Starting research as a medical student
Most student research gets stuck at the beginning (finding a project) or the end (writing it up). Plan for both.
Finding a project
Ask clinicians who already publish. Registrars often have projects they don't have time for.
Write a short, specific email: who you are, the time you can commit, and what you'd like to do.
Retrospective cohort studies, audits and systematic reviews are realistic first projects.
Doing it well
Agree authorship and a timeline at the start.
Register for an ORCID iD so your work stays linked to you.
Get help with statistics early, before you collect the data, not after.
Finishing
Submit an abstract to a conference first. A deadline gets things written.
Turn the abstract into a paper within a few months, while the data is fresh.
St George's Cardiothoracic Surgery Society, City St George's, University of London.