research?

[exeunt]

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hey guys,

i'm currently a MS1 trying to figure out what to do for the summer. i know the best option would be to get involved in clinical research since i'd only have 2 months to work full time, but i'm having trouble finding any open projects.

i'm still looking, but as a backup i found 2 basic science derm labs that had openings. one is with the chief of my derm dept and the other is with a derm professor. the chief has a pretty good reputation, but i've been told that if i'm only at his lab for 2 months he probably won't even know who i am, whereas the other professor looks out for his med students and tries to help them with apps etc., but doesn't carry the same clout.

i might be able to get a letter from the chief, but i doubt it would be the type of relationship where he could vouch for me. which lab do you guys think it would be a better idea to work for in the summer? many of my upperclassmen friends have told me there's no way i can publish any thing in basic science in just 2 months, so i don't know what would be more important in this situation--name or personal attention? i don't really want to take a year off just to do research, but of course, i will if i have to.. would it be necessary if i did basic science research this summer?

thanks in advance for your help!

 

[comedone]

go with the chief supervised research spot.

my thoughts on how it should go:
- show up day 1 with a smile & above average work ethic
- introduce yourself to everyone, including the boss's secretary
- schedule weekly meetings with the head boss to discuss your project and interest in dermatology. the meetings should be ~10 minutes each so that you aren't a burden. if you can't schedule them, make sure you get 10 minutes a week of face time with the head boss via coffee runs
- be normal and always be positive with regards to your work & helping others with theirs (this shouldn't be hard!!)
- by week 5, the big boss should like you or at least recognize your smiling face
- week 7/8, thank everyone for the educational research experience and promise to keep in touch
- IMPORTANT: keep in touch!
- write 2 thank you letters: one to the head boss and one to the entire dept. give the letters to the secretary thanking her again (consider leaving the letters with a box of homemade brownies or hand picked clementines -- this is a nice touch)
- visit the dept every 3 months with whatever excuse you can conjure... research thoughts, interesting article in xyz, etc. continue your connection with them as an MS2-4. write up case reports & volunteer for intradepartmental presentations
- schedule a meeting with your head boss biannually to discuss your goals and shared interests
- as an MSIV, ask if the chief will support your residency application with an amazing LOR. provide him and his secretary with your CV, personal statement and, if you feel comfortable, a draft LOR

note, all of the above can be done via email if your head boss likes email. i noticed, most people enjoy a smile and in person visit. please excuse all the grammar issues & typos.

just my two cents... GOOD LUCK!

 

[MrKite]

I have a little different take on your question. I think you should choose to start a research project with the lesser-known but easier-to-get-to-know professor. From past experience, both during my PhD work and during the time in which I was trying to get my foot in the Dermatology door, department heads tend to be WAY overbooked as it is. It's likely going to be a challenge to schedule even a couple 10-minute meetings with him/her over the course of a summer, and I think you'd be better served to work with the lesser known guy. You can always get a letter from the chairman after you've spent some time on clinical rotations and after you've been "hanging around" the derm department for a longer period of time, and I honestly feel that there's no better letter than one that comes from someone who knows you well, likes you, and genuinely wants to take (and has) the time to craft a fantastic letter on your behalf.

If you might have a chance on future rotations to work with the chairman in clinic, you could ask to work with him/her on writing up an interesting case report. That will give you a better chance of being published (vs an 8 week stint in a wet lab) and of also getting to know the chairman in advance of residency application.

Honestly, I think you could come up with a long list of pros and cons to go either way. You could consider meeting with both of them and going with the professor with whom you have quick rapport. You have plenty of time to meet and impress the chairman, too, being an MS1...

 

[exeunt]

thanks so much for your input, i really appreciate it🙂

if i can find a clinical project to work on, would you guys recommend choosing that over the basic science labs? (our residency director supervises clinical research.)

 

[exeunt]

anyone have any advice? :T

 

[volcoff]

I would say do the clinical research project since you'd still get to work with derm faculty and may be more likely to get a published paper out of it depending on the project (esp case report).

 

[exeunt]

thanks for the reply 🙂 that's what i was thinking too, but i've been hearing basic science is more "prestigious" than clinical research and that it's better to do that even if i don't get published(?), so i'm kind of confused now... 😕

 

[comedone]

exeunt,

i think getting published and presenting your work is more important than the prestige factor of bench research. both are great experiences to have.

talk to your advisor about the possible projects and see what stage they are in regarding their timeline. if the bench work is well-constructed and the PI has a track record of grinding out papers -- you could plug in to the project at the perfect time leading to an awesome 2nd author JID paper. conversely, the clinical project could be a 4-year double-blind psoriasis study that won't be completed until after you graduate.

final thought: choose the one that interests you. i'm sure the PDs are more interested in you been happy with your dermatology experience than doing it to fill in an ERAS box.

 

[pupster]

thanks for the reply 🙂 that's what i was thinking too, but i've been hearing basic science is more "prestigious" than clinical research and that it's better to do that even if i don't get published(?), so i'm kind of confused now... 😕

publications > "prestige factor" w/o publications