Post by drdrizzle on Mar 24, 2007 9:58:52 GMT -5
If you want get into a solid IM program or have a specific location in mind research is key. At the better programs, they want you to be interested in research. I have meet quite a few students interviewing that wanted to do cards or whatever. “I would really love to be a cardiologist but I hate having to do all this BS research to get me there.” That’s not the kind of attitude that will get you far in medicine. Why do program directors care that you do research??? This is how I see it from their perspective. They want to train doctors that will eventually become academic faculty. Hopefully, some of them will become “big names” and thus make their program look good in the future. You could be a amazing clinical, but no one will really know who you are except your patients and the doctors in your community (I admit I am biased here). By contributing to the medical literature, you leave a much bigger mark and eventually help the reputation of the program in the long run by becoming chairman, president, department head, nobel prize winner etc. It’s a much better return on their investment for the effort they spend in training you. Many good programs pride themselves on how many of their residents go on to academia. After all, medical school rankings are largely based on NIH dollars and such. Also, residents can help the attendings themselves publish more themselves, esp if the residents are actively looking for opportunities. They want residents who aren’t doing basic science or clinical research just to get ahead, they want residents who are wanting to do it b/c they like it, b/c they want to build their own academic careers. Almost every interview I went on, I would be asked what my career plans are or what I see myself doing 10 years from now. My answer was always, “hopefully, be in a position like yourself. Being a good clinical but also teaching and doing clinical and/or basic science research in an area that I am interested in.” That is kind of the answer they are looking for. So how can you get them to believe you? Simply by showing that you actively participating in scholarly activity as a medical student. Past behavior predicts future success in their minds. Whether you want to do academics or not is up to you. Whether you want to tell them you have no interest in it all is also up to you. But realize that it will be a uphill battle. An otherwise strong application CAN overcome these biases. If you truly do want to do academics, simply saying so is not enough to convince anyone either. You have to prove it with your application and when you interview. Therefore even if you only did only a little, if you spin it right on your application/interview it can only help you. And to clarify, if you have a good application, you can get into any top IM program in the country. Doing some kind of scholarly activity will increase your chances of going where you want. Having some kind of research experience will become more important very quickly when in a year or two you have to apply for a fellowship. The more competitive they get, the sooner you have to start building your resume.