Articles
Missed the Summer Research Deadlines? Here’s a few things you can still do.
About the Author - Eleane Castano is a third-year medical student at Ponce School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO with a passion for Cardiology. She serves as a member of the MO ACC communications committee.
Engaging in research during summers in medical school is an impressive extracurricular you can participate in to enhance your residency application and add to your research portfolio as a future scientist. While structured summer research programs are often encouraged, there are still many opportunities that are valuable. Case reports, systematic reviews, and data entry are just a few of many accessible ways to involve yourself in research and potentially be published. In this brief article, we will go over how to approach these opportunities.
Case reports are one of the most accessible opportunities to contribute and participate in. If you are in your clinical years, that is the perfect time to reach out to a trainee or attending physician you may have worked with and ask if they have encountered any noteworthy cases. Many physicians are open to co-authoring a case report but may not have the time to write it themselves, and that is your chance to take the lead on the writing process. Additionally, case reports may also be submitted as posters to conferences.
If you are not in your pre-clinical years and/or are more interested in data-driven research, consider participating in or initiating a systematic review or retrospective chart review. Start by contacting a faculty member or resident in your department of interest and send an email asking if they’re working on any projects that could use help with data collection, literature search, or manuscript editing. You can also check with your school's Office of Research or Student Affairs for a list of ongoing studies that need assistance. Even small roles in these projects can result in valuable learning and open doors to long-term mentorship.
After you have written your research paper and it is approved by your co-authors, you can start applying to present the research at a conference near you! It does not need to be published in a journal in order to present it. Conferences usually accept applications for presentations in the fall and make decisions in early spring as to who is chosen to present, so summer research fits into the realistic timeframe to guarantee it'll be done in time for applications in the fall.
When it comes to publishing, some hospital departments will have allocated funds for publishing, so always discuss potential options with your co-authors. Additionally, many medical schools have their own journals where students can publish research. Other options include publishing in journals with discounts for partner hospitals or medical students. Check out the following journals for cost-effective publishers:
An important thing to consider is your bandwidth as far as how much you can take on. If you take initiative, following through is optimal. Setting realistic goals and timelines will help you enjoy the process more!
