Bench research is...boring?

[Algophiliac]

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I have a huge issue. The actual RESEARCH part of research--you know, where you play with chemicals and bacteria--bores me to death. There's just too much waiting around doing nothing and not nearly enough drama to make it interesting.

But I absolutely adore writing up labs and organizing the information obtained from the experiments. Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found any research you can handle? I recently made a thread asking about clinical research opportunities, which I was hoping might cut down on the boredom, but any other suggestions would be highly welcome. Thanks!

 

[RogueUnicorn]

MAKE it interesting.. you're at the edge of science (supposedly), see how you can take the field in a new direction

 

[brooklynblunder]

I have a huge issue. The actual RESEARCH part of research--you know, where you play with chemicals and bacteria--bores me to death. There's just too much waiting around doing nothing and not nearly enough drama to make it interesting.

But I absolutely adore writing up labs and organizing the information obtained from the experiments. Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found any research you can handle? I recently made a thread asking about clinical research opportunities, which I was hoping might cut down on the boredom, but any other suggestions would be highly welcome. Thanks!

Writing up articles is an itch.

I am mad good at the actual research part, dont like much of anything else besides organizing data, which i am also mad good at.

I do hate being in a lab though, hate it. So do most MD/PhD grad students and PIs. Its just absolutely frustrating.

 

[Contrarian]

that's why you're not going to grad school (and neither am I)

 

[Dr McSexy]

MAKE it interesting.. you're at the edge of science (supposedly), see how you can take the field in a new direction

I agree. Spice it up a bit. Spit in the culture flask or in the wells and see what happens.

 

[Algophiliac]

I do hate being in a lab though, hate it. So do most MD/PhD grad students and PIs. Its just absolutely frustrating.

Especially for me, because I like getting things done FAST--at maximum efficiency and who cares about being a nutty perfectionist over it? It has to be relatively correct and insanely quick...exactly what research shouldn't be. The exception is of course the lab write-ups, which I like taking long, thoughtful time over...because I enjoy the analysis aspects of it. Yeah, I'm a bit liberal artsy.

So I guess a PhD really isn't for me, then? I'm hoping there's an MD specialty that fits my personality traits.

EDIT: Not to even mention that I HATE doing things over and over and over again. If I screwed up the experiment the first time (and I always do), nothing is a worse hell for me than going back and doing it over. I need variety.

 

[bravofleet4]

Hahahha. Yes you need drama in science to keep it interesting. Like when my lab manager was getting increasingly mad that the undergrads were asking to borrow her keys all the time to open the room downstairs. Then she requested that the undergrads fill out an application for their own keys. Of course, one day someone put a sticker that said "gay" next to one of the forms and left it on a workbench causing my lab manager to go on a rampage. We never did find out who did that...yeah drama....

 

[BlueElmo]

Sure it can get boring, but so are lot of things. Sometimes, you gotta grit your teeth and do it, because you have no other choice.

 

[Artimacia]

Maybe you should take it in a specific direction. I was going to do virology research, but I kept thinking I'd get bored (I never even got to go into the lab before I quit the group, the guy running it was apparently notorious for not wanting to train new people). So, I ended up taking to my organic chem 2 professor and now I am doing forensic organic chemistry research. I'm constantly running around the lab, between mixing stuff, TLC's, IR's, etc... that it really keeps me busy and I'm excited to see what happens when I make new mixes.

 

[Tots]

Maybe Epi Research? Get some data that was already collected, and then your entire experience will be analyzing, organizing and staring at data. At least that is my experience.

 

[BBender716]

I agree. Spice it up a bit. Spit in the culture flask or in the wells and see what happens.

This made me chuckle. :chuckle: lol

 

[Slack3r]

Or (gasp!), no research at all!

 

[foster033]

I have a huge issue. The actual RESEARCH part of research--you know, where you play with chemicals and bacteria--bores me to death. There's just too much waiting around doing nothing and not nearly enough drama to make it interesting.

But I absolutely adore writing up labs and organizing the information obtained from the experiments. Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found any research you can handle? I recently made a thread asking about clinical research opportunities, which I was hoping might cut down on the boredom, but any other suggestions would be highly welcome. Thanks!

I don't know if you've had any experience outside of classes but doing labs for school or even doing research as an undergrad (for most people) is MUCH different than actually being an employee or grad student in a research lab. Having your own project and deciding what needs to get done, what the next steps are etc. is much more exciting than gen chem lab

 

[CoolWhipp]

I have a huge issue. The actual RESEARCH part of research--you know, where you play with chemicals and bacteria--bores me to death. There's just too much waiting around doing nothing and not nearly enough drama to make it interesting.

But I absolutely adore writing up labs and organizing the information obtained from the experiments. Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found any research you can handle? I recently made a thread asking about clinical research opportunities, which I was hoping might cut down on the boredom, but any other suggestions would be highly welcome. Thanks!

