fired from lab and doubts

[polyploidy516]

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I would really appreciate your suggestions on how to handle this situation.

I was fired from my lab today; my PI's reason were due to me being consistently late (i was often late by 5-15 minutes several times but after her first warning, i was only late once)

He fired me today because I emailed him in the morning saying that i was sick (i had a severe bout with allergies and the flu that really weakened me). I did miss one scheduled day last week because of sickness (stomach flu).

My performance in the lab was really good, however. My results and technique were praised constantly. However, my PI just thought I was too unreliable and thus fired me.

My question is do you think i should include this experience on my AMCAS or not? My PI had offered to write me a rec a couple weeks back, but now after the firing, i dont know how to approach/whether it would be wise of me to ask. Also, do you think it is fair for me to be fired during a day in which I was sick or is the firing justified by my earlier tardiness?

Your insights would be really good.

 

[PreMedOrDead]

Sounds like you had it coming...

Lesson for life: 10 minutes early is on time.

 

[polyploidy516]

yeah, i definitely agree. I guess the main reason why i was upset was because it was a volunteer job and I was doing good work. I would also stay way past the allotted time to make up for the lateness.

 

[Kaputt]

You deserved it. You were wasting the PI's time by your consistent tardiness. If you were always on time like you should have been, it would not have been a big deal for you to phone in sick. Sounds like this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Don't bother asking for a letter of recommendation, and work on being professional in the future and honoring your commitments.

 

[moothecow]

I would really appreciate your suggestions on how to handle this situation.

I was fired from my lab today; my PI's reason were due to me being consistently late (i was often late by 5-15 minutes several times but after her first warning, i was only late once)

He fired me today because I emailed him in the morning saying that i was sick (i had a severe bout with allergies and the flu that really weakened me). I did miss one scheduled day last week because of sickness (stomach flu).

My performance in the lab was really good, however. My results and technique were praised constantly. However, my PI just thought I was too unreliable and thus fired me.

My question is do you think i should include this experience on my AMCAS or not? My PI had offered to write me a rec a couple weeks back, but now after the firing, i dont know how to approach/whether it would be wise of me to ask. Also, do you think it is fair for me to be fired during a day in which I was sick or is the firing justified by my earlier tardiness?

Your insights would be really good.

It's absolutely not fair to be fired for sickness and honestly 5-15 minutes is nothing if you worked for a research lab (on the other hand, if you were late for meetings with PI, that could reflect badly). People in my lab rolled in 30 mins to an hour late on non lab meeting days and were never reprimanded because they stayed late and got their shizz done. I suggest you go talk to your PI (if you don't, you will constantly think about it and feel guilty). An honest conversation will let you know if you can still get a rec from her and also you may be able to leave the lab on a good note. This will do you a lot of good and it won't weigh you down and make you feel bad about it forever. Just request an appointment, be polite and honest, let her be honest, and if it doesn't work out, be courteous on the way out.

*I speak from experience

 

[bad med advice]

"When in doubt, leave it out." That should be your motto for the application process.

You do not want someone who has fired you to write you an LOR. You do not want someone who does anything other than praise you to write an LOR. Every other applicant is going to have their letters full of praise and admiration. If you cannot find someone eager to go to bat for you, delay your application a year, work/volunteer, and establish a relationship specifically for this reason.

A single toxic letter can ruin an otherwise successful application. Trust me, I've experienced it personally.

 

[bad med advice]

Oh, and to hell with ^ that guy. I'm prompt on principle, but I don't know you well enough to judge. Sometimes it helps to take moments like this to re-commit to your purpose. If you know what you are doing is right (and if you're willing to work for it), the world will get behind you.

 

[Stumpyman]

You should talk/have a discussion with with the PI. How long did you work for the lab (and how many hours total)?

Future reference: "Early is on-time and on-time is late."

