What % of MS1's do research in the first year?

[WillHague007]

Hi,
I'm going to start my first year of Med school at UCI Med and was interested in applying to a 'competitive' residency program (plastics or ortho) after my four years of medical school. I know that the USMLE scores play a big part as well as the clinical rotations but I also have heard that you need to do research in the field that you want to apply to to land a competitive residency. I've done alot of research at the undergrad and graduate level so I'm used to juggling labwork and my studies. However, I was interested in knowing how many medical student actually do research during their MS1 year? Do a lot of people just wait for the summer between MS1 and MSII or is it better to get started as soon as possible?

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[Deuce 007 MD]

Most people I know about 1/4 of the class do a summer research project or a medical mission in some other country. The only people that I know who do research during year one are mstp and maybe be about 1-2 who aren't mstp.

 

[Rod Farva]

The thing about research in med school is that it seems to really only help your application to residency if you do research specifically in the field you are applying for.... so if you spend time doing, say, plastics research now, get published etc then decide to go into IM or something, you pretty much wasted your time. If you already have some undergrad pubs etc you might hold off until you're sure of what you want to go into. Take my advice with a grain of salt because I am just a third year, I absolutely hate research, and won't do it unless absolutely necessary to match, but in order to specifically help boost you in the eyes of a residency program you pretty much need to do your research in that field.

 

[Yogi Bear]

it depends on where u go to school. i.e. if u go to duke, everyone does research. if u're starting at vandy for class of 2008, everyone is required to do research for 3 semesters + summer.

 

[Skialta]

I would say 40% of my class did research during the summer after M1. There are a few of us doing research throughout the year, but I would be pretty confident in what you want to do, I don't think ortho research would be great help to get an integrated plastics residency.

 

[Odaroloc]

Your research absolutely does not need to correlate to the field you are interested in. Programs like to see an interest in research, and most any research will help you. So it is not a waste of time...I would say 40% doesn't sound off, but I have no stats.

 

[USFOptho]

Roughly 30% did straight bench research our summer off, while another 10% did some sort of public health/AHEC research.

It's all about what you want to do...

Derm?

Better do research starting that summer.

 

[VienneseWaltz]

Your research absolutely does not need to correlate to the field you are interested in. Programs like to see an interest in research, and most any research will help you. So it is not a waste of time...I would say 40% doesn't sound off, but I have no stats.

I second this. No one expects you to know your first summer what you want to do. From what I've been told, it is very important that you do SOME kind of research for derm and ortho, but if you didn't do it in those specialties you aren't barred from them. Programs are interested that you understand the research process more than anything. Of course, it helps if you did research in that area, but it's certainly not a pre-requisite. If you are worried, you can always do a research elective in your field early in 4th year.

 

[cmz]

If you actually like research ... or you're pretty darn curious about it.. then give it a try. I strongly urge your to check out HHMI's med fellows pre-doctoral program. It lasts a year and they pay you well.

Here's a link showing you who is doing research this year: http://www.hhmi.org/news/072004.html

From there you can find links to the Med Fellows program and the NIH-HHMI Research Scholars program. Basically, the med fellows program can be done at ANY research institution in the US or abroad (as long as your PI is affiliated with a US institution), and the Research Scholars program is done at the NIH. You get a generous stipend, a research allowance ($5500 in all), and health insurance.

Also, you do not necessarily have to do research in the field that you want to go into. It's extremely helpful to a) see first-hand how research is carried out; b) gain a different perspective by looking at scientific endevors that are perhaps un-related to your field of interest; c) learn to critically-think. Etc etc etc. At any rate, at least this would be something unique, and will definately give you excellent exposure to biomed research.

 

[cmz]

Roughly 30% did straight bench research our summer off, while another 10% did some sort of public health/AHEC research.

It's all about what you want to do...

Derm?

Better do research starting that summer.

You know, I think more MD/PhD-types should actually go into Dermatology. Perhaps we can start translating the stuff we do at the bench and bring it to the bed side... instead of scraping, applying steroids, etc or topical hydrophilic enhancers aka moisturizers.

 

[WatchingWaiting]

I think the correct statement is that competitive residencies like research in general, and especially like research in the field to which you are applying. Here is UCSF radiology residency's statement about how they value research. I would assume that ortho, derm, and the rest of the competitive fields are similar.

http://www.radiology.ucsf.edu/residents/application.shtml

"We evaluate research based on several factors, including letters of recommendation from scientific mentors, publications in peer-reviewed journals (with greater weight for first-authored papers), presentations at scientific meetings, and if applicable, grants, awards, or patents. Our primary goal is to assess the potential for an academic career.

We appraise clinical research on the basis of its relevance to an academic career in radiology. We give greatest esteem to the minority of applicants who have spent a year or more carrying out hypothesis-driven research or other prospective research, although we also give due credit to those who have devoted time to retrospective projects.

We expect that applicants with backgrounds in basic or translational science will be able to articulate the relevance of their research to radiology and the expected role of laboratory research in their future careers. In our selection process, basic or translational research does not carry much weight if it was performed before medical school or for less than one year, or if it did not produce peer-reviewed publications."

 

[HiddenTruth]

The thing about research in med school is that it seems to really only help your application to residency if you do research specifically in the field you are applying for.... so if you spend time doing, say, plastics research now, get published etc then decide to go into IM or something, you pretty much wasted your time. If you already have some undergrad pubs etc you might hold off until you're sure of what you want to go into. Take my advice with a grain of salt because I am just a third year, I absolutely hate research, and won't do it unless absolutely necessary to match, but in order to specifically help boost you in the eyes of a residency program you pretty much need to do your research in that field.

I totally disagree with your comment about research being worthless unless applicable to the field you are going to.

Yes, it helps, if research is geared towards a specialty you are going into; however, it is not limited to. All PD's and medical professionals know that most research is started and done in the early years of one's medical career (MS1 and MS2). Many people do not have a clue as to what specialty they want to get into that early on. Research is not only for the sake of publication and working with amazing mentors so u get good LOR's--it shows that you can mutitaks, can be foccused on academics, do well, and simultaneously manage your time to work on a credible research project. Whether your research is in plastics or ortho, it ALWAYS helps you to put that on your CV. I agree, that doing research in the respected field you plan on getting to can help you more, but research in a field that you do not enter, does not mean any less--because the ultimate finding is that you as a very busy medical student is able to carry on a signifacnt, worthwhile research project while maintaining your course work--it shows perseverence, motication, hard work, and much more, all being irrelevant as to what field you do your research in.

Now don't get me wrong, you also have to do credible research to mean something. Most research involves lots of time and takes a lot of time to get published. So, when people ask about summer research--it's very dificult to publish something out of a 2 month summer, unless it's clinical research. Often times, it takes a lot more than 2 months to publish something worthwhile. But, again it only helps you by even if it's doing summer research because you make some invanluable connections, and you can alwyas go back in one of your elective months to finish up where you left of (for those of you who start a bit late, or have elctive months in MS2).

All in all, research is an incredible experience, and you don't know whether you will like it unless you try it. And although research is not a requirement for any residency program, more and more programs look at it today. Additionally, it sets you apart from the next applicant. And with more and more people pursuing research in thier academic career, it's almost as if you HAVE to have some kind of research on your CV to be even considered as a competetive applicant.

OP: If you're interested, i have written several posts on this subject. Here is the link for a thorough response:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=1427464#post1427464

Good luck.

HT