Yes, being the one to do the scrut work of research is a pain. There's not really much you can do unless you switch labs (and maybe departments) into something that may fit your needs but you are never going to be doing research like a PI would be. The PI just comes up with ideas and tells post-docs to do work, and then later they get to see the results and redirect/alter, if necessary, the research project. The research life of a PI is a good one.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Turn on the radio.
...um...
Turn the radio on.

 

[pharaoh88]

I am not a huge fan of bench research either. However, it helps to keep the big picture in the mind. Try to think of potential clinical applications of your research; talk to your PI about the possible relevance of what you're doing. That might you get a bit more excited to be in the lab...

 

[LiveUninhibited]

I have a huge issue. The actual RESEARCH part of research--you know, where you play with chemicals and bacteria--bores me to death. There's just too much waiting around doing nothing and not nearly enough drama to make it interesting.

But I absolutely adore writing up labs and organizing the information obtained from the experiments. Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found any research you can handle? I recently made a thread asking about clinical research opportunities, which I was hoping might cut down on the boredom, but any other suggestions would be highly welcome. Thanks!

Read about the Milgram experiment and tell me that doesn't sound awesome (though unethical)... That was social psychology, but there is social and clinical research in medicine too that you may find more interesting. From what you said, you might even like data mining, which would really take off if health informatics becomes integrated.

I know you're probably thinking more along the lines of research experience to help you get into school, but I think social research still counts as it is applicable to public health issues... you'd be lucky to get anything clinical of course.

 

[NotSur]

.

 

[Algophiliac]

Bioinformatics and public health both sound great, but I was hoping for more immediately medicine-applicable opportunities, hence the clinical research hopes. I do realize it's most likely impossible for a freshman college student to find any decent clinical research volunteering positions, so thank you for those other ideas!

Also, what does psychological or sociological research involve? I know much of it actually involves interacting with people and seeing immediate results (i.e. no zillion re-trials until I'm ready to kill myself), so this might be a decent choice for me. But does anyone have any experience in those soft science research fields and could detail a project example for me?

If not, how would I go about getting involved in some of those data-analyzing research options? Are they generally offered on campus or in an outside...lab, I guess?

 

[GellaBella]

Lab can be really boring. Especially if you aren't designing your own experiments/thinking on your own, and if you're doing one experiment at a time.

It may just not be for you, but if you want to stick it out, try reading papers and coming up with a little side project to do. You can try clearing it with your PI first just as something you'd like to try when you're not focused on your main project. Then anytime you have downtime, do a little bit on it.

You'll be amazed at how quickly you can start thinking of experiments you want to do on your own ..whether they are going to give you good data or not..that you won't know until the exp is done.

I can tell you though that I have so many projects and things that I need to do there are not enough hours in the day. If I have time between experiments..while I'm waiting for my bacteria to grow or whatever...it's because I haven't planned well enough (Or I'm being lazy and just taking it easy that day). You really don't ever have to have down time in the lab. There is really plenty to do.

 

[URHere]

Very few people really enjoy the process of running experiments - but, once you have designed a project and carried it out, the results make it all worthwhile.

I think that most people with an interest in research, enjoy pouring over their data and designing new experiments to make sense of the results. That is what science is all about, and until you have really had your hands in all areas of research, you can't really experience it. You are a freshman, and I guarantee that you haven't seen bench research from all angles. If you really want to know whether you enjoy it or not, give it some extra time and energy.

 

[Algophiliac]

Very few people really enjoy the process of running experiments - but, once you have designed a project and carried it out, the results make it all worthwhile.

I think that most people with an interest in research, enjoy pouring over their data and designing new experiments to make sense of the results. That is what science is all about, and until you have really had your hands in all areas of research, you can't really experience it. You are a freshman, and I guarantee that you haven't seen bench research from all angles. If you really want to know whether you enjoy it or not, give it some extra time and energy.

Thanks URHere, I will definitely stick it out, then. Making sense of the results and the post-lab analysis are extremely interesting to me, so maybe I'm on the right track?

I just can't fathom how running experiments can be interesting, but I have a feeling I may enjoy designing my own! I'm just not sure if it's too early to approach my PI about this, considering that I am only a freshman and have been in his lab for only a bit longer than a month. He feels that we still need training in the basics of lab technique at the moment.

GellaBella, I actually do read papers and enjoy them, but unfortunately most of the research I find interesting is not available on campus here. The lab in which I currently conduct experiments is very detailed and complex, and the PI does not bother to inform us about the big picture. So I am basically just doing procedure after procedure with no idea how the whole project is progressing, although I'm obviously trying to study the basic topic on my own. Needless to say, it's confusing!

 

[strummin]

There's just too much waiting around doing nothing and not nearly enough drama to make it interesting.

Do more stuff. Ask your PI to assign you multiple projects at a time. I frequently run two-three experiments simultaneously, simply because I can. For example, while I wait for my cultures to come up in one experiment, I can spend my time working on another experiment. In this way, I minimize any "free time" I have. I wouldn't recommend doing this at the same time you're taking difficult classes though. It can become pretty time consuming.

