Year off to do Research?

Don't know of any particularly established programs in NYC, but if you look around, you should probably find plenty of people interested in a medical student to help out on research for a year that would be able to find funding for you.

I took a year off between 2nd and 3rd year of medical school. It's certainly not something that I would recommend for everyone. So, if you're not interested in research, you'll be miserable.

Personally, I enjoyed it greatly. I found it a very useful experience from an education perspective. It helped reinforce my interest in Orthopaedic Surgery. Perhaps the most important, however, is that it transformed my application completely, and made me a much differenct candidate for residency.

I took the year after the recommendation of an Orthopaedic Surgeon who was the chair of the selection committee at a prominent program. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I have yet to even question whether it was worth waiting an extra year. Keep in mind, though, that coming back to medical school after a year off (even though it's clinical) can be a bit of a rude awakening, and you'll now be in a class with students you barely know.

How about contacting the directors of research at HSS, NYUHJD, and Columbia? These places, at least from what they publish, seem to be hugely funded research powerhouses. Maybe there are investigators there with funded projects just waiting to have med students plugged into them. It's worth a shot. Good luck.

yello.. having done a research year and done research at various places.. Something to keep in mind...

You do a research year to better yourself as well as help your application at that particular program. It's expensive to do research in NYC because it is expensive to live. They don't pay you very much, but you never know how much they can pay depending on whether or not you work in a lab. BUT, the big thing to remember is that if you do research at a big place like that it is VERY easy to get lost in the shuffle and have no one know who you are when you're applying, despite the fact that you know them well and have been there for a year.. that's just the way to go.

So, especially for people who don't match, do a research year at a place you have a good chance of matching.. but hey.. that's up to you what you ultimately do!

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I'd second that as well.

Good point