For George Burnet, MD, the research he did during medical school was more than a resume builder—it altered his perspective on how a career in medicine should look.
“Working together with a group of like-minded folks to try to change things that are the most painful or the most discouraging part of our training is rejuvenating in a way,” Dr. Burnet said. “It gives back that encouragement and that excitement about a career in medicine, which I think is an outstanding career.”
As a third-year medical student, Dr. Burnet presented a research poster—“Application of a one-year, longitudinal coaching program to improve well-being during general surgery internship”—at the 2023 American Conference on Physician Health (ACPH).
Drawing from his experience presenting and conducting well-being research, Dr. Burnet highlighted the transformative opportunities for medical students who engage in events such as the American Conference on Physician Health. Abstract submissions for ACPH 2025—which takes place Sept. 11–13 in Boston—are open through Feb. 14, and registration for the conference opens June 2. Physicians, medical students, residents and fellows are invited to submit abstracts on strategies that prioritize physician well-being, clinical efficiency practices and systemic changes that promote a healthy work environment in health care.
Sharpen your skills
Presenting his work—the research found that upon completion of a longitudinal coaching program, general surgery interns had encouraging well-being scores—on a national platform before a broad audience is a unique opportunity for medical students, said Dr. Burnet, now a first-year general surgery resident in Colorado.
Prior to his presenting his poster at the conference, he had done a few poster presentations on a smaller scale.
“Those experiences were helpful preparation for the next stage,” he said.
Leveling up and presenting helped him hone skills that will last throughout his career.
“My hope is that it made me a better communicator,” said Dr. Burnet, an AMA member. “Being able to disseminate scientific research effectively and communicate the impact that it has—that's a skill that we don't just use when we're presenting at conferences. It's also something that we use when we're communicating with our colleagues and with our patients on a daily basis.”
Dive deeper:
- Medical student research FAQ: How to find projects, showcase your work
- 4 tips for medical students to get their start as researchers
- How to prep for a competitive physician specialty as an M1, M2
- To publish research in medical school, avoid these 4 mistakes
Building your resume
Research experiences are taking on increased importance during medical school. Dr. Burnet’s project was particularly salient because it examined the specialty to which he planned to apply.
“It was helpful for me because I, at that point, I was already interested in the physician well-being space and had already worked on some projects related to it,” he said. “Since I had really identified that I wanted to have a career in surgery, it was good overlap for me.
Dr. Burnet’s research “always came up in interviews,” he said. “I don’t think there was a single interview I had where we wouldn’t discuss this project or another physician well-being project that I was involved in.”
An impactful topic
Working to do research related to physician well-being resonates with peers and can help shape the profession going forward, Dr. Burnet said.
“To me, engaging in research related to physician well-being is a way that I can take action to hopefully make things a little bit better,” Dr. Burnet said.
“I did a lot of reading to get ready to prepare this abstract, trying to get an in-depth knowledge of what the landscape is right now, who are the other folks who are interested in this kind of work, [and] what they’re working on helps to give a broader perspective of the impact that a project can have.”
For medical students looking to hone their research skills, the AMA offers resources and programs that bring you from the basics all the way to the AMA Research Challenge where you can compete for a $10,000 prize.
Dive deeper:
- AMA Research Challenge: How to prepare a research poster
- What you need to know to ace a poster abstract
- Learn about previous Research Challenge winners
- How to get published in medical school and boost your CV
Gain valuable perspective
While research takes a broad view of a topic, Dr. Burnet found that the work he did related to well-being and coaching offered some lessons he could apply on an individual level.
“My hope is that it makes me a better colleague to my co-residents,” he said. “Hopefully, it makes me a better team player to the attendings who I’m working with on various surgical services because the relationships that we form at work in medicine can really transform our experience at work.”
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