 

[PreMedOrDead]

It's absolutely not fair to be fired for sickness and honestly 5-15 minutes is nothing if you worked for a research lab (on the other hand, if you were late for meetings with PI, that could reflect badly). People in my lab rolled in 30 mins to an hour late on non lab meeting days and were never reprimanded because they stayed late and got their shizz done. I suggest you go talk to your PI (if you don't, you will constantly think about it and feel guilty). An honest conversation will let you know if you can still get a rec from her and also you may be able to leave the lab on a good note. This will do you a lot of good and it won't weigh you down and make you feel bad about it forever. Just request an appointment, be polite and honest, let her be honest, and if it doesn't work out, be courteous on the way out.

*I speak from experience

While some labs don't operate on schedules and don't need a prompt start time, it sounds like OP's did. Or he at least had some sort of schedule set up. If this is the case (and especially if he was warned) then he absolutely did deserve it.

I may still talk to the PI, but a LOR or reinstatement is kind of out of the question.

 

[Ashley1989]

Since you were fired I wouldn't ask for a LOR from them, that's setting yourself up for a lot of problems.

As far as being fired, i do feel it was legitimate. The PI wants someone dependable and you weren't dependable by being late and emailing in sick the morning of your shift (did I read it right? I don't remember exactly). Now whether it was your fault or not is beside the point, you weren't there. You probably unintentionally made it clear that you don't value the opportunity in the lab, or her time enough. Unfortunately that's the message you send when youre late or dont come in when you work at a place that runs a tight ship. Personally, i will drag myself into work feeling like ive been hit by a bus if i value my job enough, or at least stay consistent enough that if I'm not there on the dot my coworkers know something is wrong. When people are giving you an opportunity and investing into you, you need to reciprocate and at least be there on time from the beginning. Im sorry if I'm coming across as harsh, it's not my intention at all, it's simply my opinion and what I've learned from my own personal mistakes. Live and learn!

 

[sector9]

How long did you work in this lab for?

 

[Druggernaut]

My question is do you think i should include this experience on my AMCAS or not? My PI had offered to write me a rec a couple weeks back, but now after the firing, i dont know how to approach/whether it would be wise of me to ask. Also, do you think it is fair for me to be fired during a day in which I was sick or is the firing justified by my earlier tardiness?

Your insights would be really good.

The firing is absolutely related to your tardiness. You'd also be absolutely insane to ask him for a recommendation. He didn't even think you were good enough to keep around, you want him to go to bat for you to get into medical school?

List it on your application (unless you were there for only a very short period of time), but no LOR.

 

[soundnin]

having been in over half a dozen labs, every PI has their own style. some want you there at a minimum 9-5 for face time, others only care that you get your work done. if the PI already warned you about being late, it's on you that you were fired for repeated tardiness. also, a lot of the time, the freedom of working in a lab has to be earned; yeah you see postdocs or grad students strolling in at 11am, but that's because they've established a relationship already with the PI. my rule of thumb is to be there for the first few weeks during at least "normal" office hours... then adjust accordingly. in this case, seems like the PI's style and the lack of a trusting relationship being established worked against you.

if you really liked the lab and the work you were doing, i would talk to the PI about giving you another chance (and stop being late!). if not (especially if it was a short stint), don't ask for the LOR and just move on.

 

[kpcrew]

So your PI thinks you're unreliable and bad with time management. Doesn't sound like a good basis for a strong letter of recommendation.

 

[polyploidy516]

I really appreciate these responses.

I actually worked in the lab since the start of summer until now. I had specifically picked this lab as I thought the research was just awesome/it related to my strong interest in serving the underserved.

I guess I wont ask for a recommendation. It just hurts because I was doing good work and was very knowledgeable about the material; I feel like this opportunity just slipped out of my hands due to my foolishness.

I will definitely try and set up an appointment with the PI for one final hearing. I was never late for a lab meeting, just times when he needed help in the animal behavior facility (we work with monkeys).

The reason for my tardys were not all due to medical reasons. I would go out of town often to help take care of my father who is recovering from a serious medical issue/my mom needed help. i just thought I could juggle everything (for ex: I would stay as late as needed in the lab, I never voluntarily left early). I regret not explaining this situation to my PI earlier (I had told him that I live close by to the facility--this is the truth; however, I would go out of town and stay there/return directly to the lab which would result in my tardys.

Thanks again for the wealth of insight in regards to this situation

 

[Ashley1989]

I really appreciate these responses.

