What's the best way to go about getting involved in research for publications?

[futuredo2021ihope]

So I'm currently a first year osteopathic med student, and I am really looking for ways to boost my CV. My school has no direct research facilities, but I am really determined on finding a project to work on, especially this summer. Any tips on who I should contact or if anyone knows any researchers currently open to taking an eager (albeit desperate) first year under their wing this summer?

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[sab3156]

It's really good that you are thinking about research early on. A lot of DO students find themselves without any options in 3rd or 4th year, and are forced into specialties they don't want. I really think you should first think about what field you are likely interested in, and start exploring there. Your goal should not just be to beef up your CV, but to open doors for residency. Where are you located/what school do you go to? How much time do you get for summer break?

 

[futuredo2021ihope]

It's really good that you are thinking about research early on. A lot of DO students find themselves without any options in 3rd or 4th year, and are forced into specialties they don't want. I really think you should first think about what field you are likely interested in, and start exploring there. Your goal should not just be to beef up your CV, but to open doors for residency. Where are you located/what school do you go to? How much time do you get for summer break?

I am currently attending LECOM in Bradenton, FL, and we are given just about 2.5 months off in the summer.
In terms of my interest, I haven't closed myself off to any one specialty as yet, but I am eager to explore heme/onc, dermatology, and ped. oncology. I understand the competition for D.O's is much higher, and with the merging, I am not sure what the process will look like for obtaining residencies (I've been told endlessly to "trust the process" haha). What's your academic background? Do you have any recommendations/advice on how I should go about this search?

 

[sab3156]

I am currently attending LECOM in Bradenton, FL, and we are given just about 2.5 months off in the summer.
In terms of my interest, I haven't closed myself off to any one specialty as yet, but I am eager to explore heme/onc, dermatology, and ped. oncology. I understand the competition for D.O's is much higher, and with the merging, I am not sure what the process will look like for obtaining residencies (I've been told endlessly to "trust the process" haha). What's your academic background? Do you have any recommendations/advice on how I should go about this search?

I am a first year DO student, but I worked closely with chairs/PDs/residents/fellows in a very competitive specialty prior to starting medical school, and I can tell you exactly what advice they told me - get involved early, get published, get close to an influential faculty member at an ACGME program, and do well on Step 1. Before and after the merger, it doesn't matter - DOs without research and connections within specialties like Derm do not do well in the match. It's just the nature of the fields - you're competing with some of the strongest applicants from places like Harvard and Stanford, so how is a DO student going to stand out? This is why it really helps to figure your specialty out earlier rather than in 3rd year. At that point, it's going to be a very difficult road for a DO student to build up connections and a competitive research-heavy application.

2.5 months is a lot of time. People at my school get screwed due to having only 5 weeks, because it means a lot of fellowships are turning them down. I would go and ask on the Derm residency forum to see if any residents/fellows have any pointers as to where you can check out research fellowships. I'm not exactly sure how open these types of fellowships in Derm are for DO students. My guess is that you will be sending out a lot of applications.