<p>Do med students have time to be working in a lab and being trained in research during the first four years?</p>
<p>I’m wondering where a lot of MDs get their research skills after graduating (for ex., MDs getting into research fellowships in neurology after graduating(?))
Thanks</p>
<p>First two years…yes. Not a whole lot of time, but some, probably, depending on the person average 3-5 hours a week pretty easily.</p>
<p>Third year. Definitely not, but then again I don’t go to a school that is particularly worried about research. It might be different elsewhere, but at my school, clerkships are priority 1.</p>
<p>4th year. Absolutely.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure you can do research in a lab the summer before M1 and M2…</p>
<p>Howard Hughes Medical Institute has a research scholars pgram for talented medical students to do research in medical school at the NIH. [The</a> HHMI NIH Research Scholars Program](<a href=“http://www.hhmi.org/cloister/]The”>Apply to a Program | HHMI). Students typically take a year off after their second year and work for one year. Room, board at old convent which is beautifully appointed on campus, and a small stipend are provided. It is an excellent opportunity to see whether you would want to make medical research part of your career. It also will strengthen your application for competitive residencies and fellowships afterwards which typically are at major academic centers.</p>
<p>At your med school, you can do a summer project between years one and two but I would try to find ways to continue with it during your fourth year of med school. It is impossible to do any significant research in a short period of time like one summer. However, you can assess whether you like it, and whether you have the patience/skills/capability for research. This a reasonable approach if you do not want to take time off from med school.</p>