VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION!
Finding a Mentor and Thesis Topic:
Finding a Mentor and Thesis Topic:
The projects that we do are designed to expose us to the process
of hypothesis testing, data collection and analysis and cohesive presentation of the result of your work. Although the thesis is a requirement for our program, it does not have to be, nor is it intended to be intensive projects like a
master's or doctorate thesis. The projects are even a smaller project than many people's undergraduate thesis projects.
Nonetheless, the professors who are helping us to meet this requirement are not at all obligated to help us, or create a project for us, nor are they compensated for their work, and they often gain very little from our projects within the context of their own research.
With this in mind, you may meet resistance from professors when asking about working with them for a particular project. If possible, try to frame your request in way that indicates that they would be helping you and be clear that you are interested in their work. Please keep in mind that they are doing us a favour. If I send emails saying that professors are "looking" for students, generally it is within the context of completing projects that the PI is interested in pursuing and not an opportunity for you to direct your own research.
When approaching a potential mentor, be gracious, be interested, and be committed. You are a representative of our program and your passion and performance is a reflection on us all. It may be helpful to have the thesis guideline and mentor info printed out when approaching physicians to show them.
Try to find a mentor in field that you are interested in, and if you not sure and interested in everything just find a mentor that inspires you and you are motivated to work for and with.
Nonetheless, the professors who are helping us to meet this requirement are not at all obligated to help us, or create a project for us, nor are they compensated for their work, and they often gain very little from our projects within the context of their own research.
With this in mind, you may meet resistance from professors when asking about working with them for a particular project. If possible, try to frame your request in way that indicates that they would be helping you and be clear that you are interested in their work. Please keep in mind that they are doing us a favour. If I send emails saying that professors are "looking" for students, generally it is within the context of completing projects that the PI is interested in pursuing and not an opportunity for you to direct your own research.
When approaching a potential mentor, be gracious, be interested, and be committed. You are a representative of our program and your passion and performance is a reflection on us all. It may be helpful to have the thesis guideline and mentor info printed out when approaching physicians to show them.
Try to find a mentor in field that you are interested in, and if you not sure and interested in everything just find a mentor that inspires you and you are motivated to work for and with.
There are a lot of ways you can fulfill the thesis requirement. You can do lab work
or clinical research. From this you can write a paper where you are an author in an academic journal, or write the MD thesis. You can do the research here in Israel or abroad (this
is a bit more complicated) see the Research in Israel and Abroad pages for more info.
Working with someone else's data can work for this project but you need to be able to identify a problem that you will be able to solve from the work that you do.
The key is finding the right mentor for you. This will be the hardest part but will make the experience the most worthwhile.
Please Note:
"A clinical epidemiological study, or a
n in-depth review of the literature using meta-analysis or similar statistical methods for a comparative analysis
will only be approved upon presentation of reliable statistical and epidemiological methodology, and a letter from a statistician, confirming the acceptability of the thesis proposal as submitted to the Committee."
Working with someone else's data can work for this project but you need to be able to identify a problem that you will be able to solve from the work that you do.
The key is finding the right mentor for you. This will be the hardest part but will make the experience the most worthwhile.
Please Note:
MD Thesis Coordinator- What to look for in a project
ReplyDelete11/08/18
Hey Everyone
I was asked for my recommendations for choosing a project. I wrote this on the train back from evening shift, so it Is a bit disorganized, but here are my thoughts.
My advice is based on the principles of 1-finding an easy project, 2- Maximizing the odds that it will get finished- The smaller and shorter a project- the higher the odds that you will complete it in a timely manner. 3-getting the highest yield and the maximum credit for the work put in. 4- Getting a good Mentor and 5- being proactive and honest about your commitment ability.
1- You want to make sure you’re not wasting time on factors out of your control- I have seen a ton of this! for example a student took a project to analyze specific effects of a specific Benzos anesthesia given PO to kids in the ER. The student went 3 nights a week for 3 hours over the course of whole bunch of months hoping that she would encounter such patients. Most of nights she didn’t have any. I don’t know if she even managed to complete her project.
Look for something that you can control.
Also Don’t choose a project in a location far away. Don’t take a project with hours that are not realistic ie only weekdays from 9-5.
2- Data analysis is often the highest yield for the work put in- many departments are sitting on treasure troves of data that are already collected- they just need a student to analyze it and write it up. These projects are usually take home, so you can do it from home, or from a beach in Costa Rica.
3- Make sure you know their expectations and be honest if it is too much- Be straight up with them. Ask them how many hours will the project take and over how long a time period.
4- Make sure it is a close ended project- you want ot make sure they have a hard end date for project, ie 6 months. If it is a 2 year project chances are either you or they will be gone or burnt out by then
5- Make sure they have a Helsinki
6- Don’t go too big- You want a project that is simple to complete and that you are valuable for. if it is too big It may a- take too long b- involve too many people/centers c- need many approvals.
If the project is not finished before you leave- odds are that they will forget about you and you won’t get maximum credit. If it really big and you only do a small component, they may not even put you on the publication or you will get a late number authorship.
7- Don’t follow your heart- I know what Mother Willow said, and if you get a great project in a field that you love- that’s awesome. But if you find a quick and easy project in another field- take it, finish it and be done with the Thesis. That’ll leave you with a stress free period to then follow your passion.
8- Make sure the PI is a good guy that is fair reliable and easy to work with.- Plenty of students have issues with PIs not following up, not responding to emails not giving them proper credit or dropping the project. Ask upper years for recommendations.
9- Find a PI who is pushing to publishing- All students do research, few publish, even fewer get first authorship. You are doing the work anyway- you might as well get the credit you deserve and publish. Be straight up with them and ask, and ask which number author. If they are very fair, they might even give you first authorship. If they are very fair, they might even give you first authorship. The rule I have come across is he who writes the paper gets first author, though not all will abide. Also if the PI is passionate about the project- the higher the odds they will follow through.
10- Be pushy and don’t be afraid to knock on doors.- 50% of success is just showing up
These are just my (semi-organized) thoughts. feel free to take it or leave it.
Good luck
Eli