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Does Non-General Surgical Research Help In A General Surgery App?


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If someone demonstrates interest in general surgery with electives but has research in a surgical field that is not general i.e. (plastics, cardiac, vascular) is it still viewed in a positive light compared to non-surgical research? I.e., is the hierarchy for research for gen surg (1. gen surg 2. other surg 3. other medical 4. non-medical)? Or is it more like (1. gen surg 2. everything else)? 

 

 

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If someone demonstrates interest in general surgery with electives but has research in a surgical field that is not general i.e. (plastics, cardiac, vascular) is it still viewed in a positive light compared to non-surgical research? I.e., is the hierarchy for research for gen surg (1. gen surg 2. other surg 3. other medical 4. non-medical)? Or is it more like (1. gen surg 2. everything else)? 

 

As a person with research experience, I think quality of research > speciality of research. If you have a first author basic science paper in a high impact journal, that will trump a case report in gen surg etc. Also published research in the form of posters, abstracts and papers will always trump research experience. Remember the only currency in research is publications. 

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I think that if you are interested in general surgery, go for GEN Surg reserach!

Not just for publications, but you get to know the gen surg stuff. If it turns out well, probably he or she could vouch for you during CaRMS residency selection. Or he or she probably knows people in the selection committee, and could speak highly of you.

I think that Gen Surg is still quite popular (job market is not that bad), and it is a small world after all. 

If you are keen in staying at your home school, ask around to know who are in the selection committee ( the residents usually know  :D )

If someone demonstrates interest in general surgery with electives but has research in a surgical field that is not general i.e. (plastics, cardiac, vascular) is it still viewed in a positive light compared to non-surgical research? I.e., is the hierarchy for research for gen surg (1. gen surg 2. other surg 3. other medical 4. non-medical)? Or is it more like (1. gen surg 2. everything else)? 

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As a person with research experience, I think quality of research > speciality of research. If you have a first author basic science paper in a high impact journal, that will trump a case report in gen surg etc. Also published research in the form of posters, abstracts and papers will always trump research experience. Remember the only currency in research is publications.

It's not quite the same situation when it comes to residency applications. They aren't recruiting researchers, they're recruiting residents. It's much more about trying to show an interest in the specialty rather than research skills. They want to train quality general surgeons first and foremost. You don't need to have any research skills to be a good surgeon. Vice versa you can be a great researcher but a crappy clinician.

 

For example, for my program, if you have some research experience in our specialty, even if unpublished, that will outweigh having a publication in something completely unrelated to us (say hematology).

 

In the end, research matters only a small (very small, if at all) amount in how you rank most of the time. For us most of the time, it doesn't even play a role in our selection process.

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For example, for my program, if you have some research experience in our specialty, even if unpublished, that will outweigh having a publication in something completely unrelated to us (say hematology).

 

In the end, research matters only a small (very small, if at all) amount in how you rank most of the time. For us most of the time, it doesn't even play a role in our selection process.

That's a pretty cool bit of information. :) May I ask what program you're in? (Sorry if it's in your signature -- the phone version of the forum doesn't show them.)

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That's a pretty cool bit of information. :) May I ask what program you're in? (Sorry if it's in your signature -- the phone version of the forum doesn't show them.)

Don't disclose that, sorry. I try to to keep a degree of anonymity so I can comment more openly.

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Don't disclose that, sorry. I try to to keep a degree of anonymity so I can comment more openly.

 

Of course, no problem. :) Thank you for the info regardless, that's actually the first time I've ever heard that research factors in so little to the ranking of applicants. 

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It's not quite the same situation when it comes to residency applications. They aren't recruiting researchers, they're recruiting residents. It's much more about trying to show an interest in the specialty rather than research skills. They want to train quality general surgeons first and foremost. You don't need to have any research skills to be a good surgeon. Vice versa you can be a great researcher but a crappy clinician.

 

For example, for my program, if you have some research experience in our specialty, even if unpublished, that will outweigh having a publication in something completely unrelated to us (say hematology).

 

In the end, research matters only a small (very small, if at all) amount in how you rank most of the time. For us most of the time, it doesn't even play a role in our selection process.

 

 

Hey Nlenger,

 

Quick question (sorry to hijack the thread).  I know that different programs/specialties may have different perspectives perspective re: research, and its weighting. 

 

If you say have >5 pubs in the specialty in terms of clinical research, >10 posters/abstracts also in the specialty going into CaRMS, is that generally a plus for most programs? Is there ever a perception of "over-investment" into research or the specialty when you see something like that on a CV? 

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