I actually worked in the lab since the start of summer until now. I had specifically picked this lab as I thought the research was just awesome/it related to my strong interest in serving the underserved.

I guess I wont ask for a recommendation. It just hurts because I was doing good work and was very knowledgeable about the material; I feel like this opportunity just slipped out of my hands due to my foolishness.

I will definitely try and set up an appointment with the PI for one final hearing. I was never late for a lab meeting, just times when he needed help in the animal behavior facility (we work with monkeys).

The reason for my tardys were not all due to medical reasons. I would go out of town often to help take care of my father who is recovering from a serious medical issue/my mom needed help. i just thought I could juggle everything (for ex: I would stay as late as needed in the lab, I never voluntarily left early). I regret not explaining this situation to my PI earlier (I had told him that I live close by to the facility--this is the truth; however, I would go out of town and stay there/return directly to the lab which would result in my tardys.

Thanks again for the wealth of insight in regards to this situation

Well, maybe if you sit down with them and tell them your situation with your family you can work out a schedule so you won't have to be rushing from your parents house, or leave your parents house earlier so youre not late anymore. Express to them that you're worried that when you were late it sent the message that you didn't value their time, this opportunity, and didnt take it seriously but that you do in fact value it a lot, you just had some unexpected family responsibilities. Tell then that you really enjoyed working in their lab, learned a lot, and just didnt want to leave the impression that it wasn't important because it is very important to you. Then say something along the lines that you regret not telling them in the beginning about the thing with your family and communicating, and that you're sorry.

That's what I would say, but a lot less formal

 

[Yoseph101]

You deserved it. You were wasting the PI's time by your consistent tardiness. If you were always on time like you should have been, it would not have been a big deal for you to phone in sick. Sounds like this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Don't bother asking for a letter of recommendation, and work on being professional in the future and honoring your commitments.

Wow, this is such a douche thing to say. It's not like he was re-labeling the test tubes and shredding the PI's research notes and taking dumps in the PI's filing cabinet.

He was late several times and that is certainly a problem that the OP needs to work on. To say he needs to work on his professionalism and honoring his commitments is exaggeration.

 

[sector9]

As others have said, I would include this as an EC on your application but I would avoid using this as a LOR. A few schools will not let you apply without a PI letter (I think Harvard?) but those schools are pretty rare

 

[Ashley1989]

Wow, this is such a douche thing to say. It's not like he was re-labeling the test tubes and shredding the PI's research notes and taking dumps in the PI's filing cabinet.

He was late several times and that is certainly a problem that the OP needs to work on. To say he needs to work on his professionalism and honoring his commitments is exaggeration.

But the very first step to being professional and honoring commitments is to be on time. That's one of the very basics.

 

[kpcrew]

Wow, this is such a douche thing to say. It's not like he was re-labeling the test tubes and shredding the PI's research notes and taking dumps in the PI's filing cabinet.

He was late several times and that is certainly a problem that the OP needs to work on. To say he needs to work on his professionalism and honoring his commitments is exaggeration.

It's obvious that you've never had a real job before.

 

[polyploidy516]

i really appreciate the additional insights and responses. I will be applying to Harvard. I m not going to list this experience as a result.

I will definitely use this experience as a stepping stone for my future experiences. Thank you once again .

 

[Yoseph101]

But the very first step to being professional and honoring commitments is to be on time. That's one of the very basics.

Manager A walks onto his shift 5 minutes late and immediately organizes his subordinates, improves the efficiency of the operation and manages all of his responsibilities.

Manager B walks onto his shift 15 early. He poorly manages his responsibilities, redistributes loads according to favoritism and is an all around bastard.

Manager B is obviously more professional than manager A.

Look, being on time is important. Employers do expect it and its a pretty simple thing that gains you brownie points. But to say that because you were late, that means you're unprofessional and failing to honor your commitments is exaggerated and reeks of pre-med neuroticism.

Having a habit of being late simply means that you have a habit of being late. Work on it.

It's obvious that you've never had a real job before.

It's obvious that you're not a real medical student.

Oh wuttt, this isn't baseless accusations hour?

