Radiology Reserach?

[mikeowsoft]

For those of you who did research in medical school, can any of you comment on what radiology research entails?

I was told that a student would only be able to do data entry into spreadsheets and other menial jobs. Someone else also told me not to do research because they just use students because they have patient confidentiality rights and are willing to work for free, meaning that there is no educational experience.

Can anyone comment on those remarks?

 

I am interested in radiology and I am not sure how much research really matters. Is doing research in a competitive specialty the only way to match?

[Lactic Folly]

Your role would depend on your project, but it is inaccurate to say that students can only do data entry - I am not sure if the person you were speaking to had a bad experience or not. You could be involved in designing educational materials, developing new technologies or equipment, testing basic science models, or examining how well an imaging test works clinically. To get a sense of what is out there, you can go to the website of any radiology department in Canada and look at the research projects there. As with any other research endeavour, you'll need to find a supervisor and clarify your role with him/her. As with research in other fields, medical students devoting a full summer can often apply for funded studentships.

 

I wouldn't say that research is necessary to match, and if you know that you don't enjoy it then don't do it, but it doesn't sound like you are very familiar with research. There are certainly many benefits - in addition to learning about research and radiology, you get to spend a lot of time in the department, seeing what goes on and meeting people. You'll get to know your supervisor better than if you just shadowed them on a 2-week elective, translating into a stronger letter of reference. You'll also gain extra points at most places come CaRMS time for having research/abstracts/publications, especially in your area of interest.