Anyone notice that research labs easier to get into have worse experiences?

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

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As someone who’s been in 4 labs, I noticed that there is an almost inverse relationship to the ease of getting into a lab and the positive experiences of being in the lab.

The hardest lab to get in was a clinical lab that investigated an eye condition. Application process was 2 months long and only 3 people were chosen out of 320. I learned data analysis, statistics, and ran the clinical protocols.

The easiest lab to get into took me less than 24 hours to sign up. But I was essentially just doing PCR on old samples that didn’t need PCR 🙁

 

[FroYoOreo]

Think it this way: as undergrad, you are pretty much free labor. Only those that actually care about your experience would say no to free labor. In my lab we turn down people just because we think there aren’t enough things for them to do. Those very competitive lab you mentioned, care more about the experience of individual students. However those easy labs help a lot of people fill their resume.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

It was super easy to get into both labs I worked in. Both were fine. I ended up not liking either, but it had nothing to do with the labs. I just ended up not liking bench research or rats.

 

[boogiecousins94]

I've been in 3 but have worked almost 2 years now full time in a good lab at arguably one of the best hospitals in the world and I never had an in person interview and got the job over the phone.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

This is a rule in life in virtually any job or position.

If the position or job has a good work environment:
-the more likely people are to stay
-the more likely its reputation will increase (via word of mouth by those working in the lab)
-the more likely new people will try to get a position in the lab
-the more competition for that position

If the position or job has a bad work environment:
-the less likely people are to stay with the most competent/qualified most able to find a new position and leave
-the more likely its reputation will decrease (via word of mouth by those moving out of the lab)
-the less likely new people will try to get a position in the lab
-the less competition for that position

Hence the worse places are the easiest to get into. Keep this mind down the road when you are looking at residency programs. Find out how long the PD has been in place. If they have had 3 PDs in 6 years, what does it say about the program?

True!

 

[buckoh24]

My lab was super easy to get into. Had an interview and the PI said at the end that if I wanted the job, it was mine. My lab is also HUGE (60+ people) and was filling spots as people left for grad school. So I guess it kinda depends. The hospital doesnt pay well but our PI tries to help us out other ways (hes an adcom, our lab manager is an adcom, and our lab puts our ~25 pubs a year and is highly visible so he tries to get us on abstracts/pubs). Try to find labs that are expanding or if you know someone is graduating and leaving. Those labs are usually pretty nice.

 

[thegrind33]

My lab was fairly easy to get into. I just had to have an interview with the prof, show him my transcript, and write an essay for him. Our lab is fairly small (5 undergrads) and we have two projects simultaneously going on. I was able to do a lot of hands on experience and the prof always gave us great explanations about everything we were doing. I am also really close to everyone in the lab which is a plus. There are a lot of labs on my campus so I think that is why it was not so competitive. Now before I joined this lab I talked to my ochem prof and he told me he could get me into this profs lab who was oozing with $$ (grants) and resources. I ultimately choose the lab I am in now over the highly successful one (not saying my lab is not successful) due to the work environment and the prof.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

My lab was fairly easy to get into. I just had to have an interview with the prof, show him my transcript, and write an essay for him.

Holy crap. I just met the pi in the office, and we talked for a few minutes.