Promotion to research lab manager? Take?

[Delahk]

Hello all,

So I got the opportunity to get promoted to the student manager of our research lab, because a grad student, is graduating and will leave at the end of this academic year. I was offered the spot to take it, and do the training for the position, too. This group on campus is big, and the professor specializes a lot in sub-disciplines, so he has 4 different labs. He has in that lab, a mini manager (who is just an adjunct professor who did his PhD under him). The mini-manager oversees general labs, but there are, usually graduate students, that manage each lab individually. They train new students, give the weekly talks, actually write up the abstracts for publications, meet up with up with grad students at local Health Science Centers in our local community to give data, etc.

It's a lot of work, and I'm confident in my ability that I can do it. The previous guy who was lab manager for ONE YEAR pushed out 3 papers, and has like 4th author on 2 more coming up because he gave a bunch of data to some PhD students at a Health Science Center (pretty much a medical school that offers pure PhDs, too). I know that my research would be stacked if I did it. Just curious, other than research, do you think this would fulfill the implied "leadership" requirements of most medical schools? How strong would this look? I'm just curious if this could be a game changer that would actually make "reach" schools more approachable with respect to my application, or is it standard?

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[TheLionheart]

Definitely doesn't sound "standard" to me. Lab managers at my university (R1 university) are typically masters level, and even individuals with a PhD. Do it. Sounds like a great opportunity, congratulations!

 

[Delahk]

Definitely doesn't sound "standard" to me. Lab managers at my university (R1 university) are typically masters level, and even individuals with a PhD. Do it. Sounds like a great opportunity, congratulations!

Thanks! I know there isn't such thing as "too much research", but the previous lab manager wants to do a PhD. He got into at top 10 PhD program for his field. I'm not interested in graduate education. I also have research before this lab, and even a SURF at at another institution. Maybe 4ish publications on top of that isn't really that much at the end of the day, but I won't run into the "So, you have a lot of research, why didn't you go for PhD or MD/PhD", right?

 

[HinduHammer]

Hello all,

So I got the opportunity to get promoted to the student manager of our research lab, because a grad student, is graduating and will leave at the end of this academic year. I was offered the spot to take it, and do the training for the position, too. This group on campus is big, and the professor specializes a lot in sub-disciplines, so he has 4 different labs. He has in that lab, a mini manager (who is just an adjunct professor who did his PhD under him). The mini-manager oversees general labs, but there are, usually graduate students, that manage each lab individually. They train new students, give the weekly talks, actually write up the abstracts for publications, meet up with up with grad students at local Health Science Centers in our local community to give data, etc.

It's a lot of work, and I'm confident in my ability that I can do it. The previous guy who was lab manager for ONE YEAR pushed out 3 papers, and has like 4th author on 2 more coming up because he gave a bunch of data to some PhD students at a Health Science Center (pretty much a medical school that offers pure PhDs, too). I know that my research would be stacked if I did it. Just curious, other than research, do you think this would fulfill the implied "leadership" requirements of most medical schools? How strong would this look? I'm just curious if this could be a game changer that would actually make "reach" schools more approachable with respect to my application, or is it standard?

Yes it does sound like a great opportunity, and my first reaction is to say you should definitely accept. But I think it depends on the rest of your app. If you want to be a clinician and go to a non-research heavy school, there could be other ways to spend your time - patient contact experience topping the list. What's your other clinical experience/ ECs?

 

[TheLionheart]

Thanks! I know there isn't such thing as "too much research", but the previous lab manager wants to do a PhD. He got into at top 10 PhD program for his field. I'm not interested in graduate education. I also have research before this lab, and even a SURF at at another institution. Maybe 4ish publications on top of that isn't really that much at the end of the day, but I won't run into the "So, you have a lot of research, why didn't you go for PhD or MD/PhD", right?

Provided you're not letting the clinical/everything else aspect of your application deteriorate, then I see no issue. If you are asked that question, there are multiple ways to answer.

"I want to focus the majority of my time on patient care, not research."

"Having an MD does not prevent me from doing research, but instead allows me to devote a more significant portion of my time to treating patients, which is my true passion."

Etc.

 

[Delahk]

Yes it does sound like a great opportunity, and my first reaction is to say you should definitely accept. But I think it depends on the rest of your app. If you want to be a clinician and go to a non-research heavy school, there could be other ways to spend your time - patient contact experience topping the list. What's your other clinical experience/ ECs?

~275 clinical volunteering hours
~150 nonclinal volunteering hours
Officer in on campus club, member for 2 years
Tutor for a year
Job as cost analyst at a hospital (business major with emphasis in mathematics)

This December my friend and I are going to volunteer at a program that's sort of like Make A Wish, but a little different. We're actually going to give up our holidays to help those families out. It'll be ~6-7 hours a day for a full 30 days. So, I have the potential to rack up another 180-21 hours of something that's technically with a nonclinical institution, but sort of in a clinical setting. You see depressed families, kids with ailments, patient-physician interaction, etc.

 

[Delahk]

Provided you're not letting the clinical/everything else aspect of your application deteriorate, then I see no issue. If you are asked that question, there are multiple ways to answer.

"I want to focus the majority of my time on patient care, not research."

"Having an MD does not prevent me from doing research, but instead allows me to devote a more significant portion of my time to treating patients, which is my true passion."

Etc.

Thanks for the response. I still do volunteering at a hospital. I have a good time commitment, too. I've never missed a day- not for an exam, etc.

 

[HinduHammer]

~275 clinical volunteering hours
~150 nonclinal volunteering hours
Officer in on campus club, member for 2 years
Tutor for a year
Job as cost analyst at a hospital (business major with emphasis in mathematics)

This December my friend and I are going to volunteer at a program that's sort of like Make A Wish, but a little different. We're actually going to give up our holidays to help those families out. It'll be ~6-7 hours a day for a full 30 days. So, I have the potential to rack up another 180-21 hours of something that's technically with a nonclinical institution, but sort of in a clinical setting. You see depressed families, kids with ailments, patient-physician interaction, etc.

In that case sounds like a great opportunity, especially since it essential fell into your lap!