question re: research relevancy to pathology

[E.A. Poe]

This is a question about the relevancy of lab research to applying to pathology programs. My understanding is that its all good, but want to know what the "real story" is.

I have the opportunity to do some research in my former field with a prof at my med school. He's a PhD and not in the pathology dept. I will busy with another project next summer so will most likely be working on a very part time basis. There is a good chance for publication, but I need to get a better feel for how this guy manages authorship on his publications before I call it a great chance. The project seems like a fairly easy "guaranteed" submission, though. Maybe my time could be better used though...

When doing research does it make the most sense to do it with someone who can give you a great letter of rec (that matters to residency programs?). How should I balance someone not being able to provide that with the ability to keep publishing?

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[b&ierstiefel]

This is a question about the relevancy of lab research to applying to pathology programs. My understanding is that its all good, but want to know what the "real story" is.

I have the opportunity to do some research in my former field with a prof at my med school. He's a PhD and not in the pathology dept. I will busy with another project next summer so will most likely be working on a very part time basis. There is a good chance for publication, but I need to get a better feel for how this guy manages authorship on his publications before I call it a great chance. The project seems like a fairly easy "guaranteed" submission, though. Maybe my time could be better used though...

When doing research does it make the most sense to do it with someone who can give you a great letter of rec (that matters to residency programs?). How should I balance someone not being able to provide that with the ability to keep publishing?

I've never sensed any prerequisite necessity to do pathology research in order to be competitive for path residency programs...but i haven't matched yet.

 

[LADoc00]

Publications impress the only person who really matters in the match process, the chairman. Who likely is a researcher and doesnt give a hairy monkey's nut sack you know the difference between marginal zone lymphoma with plasmacytoid features and mutliple myeloma.

Ironically, once you get into path, that same basic research wont buy you a machine dispensed 25cent cup of coffee when it comes time to find a path job.

Hence the whole bait and switch plan, often used by MD/Phds to get 2 free years of medical education then bail after a year of PhD, get a MS and suck up the last 2 years of the MD at full price, overall a solid fiscal strategy worthy of an Enron exec. but I diverge....

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Publications impress the only person who really matters in the match process, the chairman. Who likely is a researcher and doesnt give a hairy monkey's nut sack you know the difference between marginal zone lymphoma with plasmacytoid features and mutliple myeloma.

Ironically, once you get into path, that same basic research wont buy you a machine dispensed 25cent cup of coffee when it comes time to find a path job.

Hence the whole bait and switch plan, often used by MD/Phds to get 2 free years of medical education then bail after a year of PhD, get a MS and suck up the last 2 years of the MD at full price, overall a solid fiscal strategy worthy of an Enron exec. but I diverge....

man you crack my **** up.

what's worse are the MD/PhDs who drop out right after M2 year!!! i don't blame those who did one year of research and drop out...at least they gave grad school a try.

 

[cytoborg]

This is a question about the relevancy of lab research to applying to pathology programs. My understanding is that its all good, but want to know what the "real story" is.

I have the opportunity to do some research in my former field with a prof at my med school. He's a PhD and not in the pathology dept. I will busy with another project next summer so will most likely be working on a very part time basis. There is a good chance for publication, but I need to get a better feel for how this guy manages authorship on his publications before I call it a great chance. The project seems like a fairly easy "guaranteed" submission, though. Maybe my time could be better used though...

When doing research does it make the most sense to do it with someone who can give you a great letter of rec (that matters to residency programs?). How should I balance someone not being able to provide that with the ability to keep publishing?

This guy could certainly give you a great letter of rec. He doesn't have to be in the path dept to do that. Almost all bench research is related to path in some way anyhow, so the dept doesn't really matter...besides, even if it is completely irrelevant to path, it still looks cool on a resume and shows that you have your **** together enough to carry it out. The important things are that 1) your research is enjoyable to you and thus worth your time, and 2) it's significant in some way...not just a fly-by-night short-term project but something you really invest yourself in and hopefully get good results from.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

This guy could certainly give you a great letter of rec. He doesn't have to be in the path dept to do that. Almost all bench research is related to path in some way anyhow, so the dept doesn't really matter...besides, even if it is completely irrelevant to path, it still looks cool on a resume and shows that you have your **** together enough to carry it out. The important things are that 1) your research is enjoyable to you and thus worth your time, and 2) it's significant in some way...not just a fly-by-night short-term project but something you really invest yourself in and hopefully get good results from.

Word!

 

[LADoc00]

This guy could certainly give you a great letter of rec. He doesn't have to be in the path dept to do that. Almost all bench research is related to path in some way anyhow, so the dept doesn't really matter...besides, even if it is completely irrelevant to path, it still looks cool on a resume and shows that you have your **** together enough to carry it out. The important things are that 1) your research is enjoyable to you and thus worth your time, and 2) it's significant in some way...not just a fly-by-night short-term project but something you really invest yourself in and hopefully get good results from.

Ummm I never had my **** together and published a few times....so I beg to differ on that point.

**** together for me is that guy you see wearing the Kenneth Cole black suit driving the black BMW M5 with a hottie blond rubbing this thigh as flips you off for staring at him at the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd and Sweetzer....hold it, that really happened to me! OH NOS!

I am Napolean Dynamite!

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I am Napolean Dynamite!

I knew it! Yessssss!

 

[LADoc00]

I knew it! Yessssss!

Remember to put how you hunted wolverines with your cousin during the summer breaks in med school on your residency apps, worked wonders for me.

And dont forget to mention how you are working on a 'time machine' as part of your basic science emphasis.

That is all, back to handball for me.

 

[E.A. Poe]

I guess I kind of like the cuts of your jibs, which means this may be the right specialty for me. Minus the thread hijacking.

Any other helpful comments would be welcome. Who else has gone through the process and is willing to talk?

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Remember to put how you hunted wolverines with your cousin during the summer breaks in med school on your residency apps, worked wonders for me.

And dont forget to mention how you are working on a 'time machine' as part of your basic science emphasis.

That is all, back to handball for me.

personally, my research was on studying the behavior of chickens with talons.

back to the original question though...many people who apply to pathology have no research experience nor any interest in research whatsoever. then you have the # of MD/PhDs who apply to path every year...the majority of them do very basic science research that is only indirectly applicable to path. the research you do in med school or during a PhD does not have to have ANY relationship to the research you end up doing (should you decide that you want to devote a part or all of your time to research). pathology hasn't gotten competitive enough to even be all that picky regarding the research issue. even dermatology residency applicants don't all do derm research and that is one pretty damn competitive field for the residency match.

moral: do what you think will be fun and educational.

 

[E.A. Poe]

How about if I add this: how important are basic science grades. I've heard that the first two years are much more important for path. Maybe that's not right either.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

For residency applications in general, the clinical grades are more important than the preclinical grades. However, pathologists will look at the latter grades since you focus on basic pathology and pathophysiology during these years. Step 1 scores are really important though and carry much more weight than the preclinical grades.