This is a bit of a long story but I would appreciate any advice on how to proceed.
I go to a state school that is R1 but there is essentially no research being done in my area of interest and passion. I have great clinical and service experiences I do here, but I got sick of not doing any research work and sort of, on a whim, emailed this lab at a really highly ranked med school (reason I am including this is for context to imply that the PI is respected, busy and likely gets many student emails about his lab) that I have known about since high school since they wrote a paper that was game changing in a topic I am super interested in. The PI replied! and two weeks later we had a short zoom call where I basically shot my shot and said 'hey can I come out to you guys in summer 22 and just do a bunch of work in your lab? i love ur work etc would be an honor and all that'.
PI dude says yes! says I should email him a cv and cover letter after we hang up and he will reply later with some logistical details about vax requirements and signing up as a visiting student. said I should email him in the fall if I want to visit the lab in person, and email in February to get the student onboarding process started. he said a bunch of stuff that had me basically tearing up, said he would be happy to write me a letter, would even pay me, would take me rounding w him for his patients. I was thrilled. but after the call I sort of thought to myself, this guy doesn't know anything about me or my caliber, why is he so happy to have me and offer me all this? but I brushed it off, wrote my letter and sent him that and a cv.
this was mid July. no reply to the cv email. follow up email two weeks later, 'hey doc just checking in to see that you received all requested materials'. nothing.
late august, fresh email thread and new follow up. 'hey doc, I have some time during fall break and some money saved up for a ticket, are you available on xy dates for me to visit the lab?' nothing.
yesterday, I called the lab num and lab manager picks up, says he never mentioned me but he is super busy. advised me to simply email again.
Here is my dilemma:
from my understanding, applicants to med school are successful when they have a coherent story and theme for why they wanna do med. "mom had cancer, did cancer research and volunteered w cancer patients". or "experiences w mental health, worked in psych ward and did suicide awareness". my reasons for medicine and my passions revolve around what that lab does and I feel like doing different genres of research takes away from and muddles my story, i.e. no passion, this applicant is just checking boxes.
Apologies for the huge cry post, but I would love any advice on what to do from now on
I go to a state school that is R1 but there is essentially no research being done in my area of interest and passion. I have great clinical and service experiences I do here, but I got sick of not doing any research work and sort of, on a whim, emailed this lab at a really highly ranked med school (reason I am including this is for context to imply that the PI is respected, busy and likely gets many student emails about his lab) that I have known about since high school since they wrote a paper that was game changing in a topic I am super interested in. The PI replied! and two weeks later we had a short zoom call where I basically shot my shot and said 'hey can I come out to you guys in summer 22 and just do a bunch of work in your lab? i love ur work etc would be an honor and all that'.
PI dude says yes! says I should email him a cv and cover letter after we hang up and he will reply later with some logistical details about vax requirements and signing up as a visiting student. said I should email him in the fall if I want to visit the lab in person, and email in February to get the student onboarding process started. he said a bunch of stuff that had me basically tearing up, said he would be happy to write me a letter, would even pay me, would take me rounding w him for his patients. I was thrilled. but after the call I sort of thought to myself, this guy doesn't know anything about me or my caliber, why is he so happy to have me and offer me all this? but I brushed it off, wrote my letter and sent him that and a cv.
this was mid July. no reply to the cv email. follow up email two weeks later, 'hey doc just checking in to see that you received all requested materials'. nothing.
late august, fresh email thread and new follow up. 'hey doc, I have some time during fall break and some money saved up for a ticket, are you available on xy dates for me to visit the lab?' nothing.
yesterday, I called the lab num and lab manager picks up, says he never mentioned me but he is super busy. advised me to simply email again.
Here is my dilemma:
- this is a dream opportuntity for me. the research they do there is literally the same thing I did in high school and what I have been wanted to do ever since I started college. like, down to the exact organism, exact patient group, exact application! I do not want to lose this at all. this is also at my top choice medical school and i love the physical location, people, weather etc. its just perfect.
- ive already sent a couple emails and called. anything beyond this in my opinion is highly unprofessional and needy so I don't think I should contact anymore. but I also feel like inaction = letting this disappear
- have I already lost it? is the pi not replying to my follow ups academic code for '**** off?'
- to this point, if they didnt wanna host why respond to my initial email? why call, and offer all those things? people around me have been suggesting it was for laughs (lol, but????)
- am I being hall of fame neurotic and should just sit back and wait for a reply in the next month or two, respect the PI's time etc? is a response time of that long normal and I am just freaking out
- my biggest concern is that I really need some research since I am nearing graduation and need to start looking for other summer opportunities. I am afraid of developing a connection with a lab somewhere else, getting it all going with them and then getting a delayed email from the original lab. that would screw everything up because I would drop anything in the world for the OG lab but the hypothetical new lab would be disrespected which I do not want to do at all
from my understanding, applicants to med school are successful when they have a coherent story and theme for why they wanna do med. "mom had cancer, did cancer research and volunteered w cancer patients". or "experiences w mental health, worked in psych ward and did suicide awareness". my reasons for medicine and my passions revolve around what that lab does and I feel like doing different genres of research takes away from and muddles my story, i.e. no passion, this applicant is just checking boxes.
Apologies for the huge cry post, but I would love any advice on what to do from now on
