How much does Clinical Research Help in getting a Residency ?

One of the big differences between Physics and Medicine is that Physics have 'Laws', while Medicine, Biology and other life-sciences have 'Rules' - what's the big deal ? 'Laws' have no exceptions - while 'Rules' almost always have exceptions. Unfortunately , all that you learn about Tips and Tricks for getting into a medical or surgical residency program are Rules i.e. they are true most of the time..but every now and then , a few exceptions do crop up. Why I am boring you with philosophy here ? Coz, I want you guys to get the right perspective on what you read on this blog :-)



Arrite ! Back to our topic - Clinical Research & Residency. These are tips and pointers that come from a ex-program director of a University program and from current residents.

For most program directors, the working principle is that a Resident is first a Resident - someone who needs to be a competent worker first. So for most clinically intense residencies like Internal Medicine, General Surgery, etc. a program needs a competent clinician first; other additional qualifications count like an icing on the cake. About 4-5 years ago, Clinical Research in a US Hospital Setting certainly stopped eyes on IMG applications - but now with so many IMGs getting the more valued US clinical experiences like externships and observerships, research is beginning to lose it's charm. Secondly, having a short-term research assisting experience is almost like a cliche now - since almost everyone shows some clinical research component on their resumes. This certainly reminds me of laws of microeconomics - when something is abundant , prices drop OR saying that in our context, the importance drops. :-)

BUT - that does not mean Research is useless, it is important and is gaining increasing importance in the US Residency circuits. Of course they will matter more for a academically and research oriented University programs or University-affiliated programs. However, remember that even in these programs, residents do not easily find time to conduct any sort of research in the first year at least, clinical skills still hold importance!

Clinical Research will help your application greatly if :

1. If your clinical / medical research results in a publications in a well known magazines ( JAMA, NJEM, for example). Guys doing PhDs or dedicated research jobs / fellowships are more likely to have these credentials.

2. If your research was done under a highly renowned figure whose recommendation will carry a lot of weight.

3. You did the research in a major research institute like Johns Hopkins, CDC, Harvard etc.

4. It will certainly count more if you applying for a non-clinical specialty like pathology ! For a clinical residency, choose a research with a strong clinical component and publications possibility. This is how the University of California San Francisco puts it about research on the resumes of applicants to its Family Medicine Residency program : "We do not consider research to be adequate clinical experience unless it contains a strong component of history, physical, assessment, plan and treatment."


Moral of this post : As an IMG with better overall chances at a community program, If I had to choose between doing an hands-on clinical externship at a small program and short-term research at a big place like Harvard - I would still say that an externship would put me in a better overall position for a residency match. If it has to be research for you then keep in the mind the three pointers on top - long term research with resulting publications go a long way :-).

Q. Would Research in my home country matter ?

A. American Research results in an American LOR and is more advantageous - but, again, if there is no choice , something is better than nothing :-)


Having said this, it's important to know that solid research will never go futile - coz' life aspirations do not end after a residency - there's fellowship competition after that residency. And search for fellowships begin during the second year itself.

To improve fellowship chances after residency, here are the things that matter:

- How much you train yourself during residency for the particular specialty you want, like special procedures and cases
- Research and publications
- faculty recommendations
- Personal calls to programs from senior specialist faculty in the related field





Coming soon - How to search and seek research opportunities in the USA




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