Research rotation - 3rd year - is it realistic?

[gouda]

Does anyone know what a clinical research rotation might be like in 3rd year? A month doesn't seem like a lot of time to get things done, especially bench work. If anyone has ever done one or knows about them, please share your experience.

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[RxnMan]

A lot of the students I've spoken to don't have the ability to do a research rotation 3rd year because they have to do mandatory clinical rotations. If this isn't a problem for you, then you need to consider what you can accomplish.

Bench work, as you say, is hard to get going in a month. Most of my classmates did not finish their projects, let alone have anything publishable, by the end of their MS1 summers. Most of the students I've spoken to take research months during 4th year and they ID an advisor in a clinical research project. Even then, there's generally a few months of low-level prep - experiment design, etc. The research rotation is generally reserved for time-intensive task of the project (like data collection).

 

[gouda]

A lot of the students I've spoken to don't have the ability to do a research rotation 3rd year because they have to do mandatory clinical rotations. If this isn't a problem for you, then you need to consider what you can accomplish.

Bench work, as you say, is hard to get going in a month. Most of my classmates did not finish their projects, let alone have anything publishable, by the end of their MS1 summers. Most of the students I've spoken to take research months during 4th year and they ID an advisor in a clinical research project. Even then, there's generally a few months of low-level prep - experiment design, etc. The research rotation is generally reserved for time-intensive task of the project (like data collection).

I am allowed to do a month long research rotation for a 3rd year elective as long as it is clinical research and I am under the supervision of a physician...

I really enjoy research and my first month is an elective...my IMED is shortly thereafter and it would probably be overkill to try and do another IMED before. I know that both my residency programs and fellowship are research-geared, so that and the location are both pros for me doing the rotation. I am torn because I can't really think of a good enough reason not to do the research elective.