<p>I know that only ~5% of applicants actually have publications so publications of any kind are probably pretty helpful. However, how does the impact factor of the publication weigh in into medical school admissions? I know that a publication in, for instance, Hepatology (IF:~10) is more helpful than a publication in a journal such as Academic Emergency Medicine (IF:~2) but how much more helpful is the publication in a more prestigious journal? From a research standpoint, publishing in a 10 over a 2 is HUGE but how do medical schools view this?</p>
<p>Impact factor is a very flawed system so I doubt it makes any significant difference other than nature or science or cell.</p>
<p>I agree with what you said regarding how IF system if flawed but it still is the thing that most PI’s look at when evaluating their peers. Plus, the chances of a college student getting published in one of those 30+ IF journals are infinitesimal</p>
<p>according to lizzy on that other forum, the Journal itself does not matter at least at her school. Since so few applicants actually have pubs, they don’t parse them into: New England Journal of Medicine = quadruple wow factor; JAMA & Lancet = triple wow factor; Science = double? There are just too many other moving parts to an app.</p>
<p>Then of course, the impact of pubs is likely greater at the top ~20+ schools which have more of a focus on research. Without a pub, an applicant would need to be really strong in many other things at such schools. In contrast, a rural med school focusing on primary and indigent care may not care as much if an applicant published in Hepatology. An article in/on Emergency Care for the homeless might be of more interest to their mission.</p>