I did not fail. I just found 2,000 ways not to make a lightbulb.

– Thomas Edison

Research is often touted as the epitome of science – the discovery of new concepts and ideas that can be shared with the rest of the world. Research always sounded like such a great and necessary feat that I wondered why I didn’t dabble more in this realm. Then I became involved in research and quickly realized the cold, hard truths. Research is not all discoveries and publications. Research takes a lot of hard work, effort, and time. Even then, some projects “fail.” However, as Edison pointed out, failing is part of the research process – the ugly part. I’ve learned a lot through my research endeavors and have provided some tips to help encourage you to trudge through the bad and the ugly of research to get to the good (and really good) that accompanies completed research projects.

Lesson 1: Choose projects you are passionate about.

My dance with research began in pharmacy school when I was trying to differentiate myself for residency applications. I always loved infectious diseases and found a professor who was willing to involve me in benchtop research projects. It took me a long time to get up to speed on laboratory techniques, understand what I was doing, and perform the benchtop work. Although my primary investigator (PI) was always very supportive, I quickly learned that benchtop research is not for me. I was not passionate about it and thus worked lackadaisically on the project. I could have made it into a publication, but I was not interested in the project and found it hard to come in day after day to work on it. I would distract myself with other tasks, pushing the research project to the back burner for weeks. I regret not discussing my struggle with my PI and finding a way to finish the study. However, I am thankful I learned (the hard way) that finding an area of research that speaks to you is incredibly important. In residency, you are not always given the option to choose your project. Therefore, focus on the aspects that interest you. For me, this was the outcome, the final results of all of my hard work that would affect the department or patients. This strategy can keep you motivated when working through the not-so-fun parts of your project.

Lesson 2: Assess the project’s feasibility.

This cannot be overstated. As pharmacists, we tend to be hypercritical of our projects and want to collect as much data as possible that may affect our outcome of interest. However, it is important to assess the feasibility of acquiring this much data. Is there enough time to collect data and maintain data quality/integrity within a year (and realistically shorter)? Is every data point vital? Inevitably, no. Some are always more important than others, and identifying this early on helps when determining what to include. If the data point takes a long time to gather and does not add proportional value to the study, it should probably be excluded.

My PGY1 medication use evaluation project required the tedious task of collecting several data points, and my coresident and I fell short. Well into the project, we determined that at about 20 minutes per patient and over 600 patients, data collection would require each of us to work around 100 extra hours within 2–3 months. We made an additional mistake of not bringing it up to our program director and thus suffered for the first few months of residency until our program director realized we were not on track to complete the project as originally defined. We all agreed that it was not feasible to include 600 patients, so we lowered the number significantly to about 200 so that we could complete the task. Always keep an open line of communication, as I learned the hard way. All research projects are subject to difficulties. Communicating with your program director throughout is the best way to address hiccups, no matter how big or how small.

Now, I find it useful to conduct this time-per-patient test to calculate how long data collection will take. This helps better allocate my time. During my PGY1 and PGY2 training, we had a phenomenal PGY2-trained informatics pharmacist who could obtain difficult data points electronically. I worked with him to minimize my manual data collection to a few data points per patient and was thus able to triple the size of my studies, making the findings more meaningful.

Lesson 3: Allow plenty of time for your research project.

Time is not something you come by easily during postgraduate training. We’ve all spent those long nights trying to complete a project because there were not enough hours in the day. Therefore, it cannot be exaggerated how beneficial it is to start early and take the tortoise approach. Complete small components of a project during the afternoons; stay an extra hour each day for a couple of weeks to finish data collection/analysis early, rather than coming in on the weekends; or write the introduction or methods section of your abstract or manuscript early. All of these will make your future self much happier. Keeping your mental health in check and reducing stress are incredibly important during your residency year. The training years are not easy, and every little bit you can reduce stress helps you remain resilient. Remember that completing a research project is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep working on the project weekly, and the results will show in the end.

Lesson 4: Seek out a strong mentor.

I will not belabor this point, as we already have an excellent article on the importance of mentors. Your mentor’s involvement will improve your project and make it much easier to finish. Whether adding insights, encouraging you to keep moving, or helping out along the way; great mentors for research are necessary and can completely change the trajectory of your project (and career).

I hope the lessons I learned along my journey can help you. Research is hardly ever easy and does not appeal to everyone, but you will be doing a research project as part of your postgraduate training. You will be learning your own unique lessons, and although they may not be enjoyable, you will benefit from the process. It will make you a better practitioner, enable you to better interpret the primary literature, improve your research techniques, and prepare you to mentor future residents with their projects. Choose projects you are excited about. Speak up if project completion is not feasible. Pace yourself, and find a great mentor. Following these tips can make the research process a little less daunting and result in something truly meaningful.

About the author: Faisal Syed Minhaj received his Pharm.D. degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2017. He completed his PGY1 pharmacy and PGY2 emergency medicine residencies at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Currently, he is a clinical toxicology fellow at the Maryland Poison Center. His professional interests include emergency preparedness, global health, and toxicology. He also enjoys traveling, hiking, and playing any sport he comes by.