 

[Ashley1989]

Manager A walks onto his shift 5 minutes late and immediately organizes his subordinates, improves the efficiency of the operation and manages all of his responsibilities.

Manager B walks onto his shift 15 early. He poorly manages his responsibilities, redistributes loads according to favoritism and is an all around bastard.

Manager B is obviously more professional than manager A.

Look, being on time is important. Employers do expect it and its a pretty simple thing that gains you brownie points. But to say that because you were late, that means you're unprofessional and failing to honor your commitments is exaggerated and reeks of pre-med neuroticism.

Having a habit of being late simply means that you have a habit of being late. Work on it.

Sorry but I strongly disagree. Manager A needs to get his s*** together and be on time to a job they get paid for and Manager B has no business being a manager because they obviously suck. So they need a demotion.

You can't give someone brownie points for doing their job efficiently when that's what they are getting paid for, and it certainly shouldn't be an extra padding for them to be late all the time. You want to impress someone, take Manager A and have them come in 15 minutes early. Presto. Great manager.

One more thing.. Never in all my years have I heard that being on time gets you brownie points with your employers. You know what it means? A job. No one looks at you and gives you kudos for being on time. In reality it's if you're not on time you're easily replaced with the next schmuck who hopefully owns a wristwatch.

Military parents. I blame them. 😉

 

[tn4596]

Manager A walks onto his shift 5 minutes late and immediately organizes his subordinates, improves the efficiency of the operation and manages all of his responsibilities.

Manager B walks onto his shift 15 early. He poorly manages his responsibilities, redistributes loads according to favoritism and is an all around bastard.

Manager B is obviously more professional than manager A.

Look, being on time is important. Employers do expect it and its a pretty simple thing that gains you brownie points. But to say that because you were late, that means you're unprofessional and failing to honor your commitments is exaggerated and reeks of pre-med neuroticism.

Having a habit of being late simply means that you have a habit of being late. Work on it.

Except OP is not in a manager position (that would be PI). Btw, my PI is consistently late often by 30 min to an hour, do I complain? No, because he prolly have important things to do. As a lowly subordinate, you must be early/on time every time. Give early notice if you are going to miss an appointment. If you are sick, get there anyway and if the PI think you are too sick to work, then you can go home. Being late is being unprofessional, period. And being late often will surely get you fired anywhere.


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[kpcrew]

Manager A walks onto his shift 5 minutes late and immediately organizes his subordinates, improves the efficiency of the operation and manages all of his responsibilities.

Manager B walks onto his shift 15 early. He poorly manages his responsibilities, redistributes loads according to favoritism and is an all around bastard.

Manager B is obviously more professional than manager A.

Look, being on time is important. Employers do expect it and its a pretty simple thing that gains you brownie points. But to say that because you were late, that means you're unprofessional and failing to honor your commitments is exaggerated and reeks of pre-med neuroticism.

Having a habit of being late simply means that you have a habit of being late. Work on it.



It's obvious that you're not a real medical student.

Oh wuttt, this isn't baseless accusations hour?

Try showing up late consistently at a real job and see what happens instead of running your mouth about "pre-med neuroticism". There are expectations and coming in on time is one of the most obvious ones.

 

[polyploidy516]

thanks again for the insight. Being late is something that i will have to improve on.

One final question that I have is should I try and make a big issue out of this and hope for a reinstatement? or would it just be better to move on?

 

[tn4596]

thanks again for the insight. Being late is something that i will have to improve on.

One final question that I have is should I try and make a big issue out of this and hope for a reinstatement? or would it just be better to move on?

I think you have already made a bad impression on this person; so it is better to start over with a new PI, who will give you a more favorable LOR.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Quicksilver005]

thanks again for the insight. Being late is something that i will have to improve on.

One final question that I have is should I try and make a big issue out of this and hope for a reinstatement? or would it just be better to move on?

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM1RChZk1EU[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Ashley1989]

i really appreciate the additional insights and responses. I will be applying to Harvard. I m not going to list this experience as a result.

I will definitely use this experience as a stepping stone for my future experiences. Thank you once again .

Isn't Harvard research heavy? Was this your only research experience?

