Even as a medical student, if you aren't sure what area of medicine you're interested in, any research experience is valuable. 

The first step is always the hardest, right? Once you, sort of, start going to research meetings, start doing some projects, start getting involved, I think it just kind of naturally flows from there. 

It can be difficult to know where to start because you don't necessarily have connections with people who are conducting research or who have funding or who have access to patients that are generating those clinical ideas. 

The shotgun approach, where you have a number of different projects that are slowly moving forward, tends to be also a more productive approach down the road because one or two of those projects probably will hit on something that's worthwhile to publish. 

Once you get the ball rolling on several different projects, you'll have a pretty good idea of which project will be productive, and that gives you more experience and knowledge to accomplish your future research studies. 

Some of my best research questions have come from actually going to the literature and trying to find what the basic science is or the clinical evidence is to support the decisions that we make every day in the operating room or in clinic. And a lot of times, it's surprising. There's sometimes not a great answer for why we do things a particular way. 

So some of the most exciting projects that I've worked on came through collaboration, so collaborating with my co-residents, attendings, and some of the physicians from other departments, as well. 

It is incredibly beneficial to have a really good mentor who not only, kind of, paves the way for you, but then also gives you a lot of leash to go out and explore on your own, as well. 

Mentorship in research is incredibly important, and here in our department we're very fortunate to have a strong foundation for research via our clinical rotation structure but also through the research that's already established. 

Always try to have something that you are writing, something that you are collecting data for, something that you are statistically analyzing, and then something that you're trying to think about how to look at. Keeping projects in those four phases at all times, you're going to be constantly productive throughout your time in residency. 

One of the most exciting things about doing research is that when you do find something good, it's really nice to submit an abstract and be able to go present your work. 

Presenting your work is always great because you start putting your name out there academically. You're also representing your home program, which is always great. And you're preparing yourself for the next step, which will be writing the paper. 

It's important to see your project through all the way to the finish line, all the way through publication, in order to both maximize the benefit to your potential future patients but also to build your CV and your reputation as a researcher. 

It can be disheartening when you've worked so hard on a project and you don't necessarily receive the recognition that you were hoping for. 

A positive attitude and a whole lot of hustle go a very long way in terms of being productive from a clinical research perspective, especially as a resident. As long as you are doing research to try to make a positive contribution to our field, you got to keep working at. 

The most objective, effective way to figure out whether we're doing the right there or not or to improve is to do research. 

I think that not only am I looking to make a positive contribution to the field, but also for me as a surgeon, I want to know that I am doing my very best to provide optimal care to all of my patients.