Is there such a thing as too much research?

[dooogs]

As written in the title 

[robclem21]

Context?

[anonymouspls]

is there such a thing as too much rizz (i suffer from this)? 

[SpeakWhite]

24 minutes ago, anonymouspls said:

is there such a thing as too much rizz (i suffer from this)? 

 

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[rmorelan]

It is true some context is required

Also I should point out that people always ask what are reasonable questions like this with the implied expectation that there is a single answer. There is never a single answer in CARMS.

CARMS with all the sites, and all the programs combined is not a monolith. There are things that you have to do get a high ranking at one program that may at the same time reduce your chances at another. They are not all looking for the same things at the same levels - that is one of the primary reasons that CARMS is so complex and why it can appear at times random (and it is at times random) but it may not be. If you don't what they are looking for you have a hard time determining what the causes of any particular result is. 

but to answer the question - yes you can for some programs have too much research. Part of this is that residency is a job - and specifically a clinical job. Many programs have run into shall we say a hyperacademic resident that is doing a done of research but doing it at the expense of actually learning clinical medicine and being useful to the service. You also cannot collaborate usually with everyone in your program, so you may be helping some staff with your research you won't be helping the others that are now dealing with a less clinical student. Some staff with probably not red flag you but still have reservations if it looks like you are so into research you are missing what they think the point of the program is - at least from their perspective. They also know that sometimes doing research is truly a passion for the candidate - evidenced by the volume done already at least in theory - and they are about the deny them that opportunity to the do it anywhere near that level for a long time - long clinical hours, disrupted sleep schedule, no freedom to met anyone during the day to collaborate......it makes research hard, and they don't want a resident on their hands who is unhappy - you won't to have to work for a long long time with someone that is not happy. Some people with advanced degrees may be completely used to really incredible freedom so what they are doing on any particular day - they survived in clerkship but it is easier to compartmentalize that is a relatively brief period and not all of it is peak workload but can they sustain being in a controlling environment for much longer?  Residency for 5 year programs can be very busy for the first 2-3 years and the exam consumes at least the last year (the off service people won't care at all and just work you ha, and the first year on service you are desperately trying to learn how to be a real doctor). Some programs will have had prior issues with people used to flexibility sudden having none at all. All of these things can bias individual people involved in the selection process leading to variable value or lack there of in research for their program.

 So back to the randomness comment - one way this can show up is you see your friend with less research or whatever than you getting an interview, while you with your higher amounts did not. You think that isn't logical, and this system is "so random". Maybe, but maybe you are actually being excluded precisely because you had more research or whatever. Another more research friendly place may instead find you a more attractive candidate than your friend. 

You can make all of the above apply equally well to any other area by the way - ECs for instance. For some places too many ECs is a warning sign for them. 

So what can you do? You need to learn as much as you can about the program/sites you might be applying for, and make sure you have "something" put in all the important boxes for selection particularly before you extreme in anything.  Don't expect anything to work everywhere and don't react to any particular outcome as truly meaning that much about you as a candidate or for that matter as a person. 

 

[dooogs]

Thank you and sorry for the no context!