• If you hear a consultant say “I’ve never seen that before”, ask them if you can write a case report about it.
• In an imaging clinic/theatre, if they say “This is a classic presentation”, ask to publish the image.
• On each rotation, ask if there is a project you can get involved in.
• For any written work you’ve done during medical school, google relevant essay prizes or conferences that you can submit it as a poster presentation. You’ve already done the writing, you just need to change the format.
• If you come across a medical issue, a new development or form an opinion about an interesting case, write an opinion article and submit it to the BMJ.
• Endgame articles for the BMJ – a common case or image, with questions and evidence-based answers aimed at newly qualified doctors – you could use long cases or histories that you’ve taken.
• Look at Royal School of Medicine essay prizes and see if any are relevant to an essay or project you’ve already previously written up.
• If you get on well with one of your consultants, ask them if you can do an audit or project with them, this can continue when you have finished the rotation and is a great way to do some networking.
• If you’re interested in surgery, contact STARsurg and enquire about research projects in your local area.
• If you’re interested in medicine, contact NSAMR and enquire about research projects in your local area.
• Attend conferences in specialties you are interested in, go speak to the people presenting and ask them how you can get involved.
• If there is a particular area that you are interested, contact the professors in that area and the local University and ask them if you can get involved.

If you get rejected from the first application, keep going, you’ve worked hard and it will pay off!