One of the challenges that new residents face, especially when coming to a new hospital and new program, is how to identify a resident research project and a project supervisor. The program recognizes this situation and gives residents until the end of the first year of their residency program to confirm their project topic and supervisor. With that said, the earlier a topic identified, the better. 

Residents can help start the process of selecting their project topics in several ways. In fact, the research project is perhaps the part of the residency program's content over which the resident has the most control. Think about what medical topic or topics of interest. Some residents may know what they would like to do after residency and aim to do a project or work with a person in that area. Others might have identified a staff person they would like to work with. The more reflection that is put in, the easier it will be to find something to study.