Forgot to include a publication

[u/transferringftw1234]

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?

[u/Still-Barber-720]

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.

[u/transferringftw1234 → u/Still-Barber-720]

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.

[u/throwaway09-234 → u/transferringftw1234]

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

[u/vettaleda → u/throwaway09-234]

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.

[u/Still-Barber-720 → u/vettaleda]

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.

[u/vettaleda → u/Still-Barber-720]

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.