Planning research time during surgical residency can be a stressful process. Tackling grant writing, mentorship meetings, conferences, and abstract deadlines while still rotating on busy clinical services as a junior resident can result in headaches and procrastination. During the months leading up to my two years of research, I received a lot of advice on how to maximize my effectiveness in the classic research arena. However, there is more than one way to be an academic surgeon, and research time is not one size fits all. Additionally, a lot of life happens during these years, and it is important to understand and embrace the flexibility allowed in these dedicated years away from intensive clinical duties.
There are dozens of excellent papers and blogs written on how to publish manuscripts, the importance of establishing a good mentee-mentor relationship, and grant writing. However, as I finish my two years of academic development time, I would like to offer some different and pragmatic advice for upcoming research residents, specifically a list of things to consider and plan for aside from research, which are also important for your personal health and professional development. By no means is this a comprehensive list, but I hope that it highlights some areas to consider, which may help as you formulate future career plans.
Action Items Before Starting Research
- Grant funding applications
- IRB submissions
- Moonlighting paperwork and credentialling if relevant for your program
- Conference and abstract deadline planning
- Additional academic degree planning- applications and coursework materials (textbooks, software etc.)
- National and institutional committee applications
- Meet with outgoing research residents for institution-specific advice
During Research
- Prioritize your health
- Most people turn 30 years old during residency- make time to establish a primary care physician, see a dentist, update your vision prescriptions, order new contacts or glasses
- Explore and enroll in disability insurance
- Exercise, establish healthy living habits around eating, exercise, and sleeping
- Learn new skills or explore hobbies you have set aside during your clinical time
- Become financially literate
- Set up a retirement account such as a Roth IRA
- Establish a well-defined budget and create a short and long-term savings plan
- Understand and reevaluate student loan payments
- Apply for Public Loan Service Forgiveness (PSLF) if applicable
- Explore institutional retirement options and be sure to maximize them
- Find a good credit card with points that matter to you
- Set up auto payments for your credit cards, utility bills, and other recurring payments
- Moonlight if you are able; the extra money helps, and moonlighting helps to maintain your clinical skills
- Admin / Leadership
- Explore other areas of academic surgery: if interested, shadow administrative and leadership roles in the department and hospital (CMO, CEO, Chair’s CFO, Quality Officers)
- Ask your program director about hospital, departmental, or residency program committees that you can join
- Complete national Committee Applications for surgical societies, such as AAS,SUS, AOSA, SSAT, SAGES
- AAS: https://www.aasurg.org/leadership/committee-objectives/
- SUS: https://www.susweb.org/committees/
- SAGES: https://www.sages.org/leadership/committees/
- SAAS: https://www.asiansurgeon.org/about/committees/
- SSAT: https://ssat.com/about/committees.cgi
- ACS: https://www.facs.org/about-acs/governance/acs-committees/
- Keep your CV updated! Anytime you have a new manuscript published or are accepted for a new position, add it to your CV right away so that you don’t forget about it.
- Education / Teaching
- Explore ways to get involved in the medical school or with mentoring students
- Give lectures to surgery interest groups, chapters of Association for Women in Surgery, residency match panels etc.
- Volunteer to help with the third or fourth year surgical clerkship: offer to give lectures, set up or help with suture workshops, offer exam reviews
- Mentor medical, college, or even high-school students
- Become an ATLS or ACLS/BLS instructor
- Potentially earn money and keep your credentials active
- Take Fundamentals of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Surgery and FLS! This is a great time to do these, as you have plenty of time to study and practice.
- Study for the ABSITE: research years are the best years to take it and excel in preparation for fellowship applications
- Explore specialty options: shadow subspecialties you might not have rotated on before
- Explore ways to get involved in the medical school or with mentoring students
- Life
- Schedule your car for routine service maintenance
- Catch up on the tasks around your house or apartment that have been on your to-do list for months. You don’t want to be the graduating chief scrambling to finish home repairs the month before moving and selling your property!
- Travel when you can! Prioritize scheduling a fun trip you’ve been putting off while on clinical rotations.
- Explore the city or state you are living in – if you moved somewhere new for residency, you may not have had the time to during your first few years of residency
- Visit family and friends- they have missed you
- Family planning- discuss if now is a good time for kids or a new pet
Adam Lucy, MD