Research on elective

**Shobhit Arya** · 09-03-2005, 06:27 PM

Hi,

I'm interested in carrying out some research while on elective and hopefully get it published on return.

Have any of you done anything similar or planning to do research, I would be interested to learn how you've gone about organising it and choosing the area of research.

thanks,

S.A.

**camille** · 18-03-2005, 03:17 AM

Nice to see a familiar person on here!
This isn't a direct answer but something that I believe is vital to consider.

I think the key with all (I think for once that word is allowed!) research carried out in a student's capacity is not to expect publication- otherwise you are carrying out an investigation with the unrealistic and unethical aim of discovering something, leading to the temptation fo data-dredging and the like. That doesn't mean carry out research that is so scientifically unsound that it is unlikely to yield interpretable results! Using this approach I believe it will be easier to find something which fascinates you- this is worth far more than a publication because you would not have bored yourself for seven weeks doing seemingly purposeless repetitive lab work having developed no skills you'd want to use in the future.

There is no doubt that it would be fantastic to have a publication though, so I'd suggest that should the possibility be mentionned by your supervisor, do as much work as you can in order to push it forward. From the little I've done so far, I truly feel that hard work and some creativity pays off in research.

**Shobhit Arya** · 18-03-2005, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by camille

I think the key with all (I think for once that word is allowed!) research carried out in a student's capacity is not to expect publication- otherwise you are carrying out an investigation with the unrealistic and unethical aim of discovering something, leading to the temptation fo data-dredging and the like.

Hey Camille,

Good to see someone from IC taking an interest in such things!

I hadn't considered the possibility of research for researches sake, mainly because all the societies (that I've come across) that sponsor research on elective seem to place an emphasis on getting good data as theres an excellent opportunity for getting it published in their own journals (for example the society for tropical medicine).

I think you're absolutely right about having unrealistinc aims but how much can you hope to achieve in 7 or 8 weeks but still feel that its been worthwhile?

Have you considered/planned a research elective or are you going for a completely clinical based one?

(I really need to pick someones brains on the subject!)

**camille** · 22-03-2005, 01:52 AM

Originally Posted by Shobhit Arya

...all the societies (that I've come across) that sponsor research on elective seem to place an emphasis on getting good data as theres an excellent opportunity for getting it published in their own journals (for example the society for tropical medicine).

Hey

That's brilliant! I hadn't thought about doing it that way (get sponsored by a society and get to write a report for them!

I always wanted to do a research elective and am awaiting replies. If I am successful I will let you (and anyone else here who is interested) know about it.
C
x

**Sara!!!** · 31-07-2005, 11:59 PM

Hi!
i am a 2nd year medical student and m interested to carry out research electives too, next year whn i'll be in year 3, any ideas which college would be the best for research? those who hav done research elective it wud b great to hear frm u guys!
thanks

**rjm** · 01-08-2005, 03:37 PM

Make sure if it is in a country where you need ethics approval that you sort this out before you go. Having just spent a year doing clinical research as part of my course here in the UK, I know how slow the whole research process is, particularly obtaining ethics approval. Certainly what you can do in 7-8 weeks will be very limited unless you walk into a set up and ready to go project where you are just an extra set of hands.

Best of luck.