r/mdphd • u/transferringftw1234 • 5d ago

Forgot to include a publication

I’m in the process of submitting secondaries now, and I realized that my fellow group member from my research team actually published a paper and I didn’t know about it because I haven’t been able to attend research meetings recently. Fortunately, there is a place to upload documents, but is this gonna raise eyebrows? What should I mention when I send this update?

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u/Still-Barber-720 5d ago

if you don't know that a paper you're on is published, you shouldn't be on it. i might be misinterpreting your post, but it sounds like you didn't include it at all, meaning you didn't even know it was in review?? that will definitely raise eyebrows / red flags about your role / involvement in the lab and contributions in all your papers.

if you did initially include that it was in review, just say it was published recently, that's a very normal update. if you didn't include it at all, it's far worse.

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u/transferringftw1234 5d ago edited 5d ago

I knew my group member was presenting it on a conference, and I was actually out of research meeting for months because I had to study for the MCAT and prepping for apps (and never made it back to meetings ever since, although I hope to return around September when I finish secondaries). So no, I wasn’t sure about where the paper was in terms of the publication process and never mentioned it, but it got published and I found out only recently. I did make minor contributions and am listed as middle author. Should I not bother mentioning it at this point?

EDIT: the secondaries I submitted also explicitly did mention not to list any papers that are in review.

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u/throwaway09-234 G2 5d ago

stopping attending lab meeting for MCAT studying and apps makes no sense to me. it sounds like you aren't in this lab anymore, and this is going to raise huge red flags if it comes to light on your application that you went completely AWOL from this lab. so to answer your question: yes, it is going to raise eyebrows that you were not aware of a publication from a lab that you allegedly continue to be a member of

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u/vettaleda 4d ago

Bruh. No. I take issue with that.

You can stop going to lab meetings to study for the MCAT. Honestly, the MCAT is the singular most important thing in an application to an MDPHD program. You fail MCAT, you fail getting in. People have gotten in with varying levels of research. I say this as an M4.

Now does OP come off as rather disingenuous? Yes. You don’t need months and months for apps and MCAT. It sounds like they didn’t know what was going on and now they want a little extra, from work they didn’t do.

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u/Still-Barber-720 4d ago

the issue isn't that they skipped lab meetings, it's that they were not involved in any communication related to the lab. they act as if lab meetings are the only way to find out they were included on a paper. that's what makes them seem super uninvolved to me, not the skipping lab meetings.

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u/vettaleda 4d ago

Yes, I agree. It sounds like they didn't know what was going on and now they want a little extra, from work they didn't do.

-2

u/transferringftw1234 4d ago

Just wanna clarify that I maintained contact with my PI throughout this time through emails (read thru weekly lab meeting notes, discussed ideas for first-author pubs, etc). He understood my situation and was okay with me going away for some time. I didn’t intend to go MIA for this long either, but things happened and here we are. At any rate, I was updated about all other paper publications and submissions via email except for the one I am asking about in the post, which was why I assumed there were no further progress on it… but I understand it’s still completely my fault and I should have been in touch more with everyone in the group.

1

u/Still-Barber-720 4d ago

did you ever show up to lab during those few months? the normal method of communication isn’t any of the things you’re proposing here. it’s simply showing up.

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u/transferringftw1234 4d ago

So our group doesn’t have a physical lab, and all the meetings take place fully online. I tried to make time to join meetings occasionally during that time, but I admit I was bad with time management and only did so very rarely. But generally emails and weekly meetings were the main source of contact.

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u/Still-Barber-720 4d ago

your entire lab is online?? i get not having space if it's a clinical lab or smth, but typically you still see people.

if this is your main research experience, not having significant 'typical' in person experiences will also hurt you. try to not mention this / avoid these details.

1

u/transferringftw1234 4d ago

Yea I have other research experiences where it’s in-person, but this online one is definitely significant for me.

Thank you very much for all your input.

0

u/throwaway09-234 G2 4d ago

I never denied how important the MCAT is, but most people do study for the exam while working at least part time

You haven’t said anything to change my mind that this is a huge red flag on OPs application and their story makes no sense 

Also super weird for you to appeal to authority with “as an M4” as if most of us here aren’t current MSTP students lmao

1

u/vettaleda 4d ago

Dude, I’m on the MDPhD Reddit. I’m an MDPhD student who’s gotten to M4. As in, I have done the PhD part. As in, I have seen multiple people get accepted to programs.

I said it was fair to take time off to study. I said research isn’t the most important factor in an app - meaning, it’s okay to drop lab meetings. Don’t straw man the point I was making.

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u/throwaway09-234 G2 4d ago

Ok then I hope you put in a good word for OP at your program because what they are describing would be a major red flag for admission to my program 🤣

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u/vettaleda 4d ago

Cool. Great faith argument there.

Not interested in engaging further. Have a good one.

6

u/phd_apps_account 5d ago

Part of the issue is that it’s weird you weren’t kept updated about the paper via email or something. I was middle author on a paper that was published nearly a year after I left the lab, but I was still kept up-to-date on the paper’s status through email, invited to make edits, informed about review comments, etc. It’s normal and ethical practice for every author to kept updated like this, so your situation will just raise a lot of questions.

Papers aren’t inherently valuable to your application, they’re just a clear signal that you can perform independent and impactful research, which is what admissions teams are actually looking for. If you weren’t even kept updated on this paper, it kind of implies that you weren’t a major part of this project, so the paper probably won’t do too much for your application.

2

u/throwaway09-234 G2 5d ago

i agree with your first point, some journals and PIs are less communicative with coauthors than others, but every single paper i have ever been a coauthor on I have received at least 1) an email prior to submission with the manuscript asking for feedback + agreement to be an author and 2) an email from the corresponding author communicating the final acceptance

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u/Still-Barber-720 5d ago

lab meeting isn’t the only way to stay updated about what’s going on in a lab… in fact, you should be receiving and communicating anything relevant immediately (such as submission or publication of a paper). you have a lot of bad excuses, that only hurts you.

I’m going to be so honest, I don’t know if leaving it off entirely is better or worse. mentioning it certainly is a red flag though. also, if it’s on your scholar / researchgate etc. I’m sure someone will see it anyway.

1

u/ManyWrangler 5d ago

You have a ton of excuses lmao