 

[LiveUninhibited]

Bioinformatics and public health both sound great, but I was hoping for more immediately medicine-applicable opportunities, hence the clinical research hopes. I do realize it's most likely impossible for a freshman college student to find any decent clinical research volunteering positions, so thank you for those other ideas!

Also, what does psychological or sociological research involve? I know much of it actually involves interacting with people and seeing immediate results (i.e. no zillion re-trials until I'm ready to kill myself), so this might be a decent choice for me. But does anyone have any experience in those soft science research fields and could detail a project example for me?

If not, how would I go about getting involved in some of those data-analyzing research options? Are they generally offered on campus or in an outside...lab, I guess?

Data mining is easiest, but only quasi-original. Data can also be gathered through in-depth face-to-face interviews or by phone/mail. Of course there are other resources to draw upon as well. I would talk to a professor in one of these fields, e.g. social psychology, sociology with a focus on medicine, and see what they say. As with any kind of research, it would usually involve assisting a professor with their research before having your own project.

I don't know if you're correct about the immediate results idea. Longitudinal studies are stronger in social science too. Anything on a social scale beyond bench research is going to involve a lot more potential pitfalls in terms of controlling for variables and asking the right questions of subjects.

 

[ChemEngSoonMD]

I have a huge issue. The actual RESEARCH part of research--you know, where you play with chemicals and bacteria--bores me to death. There's just too much waiting around doing nothing and not nearly enough drama to make it interesting.

But I absolutely adore writing up labs and organizing the information obtained from the experiments. Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found any research you can handle? I recently made a thread asking about clinical research opportunities, which I was hoping might cut down on the boredom, but any other suggestions would be highly welcome. Thanks!

If you wanted to do more actual thinking and study design, then you would major in engineering. Most biology and chemist graduates do grunt work to start where as engineers are assigned those tasks right off the bat.

 

[ChemEngSoonMD]

I have a huge issue. The actual RESEARCH part of research--you know, where you play with chemicals and bacteria--bores me to death. There's just too much waiting around doing nothing and not nearly enough drama to make it interesting.

But I absolutely adore writing up labs and organizing the information obtained from the experiments. Does anyone else feel this way? Have you found any research you can handle? I recently made a thread asking about clinical research opportunities, which I was hoping might cut down on the boredom, but any other suggestions would be highly welcome. Thanks!

If you wanted to do more actual thinking and study design, then you would major in engineering. Most biology and chemist graduates do grunt work to start where as engineers are assigned those tasks right off the bat. Stuff like this:

 

[Narmerguy]

If you wanted to do more actual thinking and study design, then you would major in engineering. Most biology and chemist graduates do grunt work to start where as engineers are assigned those tasks right off the bat. Stuff like this:

Not really. The amount of grunt work you do is largely dependent on your access to resources and your drive to do good work. True, many biology and chemists do grunt work but this is more a testament to the intentions of the biologist or chemist than an indication of the limitations of the fields themselves.

Interesting link but not necessarily an indicator of creative design. Just fancy tools to play with. I imagine that most of the design comes into play with pencil and paper for most researchers.

 

[pharaoh88]

If you wanted to do more actual thinking and study design, then you would major in engineering. Most biology and chemist graduates do grunt work to start where as engineers are assigned those tasks right off the bat. Stuff like this:

This is not accurate. I am not even a science major and was able to design and carry own work last summer (which has just been accepted for publication). Your level of responsibility depends almost entirely on your relationship with your PI. If you show him/her that you are capable, you will have responsibility for the study design regardless of major.

 

[ChemEngSoonMD]

Folks, we are talking about "AVERAGES" here. You could drop out of college and be a billionaire, but how many Bill Gates were there in this world?

 

[GellaBella]

The lab in which I currently conduct experiments is very detailed and complex, and the PI does not bother to inform us about the big picture. So I am basically just doing procedure after procedure with no idea how the whole project is progressing, although I'm obviously trying to study the basic topic on my own. Needless to say, it's confusing!

Yeah things can be confusing especially when you're first starting out. And I think I saw somewhere that you're a freshman? I know even when I was an upperclassman with my own project sometimes talking to a prof would go over my head a bit.

I'd suggest sitting down with the prof though and asking them what the big picture is. Maybe have some questions and bring a notepad to jot things down on. Ask them for scientific reviews you can read etc which will give you a better grasp on why you're doing the exp you're doing. Not every PI is a good mentor, sometimes you have to drag it out of them. And really they will be pleased that you're taking such an interest and trying to understand rather than just being a robot in the lab.

 

[Narmerguy]

Folks, we are talking about "AVERAGES" here. You could drop out of college and be a billionaire, but how many Bill Gates were there in this world?

You're cherry picking my friend, you're not dealing with averages.