 

[polyploidy516]

so far yes, i will be applying next year though and have 2 public health, clinical research projects that i will be working on; so, in other words, I will have about 2 semesters worth of research (both relate to why i want to go into medicine: to serve low income/disadvantaged patients : i am applying as disadvantaged)

do you feel that 2 semesters worth of research is enough followed by a year of research while applying? I basically have everything else down (clinical experience, volunteering, leadership, and a somewhat unique story: related to my disadvantaged background)

 

[polyploidy516]

thank you once again for the responses. didnt know this thread would receive so many responses!

 

[Quicksilver005]

so far yes, i will be applying next year though and have 2 public health, clinical research projects that i will be working on; so, in other words, I will have about 2 semesters worth of research (both relate to why i want to go into medicine: to serve low income/disadvantaged patients : i am applying as disadvantaged)

do you feel that 2 semesters worth of research is enough followed by a year of research while applying? I basically have everything else down (clinical experience, volunteering, leadership, and a somewhat unique story: related to my disadvantaged background)

Those are questions only you can answer for yourself.

Trust yourself. My former friend got a 29, has zero clinical experience or research and she got in to 5+ medical schools and is not disadvantaged or URM.

 

[Barcu]

Wow, this is such a douche thing to say. It's not like he was re-labeling the test tubes and shredding the PI's research notes and taking dumps in the PI's filing cabinet.

He was late several times and that is certainly a problem that the OP needs to work on. To say he needs to work on his professionalism and honoring his commitments is exaggeration.

It's interesting to see people's reactions to tardiness, but for many people it's a huge deal.

Being late shows a lack of respect for someone else's time. Period. Especially after being warned about it, Some people don't care, and that's their deal, but you should always assume that you need to be there when someone expects you to be there.

And you know what the funniest thing about people defending tardiness is? It's such an easy situation to fix! Just leave for work earlier! It should never be a problem (besides freak accidents, which no one will care about if you are always on time). Don't say it's not a big deal, don't say that if the person gets there stuff done it shouldn't matter. Just get there on time.

 

[Barcu]

And to the OP:

You made a mistake here. You should have said something about your family situation when the PI said something the first time.

It's not the end of the world. Don't get a letter and move on.

 

[PreMedOrDead]

It's obvious that you're not a real medical student.

Oh wuttt, this isn't baseless accusations hour?

I wouldn't say it's a baseless accusation.

If you've ever been late for a real job, you would very quickly understand the importance of being on time. While it's a very small thing, people take it extremely seriously. It's something out of respect, responsibility, and shows your commitment. Very simple, but carries many important connotations.

 

[Arbor Vitae]

Honestly, it sounds like he was looking for a reason to fire you. What you were doing really is not that big of a deal and almost everybody does it in any research lab. I don't know why some overly anal people are reprimanding you on here for being late because in the real world everybody is. It really sounds like the PI just wanted a reason to get rid of you. Maybe it was something you didn't even realize and they just didn't like your personality or something? PIs are weird like that and be real catty about who they like and want working with them, especially if you're an overly-conffident and arrogant premed student. Not saying you are or anything, but in my experience that's how I see PIs view most premeds.

 

[moothecow]

I really appreciate these responses.

I actually worked in the lab since the start of summer until now. I had specifically picked this lab as I thought the research was just awesome/it related to my strong interest in serving the underserved.

I guess I wont ask for a recommendation. It just hurts because I was doing good work and was very knowledgeable about the material; I feel like this opportunity just slipped out of my hands due to my foolishness.

I will definitely try and set up an appointment with the PI for one final hearing. I was never late for a lab meeting, just times when he needed help in the animal behavior facility (we work with monkeys).

The reason for my tardys were not all due to medical reasons. I would go out of town often to help take care of my father who is recovering from a serious medical issue/my mom needed help. i just thought I could juggle everything (for ex: I would stay as late as needed in the lab, I never voluntarily left early). I regret not explaining this situation to my PI earlier (I had told him that I live close by to the facility--this is the truth; however, I would go out of town and stay there/return directly to the lab which would result in my tardys.

