Encouraging medical students to do research and write papers

Dear CMAJ Editors,

In a recent commentary, Detsky and Detsky provided some thoughtful advice to medical students and faculty members in regards to research projects and writing papers (1). I would like to offer some additional advice to my fellow medical students.

First of all, do not be someone’s guinea pig. Students usually find projects that a faculty member has posted to a listing of summer research opportunities. When you find an interesting project description make sure that it is within the general scope of the faculty member’s previous publications. Otherwise, the project could end up being the “blind leading the blind”.

Second, do not dance around the issue of project funding and a summer stipend. Use these two issues to gauge a faculty member’s commitment to a project. If they do not already have funding arranged for the project or if they cannot guarantee a summer stipend, then you should be cautious.

Lastly, take responsibility for the project. While Detsky and Detsky stressed the importance of finding a faculty supervisor who is a finisher (1), I would contend that YOU the student need to be the finisher. You will have invested the most effort into the project so it is in your best interest to see it through to publication. Do not expect your faculty supervisor to wrap up all your loose ends and hand you a first author publication. If you are willing to walk away from the project without seeing it through to a published manuscript, then so too may your faculty supervisor.

Wesley D. Block, PhD University of Alberta Medical Student

1. Detsky ME and Detsky AS. Encouraging medical students to do research and write papers. CMAJ 2007;176:1719-21.

Conflict of Interest:

None declared