Research as a medical student

Hey readers, happy new year. 

I've been very busy this year but I wanted to write a quick entry on doing research as a medical student. 

First off, research is important.  I don't just say that because I think we all have a role in pushing science forward, but research has benefits in med school. 

Benefits of research as a medical student:

1.  You get to work for faculty, get to know them and other faculty members in the field, and they'll likely write you a letter of recommendation. 

2. Publications are like currency in applying for residency.  Research is tedious work, and having good studies to show will demonstrate that you're focused, interested in that medical specialty, and can publish. Important for academic programs. 

3.  Something to talk about during residency interviews. More on that later. 

Research is important, but there are things to watch out for:

1.  Find the the lab that fits, where people work together.  Environment is everything. 

2.  Basic science and clinical trials take on the span of months to years (clinical trials take years) to show results. 

3.  Clinical research is seen as "less impressive" but if it's an interesting topic and translatable into practice and a good quality study, you're in good shape. 

I hope everyone is having a good year. Don't stress out too much about research, it'll all fall into place.