Thanks again for the wealth of insight in regards to this situation

Once I explained my sitch to my PI, he was very understanding. You have to understand they are human too. And sometimes you gotta tell your employers personal info. I learned my lesson the hard way too. But once this hurdle passed, I had a great time in lab.

 

[pfaction]

One more thing.. Never in all my years have I heard that being on time gets you brownie points with your employers.

I get praise for being early all the time.

 

[Ashley1989]

I get praise for being early all the time.

Lovely 🙂

Edit: that wasn't sarcasm! I mean that it's great that you work in a positive work environment and bear in mind you put you get praise for being early! You're probably a model employee (no sarcasm) 🙂

 

[911 Turbo]

My PI pops his lab coat collar when working in the lab (im being serious). He's a top notch baller 😎

 

[STAT EKG]

Warnings at jobs aren't good. Usually, in my experience, a warning means - you're on very thin ice. You were probably borderline at best for a good LOR at that point.

Your PI probably did you a favor to be honest, OP. Imagine if you'd have stuck around doing more work thinking you'd get a good LOR and then your PI says you're unreliable in your LOR. That would be bad.

 

[Renaissance Man]

yeah, i definitely agree. I guess the main reason why i was upset was because it was a volunteer job and I was doing good work. I would also stay way past the allotted time to make up for the lateness.

I don't know if one can be "fired" from a volunteer position. Don't ask him for a recommendation, you could probably list it as an activity though.

 

[idontcaureuknow]

To the OP: Get in a new lab, always be on time, explain your situation up-front, and get a LOR from that lab. Then you can safely list your previous research experience. However, I think it's a minor red-flag if you list a research experience but do not have a LOR from the professor (it does happen for a variety of reasons, but expect someone to be curious as to why).

I wouldn't say it's a baseless accusation.

If you've ever been late for a real job, you would very quickly understand the importance of being on time. While it's a very small thing, people take it extremely seriously. It's something out of respect, responsibility, and shows your commitment. Very simple, but carries many important connotations.

Yes. It's very simple, "If your 10 minutes early, you probably are already late." Reason is if you are scheduled to work at 9:00 A.M. that means you are ready to work at that time. Not walking through the door out of uniform, grabbing coffee, going to the bathroom, going "hey man, how was your weekend?" You show up 15 minutes early and do all of that social crap before your scheduled shift. That's life with a real job, and some P.I.'s have the same opinion about research positions. Others are relaxed (as mine was in college).

 

[JoshuaGuit]

And this is exactly why I feel so privileged to be working primarily with graduate students and a PI who knows that I work very hard and diligently.

I love being able to get 8 hours of sleep, come into lab around 10, and then just work towards a goal driven work day rather than have an hourly limit on what I do. Given, I do work around 70 hours a week, I would say it is as stress free as possible because my PI trusts me to do the work I say I will.

I don't quite understand how anyone could be "against" the OP. He clearly mentioned that this was a volunteer job. Even if he was slacking off a bit, any work he does is work that a graduate student doesn't have to do. If he were being paid and had these expectations already explained to him, that in my opinion would be a different story.

Sounds like a crumby lab bro

 

[Barcu]

And this is exactly why I feel so privileged to be working primarily with graduate students and a PI who knows that I work very hard and diligently.

I love being able to get 8 hours of sleep, come into lab around 10, and then just work towards a goal driven work day rather than have an hourly limit on what I do. Given, I do work around 70 hours a week, I would say it is as stress free as possible because my PI trusts me to do the work I say I will.

I don't quite understand how anyone could be "against" the OP. He clearly mentioned that this was a volunteer job. Even if he was slacking off a bit, any work he does is work that a graduate student doesn't have to do. If he were being paid and had these expectations already explained to him, that in my opinion would be a different story.

Sounds like a crumby lab bro

I hope you aren't suggesting that because it is "volunteer" you don't need to be responsible and respectful.

 

[polyploidy516]

this was exactly my sentiment as well. The position was a volunteer one. I do agree that I should have been more responsible and will definitely use this experience as a learning experience. The thing that still gets to me is that i was fired because of a sick day (when i was genuinely sick) as opposed to a day when i was tardy (i was tardy once after the warning, why wasn't i fired then)

im definitely moving on from this experience. I dont think i will list this experience on my resume as i cant afford any more red flags and want to present my app in the best possible light.

thank you once again for all of your comments.

