PhD/PsyD Do I accept this offer for the summer?

[saratoga37]

---

Members don't see this ad.

[deleted]

 

[G Costanza]

If you don't mind doing the work, I'd go for it. Others may disagree, but I think having more research experience at the undergrad level is better than keeping a strong research lineage with fewer experiences.

It would also be more meaningful to me that you sought out research beyond what was easily accessible through your school.

Edit: I assumed that the research was predetermined to only take a month. Now I'm realizing you meant you only have a month to sort through it. Not sure how much you could get done in that amount of time.

 

[CheetahGirl]

This summer I was planning on focusing on studying for the GRE and deciding on what schools to apply to/start writing the personal statements.
This week, however, I found out that my brother's girlfriend messaged a psychology researcher (a family friend of hers) about opportunities to work for her this summer. The researcher contacted me and she said that I can come by and look at all the data she's collected for something she's working on; then, if I am interested in parts of her research, she'll let me use that research and submit what I find as a poster to a conference.

I'm not sure if I should accept this offer because:
-Her research is nowhere near what I'm interested in (her study is about HIV interventions; I'm more interested in the influence of environmental factors on the development of child psychopathology--she said, however, that she thinks she collected some data on depression)
-I've already presented a poster at APS from an independent study I did--would having a second poster help at all?
-It would only be for about a month
-I'm scared I'll have wasted my time if I found nothing to research (and nothing to put on my resume)

Currently: I have 1.5 years of RA experience, have presented a poster based on data the lab I worked with had collected (came up with my own research Q), and have clinical/volunteer experience. I'm looking around to see if I can find a lab manager position and start in the fall.

Can someone give me advice? What should I do?

Hmmm.

For starters, I'd ask myself:

What else could I do this summer?

Do I think HIV interventions, depression, and influence of environmental factors on development of child psychopathology could be linked in any way...possible?

What do I really consider a waste of time...at this stage in the game (forecasting grad school's gonna be timely and efficient)?

(but this is rhetorical...I'm not suggesting you talk it out here.)

Good luck!

 

[Kadhir]

My initial response was similar to that above. You can still put this on your CV as research experience. But it does sound like you are a bit more focused than the average person at your stage. If you do have substantive plans for the summer and feel like your time could be better spent, then maybe you know best. It sounds like the researcher wants some work products from her data, but unless she has a specific question for you to investigate, I am inclined to agree that this could just be a time suck. It's possible she does have a project in mind, so you could meet but make your intentions transparent.

Edit: Just make sure you are professional about your interests and don't tick anyone off. Never know when you might need the connection.

 

[Kadhir]

But if I don't find anything, would I still be able to list it on my CV?

You should list any and all research experiences on your CV, whether or not they resulted in publications. These go under a separate heading of "Research Experiences" (or something similar of your choosing). You should list the PI, dates, location, brief description of activities. I had 0 posters or pubs when I applied to graduate school, but I had several laboratory experiences, and you betcha they were featured prominently on my CV.

I'm just curious: is this a good boost? Would this, along with the research experience/poster presentation I mentioned above be good enough for PsyD/PhD programs (assuming I have good personal statement, GRE, recs)? Or is it likely that I'll have to take a gap year and gain more research experience?

Hard question to answer. If you get a work product, then yes, this could be a boost. Otherwise, like noted above, research experience looks good. But if it's a substantive boost- ?? As with everything, depends on where you're applying and who you're up against. Some folks are able to secure an offer right out of undergrad, while others (increasingly more) have to opt for a full-time RAship and then try their hand again later. This is not unusual and you shouldn't be discouraged. I encourage reaching out to POI's early and determining how good of a match you are before you apply. It doesn't sound like you're in this boat necessarily, but if you find yourself a bit confused about where to apply and what you're actually interested in studying, then that's good reason to take that gap year.

 

[deleted760483]

I would do it. Most undergrads aren't doing their own research and are just being a part of whatever their professors are doing. At this stage in your career it's more important to learn how to conduct and present research than to really learn about a specific topic; that's more what grad school is for. I was involved in several undergrad research projects, none of which were very intrinsically interesting to me, but they were tremendously helpful to my CV and my career.