

[gyngyn]

The median and mode are zero and zero.

 

[SCallergydoc]

Had 3 first author, 6 co-author and 5-6 poster presentations but also had my PhD prior to Med school.

 

[Zuggelder]

Median number of posters/publications by applicants? I'd say Zero.

I'm curious what your guess is on the median number of publications for interviewees at your T20 school?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'm curious what your guess is on the median number of publications for interviewees at your T20 school?

If it were MD/PhD, I would say 1. I also think it really depends on the school but it's hard sometimes to get a median of 1 among PhD candidates.

 

[LizzyM]

I'm curious what your guess is on the median number of publications for interviewees at your T20 school?

Median is a better measure than mean as the data can be skewed. I'd stay median is zero; less than half of those interviewed have publications.

 

[Lawpy]

Hi everyone! What is the average number of publications (manuscripts) and posters/oral presentations a medical school applicant has? for just MD, and also MD/PhD?

Close to 0 for both. Oral presentations at national level are extremely rare. Posters at national level a bit more common but still rare.

This is for MD. MSTP: probably 1-3 papers and 5-7 posters/presentations at national level (rough guess)

 

[Lawpy]

Some schools make it so easy to get posters because they hold research symposiums and force anybody who got a research program grant to present a poster.

Those are fluff. What matters most are national/international conferences

 

[Zuggelder]

Median is a better measure than mean as the data can be skewed. I'd stay median is zero; less than half of those interviewed have publications.

I don't know about you, but a growing pet peeve of mine is seeing students listing journal supplement abstracts and non-peer-reviewed conference papers as "publications."

 

[LizzyM]

I don't know about you, but a growing pet peeve of mine is seeing students listing journal supplement abstracts and non-peer-reviewed conference papers as "publications."

Technically, they are "publications" but an adcom can choose to give them whatever weight it chooses. It may not be much weight.

Don't measure your application against "average" or whatever. You do you, the best you can, and hope that it is enough.

 

[CatDad26]

Published 5 original research articles (3 first-author), 7 review papers (5 first author), and 1 book chapter (second author) but still only had 1 T20 interview. 4 national research conference presentations (3 being first and presenting author). I have a BS and took 2 gap years.

Despite this, this cycle I had 6 II's resulting in 1 A and 5 WLs. No MD/PhD II's.

Posting this just to shed light to the fact that publications and presentations aren't everything. My stats were decent but nothing crazy, and I think that's what must've held me back. I shot for a research heavy app but slacked on academics, thinking it would be fine, but clearly it wasn't.

It didn't seem to hold much weight for med apps, but hoping these research accomplishments will at least help me down the road for residency apps 😂 .

 

[mediocrestudent97]

Published 5 original research articles (3 first-author), 7 review papers (5 first author), and 1 book chapter (second author) but still only had 1 T20 interview. 4 national research conference presentations (3 being first and presenting author). I have a BS and took 2 gap years.

Despite this, this cycle I had 6 II's resulting in 1 A and 5 WLs. No MD/PhD II's.

Posting this just to shed light to the fact that publications and presentations aren't everything. My stats were decent but nothing crazy, and I think that's what must've held me back. I shot for a research heavy app but slacked on academics, thinking it would be fine, but clearly it wasn't.

It didn't seem to hold much weight for med apps, but hoping these research accomplishments will at least help me down the road for residency apps 😂 .

I was the same.. shot for a research heavy app and highlighted my extensive service experience.
Did two years of research post grad at the NIH.
Luckily got 7 offers but none T20 (didn’t even apply to any cause GPA was so low)…but in the interviews I got my research accomplishments were always mentioned but they focused way more on my service, sports, etc.
Agree in thinking it’s just a box to check of having done rather than publishing/presenting a ridiculous amount

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I don't know that many undergrads who would be able to go to 5-7 national conferences without significant funding assistance and a lot of time off from schoolwork.

Can we officially...