Medical students who are interested in ophthalmology consistently encounter one topic in the context of residency applications: research. Consequently, the moment a student begins to consider ophthalmology, they begin to inquire about research. Those looking to gain research experience can become involved with existing opportunities within ophthalmology. Resources such as the Bookmarked article “Finding Research Opportunities” can be useful for navigating this pursuit. An alternative approach, however, is for medical students to create their own research opportunities and projects.

For those interested in the latter approach, there are several benefits—the foremost being that the success of your project lies in your hands. If the project centers on your idea, then you are the first author, and under the mentorship of your attending ophthalmologist, you typically get to determine the components of the investigation, including the direction of the project, your collaborators, and deadlines. Research is the primary way to build relationships with attendings, particularly in the preclinical years. Creating your own project and seeing it through to publication is one of the best ways to learn more about ophthalmology, grow your network, and allow others to learn more about you.

Although it may seem intimidating, creating and publishing your own projects is more doable than you might think. Below are some pearls for taking on the challenge.

1. Read, Then Read Some More, and Then Keep Reading

Reading what others have published is a good way to come up with your own ideas because the methodology is already proven to be publishable. If you want to publish in Ophthalmology, determine what types of articles are being published in Ophthalmology. Look for inspiration and find reference articles you think you can replicate—perhaps by assessing a different subspecialty. Alternatively, read top journals from other specialties and look for investigations that can be replicated in ophthalmology.

2. Attend Conferences (eg, AAO Annual Meeting and YoungMD Connect Live)

Listening to others present their research might help you to generate new ideas. What was their experimental design? What kind of analysis did they perform? Additionally, conferences are known to be an ideal setting for networking, and coming up with a project idea based on an attending ophthalmologist’s presentation is one of the best talking points to build a new connection. Even better, try brainstorming potential ideas before the conference and then use the event program to find faculty mentors presenting on related research.

3. Keep It Simple but Robust

This point is extremely important for a completely new idea with no reference. Ask yourself what research question your investigation is addressing and stick with that. If you are having trouble identifying the focus of your article, then it may be wise to assess whether your work would benefit from being split into multiple investigations. Conversely, many students who are in a rush to publish multiple items will split one decent project into several weaker projects and then struggle to publish them. Finding balance is key.

4. Be Aware of Where You Are in Your Training

This tip is specific to medical students who create their own projects. Without a research year, medical students have approximately 3 years from the day they start school to when they must submit their residency application and research CV. As such, students should plan accordingly in order to publish in that timeframe. For example, if you are creating a project as a third-year student, it is probably best to avoid pursuing an investigation that involves human subjects and requires an extensive investigational review board, as that process can take several months. Allocate enough time for your project’s data collection and analysis, manuscript writing, and manuscript editing. Allow several months per manuscript submission. If you wish to avoid going through an investigational review board, try instead to come up with a topic for a review paper.

5. Find the Right Mentor

Once you have your idea, it is vital to find a faculty mentor who will be able to guide you on the journey to publishing your work. The more closely related your idea is to your attending’s own research, the more likely it is they will be interested in being involved. If you are cold emailing an attending, it may help to attach some of the completed analysis. This provides the attending ophthalmologist with a sense of the results and shows them that you are serious about your research project. They may even be more inclined to inform you of any opportunities to help on their own research projects.

6. Expect It to Take Time

Eventually, you will feel comfortable publishing your own projects. Be persistent in conceiving your own ideas, emailing potential mentors, and submitting to journals. Your research may be accepted by the first journal you contact, or it may take many attempts to have your work published. Don’t give up!