Case Report..what is it, how do i do it?

[junglist247]

i am a first year, and one of the fourth years who just matched into a specialty i am interested in recommended doing some case reports during the first two years of med school becuase they are not that time intensive.

as i understand it, a case report is a review of an already published case. Is this correct? is there a format to be followed? i have zero research/publication experience so forgive me if this is an ignorant question.

thanks

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[Adcadet]

Not exactly. A case report is a description of an interesting case, frequently one with an unusual presentation. You're not describing a new disease, there is no hypothesis testing, and it involves only one patient (if it involves more than one patient then it's a "case series"). Thus, for many people a case report is a relatively quick way of getting a publication. The key, of course, is to actually see a case that's interesting enough to be written up and published.

 

[dara678]

how easy/difficult is it to get a case report published?

 

[cavaor]

how easy/difficult is it to get a case report published?

It depends on where you are at and where you want to publish. I have a case report I am currently working on with an Infectious Disease doc of a rare infection which presented in one of my patients during medicine. The patient happened to be at a VA and the red tape process has been long and considerable. Likely, its not such a long process if the patient had been at one of our other hospitals.

 

[DOctorJay]

I agree, this is a great way to get your name on something and should be very managable during your summer after first year. Get in touch with a friendly doc in the field you're interested in who has already published some stuff, read his/her stuff to determine interests and approach them enthusiastically.

Be sure to let them know your expectations though. You should be first author, although some docs will bring you along as help and then grab up first authorship so hash this out in the beginning so you don't waste your time.

Best of luck!

 

[vinsoc]

For those who have published case reports, I was just wondering what the typical turn around time is for having a case report published after submission (i.e. the length of time it takes from having it written to having it published in a journal, or at least in press). Thanks!