Year off to do research programs after 3rd year

[azncajun]

Hi all,

I was hoping to get some feedback on your experience if you took some time off after 3rd year to do research for a year. I'm in the middle of my third year right now and thinking about going into a surgical subspecialty. Unfortunately, I scheduled my opthalmology and urology rotations at the very end of third year and I'm not sure which one I'm planning to go into.

The option of a year off doing a structured research year program like Howard Hughes or NIH-Clinical scholars has crossed my mind for doing research in the specialty I'm interested in applying and just taking time off. I've got some basic science research under my belt that I've presented at national conferences, but I've been hearing from residency directors that it's important to do research in opthalmology and urology too especially for the residencies at academic institutions.

So, my question is for those of you who may have taken time off to do either Howard Hughes or NIH, how much did it help for your residency application? Also a broader question for 4th years out there, is it essential to do research in whatever specialty you're planning to go into 3rd year? I'm doing ob/gyn right now and spending most of my life at the hospital. I'm concerned that if I try to pick up a research project, I'll end up doing a crappy job on both things just because of time constraints.

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[ski_bum]

I have a friend who did something similar, but took a different approach.

He decided fairly late that he wanted to go into ENT (which is often reasonably competitive here in Canada), but went through with his 4th year application process nonetheless. What he did was applied only to ENT, and only to programs that he was really interested in. He went unmatched. He then used the ensuing year to do a MSc in surgery at the institution he was most interested in for ENT, and then reapplied for ENT in the following year's match. He successfully matched to his first choice.

I dunno if this helps at all, but the approach my friend took was to at least try and get in through the normal stream, and then to go the research route when it didn't work out.

(I don't know, though, how the second application/match would work in the US, or if it would be entirely different)

 

[Blake]

He then used the ensuing year to do a MSc in surgery at the institution he was most interested in for ENT, and then reapplied for ENT in the following year's match.

I suppose he applied to the Msc after getting the match results, right ? It's something I could end up doing... It's just that I thought one needs to apply way early (even before the match results are out) or make a deal with the research faculty (if I get the residency, then bye and wish you success with your research. If I don't, I spend a year with you guys).

 

[miko2005]

Hi all,

I was hoping to get some feedback on your experience if you took some time off after 3rd year to do research for a year. I'm in the middle of my third year right now and thinking about going into a surgical subspecialty. Unfortunately, I scheduled my opthalmology and urology rotations at the very end of third year and I'm not sure which one I'm planning to go into.

The option of a year off doing a structured research year program like Howard Hughes or NIH-Clinical scholars has crossed my mind for doing research in the specialty I'm interested in applying and just taking time off. I've got some basic science research under my belt that I've presented at national conferences, but I've been hearing from residency directors that it's important to do research in opthalmology and urology too especially for the residencies at academic institutions.

So, my question is for those of you who may have taken time off to do either Howard Hughes or NIH, how much did it help for your residency application? Also a broader question for 4th years out there, is it essential to do research in whatever specialty you're planning to go into 3rd year? I'm doing ob/gyn right now and spending most of my life at the hospital. I'm concerned that if I try to pick up a research project, I'll end up doing a crappy job on both things just because of time constraints.

I did the HHMI fellowship after my 3rd year. I really loved it, and it turned out to be a very productive year for me (2 first author publications, one second author paper and a presentation at a major conference). I would definitely recommend it. Since I am just now applying for residencies, I am not sure how much it helps my application. Since I am interested in research, I am applying to academic institutions but for marriage reasons, I am restricted to the Bay Area. Feel free to ask me more questions about HHMI fellowship. The application and proposal did take a while to do.

 

[PhDtoDO]

The guy who did the felowship and loved it is probably a better bet, but I was a fellow at the NIH too, just before grad school...totally totally loved it and hung out with HHughes med students.

It's surprizingly not that competitive, self-selection definitely. But having worked at the NIH is huge....what you gain and what your resume gains, even if you didn't publish. Once you move forward in medicine, you get pretty locked in with scheduling etc.

It's a fun year, you can take classes etc, and its very social.

Not done it, but totally recommend it...great for help with burn out too.

Just my opinion.

-s