- Joined
- Apr 3, 2007
- Messages
- 401
- Reaction score
- 22
What is a reasonable amount of work/time put in to be published as third/fourth author (or maybe even lower, and not guaranteed) from a small lab? This is volunteer/unpaid work.
I am curious because my postdoc expects me to be doing experiments from 9:00 AM to about 7:00 PM everyday. Compared to the other people in the lab, I seem to be doing disproportionately high amounts of work. What I am doing is not even an established or a routine thing either, as I am almost independently in charge of elucidating a certain pathway and its drug interactions (being vague for anonymity). Sometimes I feel the experiments given to me are pointless too, so this adds to my frustration. My postdoc does not seem to be a very mindful/sharp person (frequent mistakes, sloppy work, ignorant about published findings in his area of research), which makes me question some of the things I am supposed to do. This is my first research experience, but I am pointing out a lot of experimental aspects and published findings that are new to the postdoc...this does not seem right!
I probably would not mind so much if I did not have the added stress of med-school apps, which are not going so well. Maybe I can just hang in there and dutifully do all the work assigned to me, since it is only for another 8 months or so... but the last time I did this I incurred possibly permanent damage to my health...
I guess on the bright side, there probably is not many people out there who is able to be published within a year's time (albeit 3rd/4th or lower rank) with no prior research experience... and I am learning a lot and able to perform the experiments I do very well because of the sheer practice I get.
Bleh, maybe I just needed to vent.
I am curious because my postdoc expects me to be doing experiments from 9:00 AM to about 7:00 PM everyday. Compared to the other people in the lab, I seem to be doing disproportionately high amounts of work. What I am doing is not even an established or a routine thing either, as I am almost independently in charge of elucidating a certain pathway and its drug interactions (being vague for anonymity). Sometimes I feel the experiments given to me are pointless too, so this adds to my frustration. My postdoc does not seem to be a very mindful/sharp person (frequent mistakes, sloppy work, ignorant about published findings in his area of research), which makes me question some of the things I am supposed to do. This is my first research experience, but I am pointing out a lot of experimental aspects and published findings that are new to the postdoc...this does not seem right!
I probably would not mind so much if I did not have the added stress of med-school apps, which are not going so well. Maybe I can just hang in there and dutifully do all the work assigned to me, since it is only for another 8 months or so... but the last time I did this I incurred possibly permanent damage to my health...
I guess on the bright side, there probably is not many people out there who is able to be published within a year's time (albeit 3rd/4th or lower rank) with no prior research experience... and I am learning a lot and able to perform the experiments I do very well because of the sheer practice I get.
Bleh, maybe I just needed to vent.