The firing is absolutely related to your tardiness. You'd also be absolutely insane to ask him for a recommendation. He didn't even think you were good enough to keep around, you want him to go to bat for you to get into medical school?

List it on your application (unless you were there for only a very short period of time), but no LOR.

How long did you work in this lab for?

You should talk/have a discussion with with the PI. How long did you work for the lab (and how many hours total)?

Future reference: "Early is on-time and on-time is late."

It's absolutely not fair to be fired for sickness and honestly 5-15 minutes is nothing if you worked for a research lab (on the other hand, if you were late for meetings with PI, that could reflect badly). People in my lab rolled in 30 mins to an hour late on non lab meeting days and were never reprimanded because they stayed late and got their shizz done. I suggest you go talk to your PI (if you don't, you will constantly think about it and feel guilty). An honest conversation will let you know if you can still get a rec from her and also you may be able to leave the lab on a good note. This will do you a lot of good and it won't weigh you down and make you feel bad about it forever. Just request an appointment, be polite and honest, let her be honest, and if it doesn't work out, be courteous on the way out.

*I speak from experience

And this is exactly why I feel so privileged to be working primarily with graduate students and a PI who knows that I work very hard and diligently.

I love being able to get 8 hours of sleep, come into lab around 10, and then just work towards a goal driven work day rather than have an hourly limit on what I do. Given, I do work around 70 hours a week, I would say it is as stress free as possible because my PI trusts me to do the work I say I will.

I don't quite understand how anyone could be "against" the OP. He clearly mentioned that this was a volunteer job. Even if he was slacking off a bit, any work he does is work that a graduate student doesn't have to do. If he were being paid and had these expectations already explained to him, that in my opinion would be a different story.

Sounds like a crumby lab bro

 

[Barcu]

this was exactly my sentiment as well. The position was a volunteer one. I do agree that I should have been more responsible and will definitely use this experience as a learning experience. The thing that still gets to me is that i was fired because of a sick day (when i was genuinely sick) as opposed to a day when i was tardy (i was tardy once after the warning, why wasn't i fired then)

im definitely moving on from this experience. I dont think i will list this experience on my resume as i cant afford any more red flags and want to present my app in the best possible light.

thank you once again for all of your comments.

😱

Wait, apparently some people think being late is ok because it's a volunteer position? Sorry, that is inexcusable.

Now that I know that was your attitude, I'm sure there is more to this story than you being late. This attitude probably was reflected in your work too whether you meant to or not.

Look OP, I'm not trying to come down hard on you. This is an important lesson: if you commit to something (volunteer or paid), then commit to it. Be responsible and be respectful and be on time.

On a more general note, this is why so many pre-meds come up against antagonistic PIs and volunteer positions. They have seen pre-meds come through and treat them without respect. It seems that many people on this thread are continuing the trend.

 

[Corina]

Sounds like a crumby lab bro

+1 If this PI cares more about the OP being 5-15 min. late a few times than the output of his 3 months of hard work, then perhaps this isn't a very supportive lab to begin with. I don't know what kind of lab this is, but in every lab that I've encountered (aging, cell cycle, development, cancer, etc.), the PI cares waaaaay more about productivity than being on time.

I hope you aren't suggesting that because it is "volunteer" you don't need to be responsible and respectful.

Well, there are different interpretations of "responsible and respectful." Personally, I think keeping up with current literature and consistently pumping out data while arriving on time almost everyday is pretty "responsible and respectful," especially in the research field.

Most PIs are more lenient on volunteering undergrads, since they're essentially just free labor. Honestly, 5-15 min. usually isn't a big deal, because what exactly does it mean to have that extra 5-15 min everyday? Read 5-15 min. worth of literature? Do 5-15 min. worth of experiments? Unless it's very time-sensitive it doesn't make much sense.

I actually feel as though there is a bigger story to this that OP might not be mentioning. The PI seems to want to get rid of him for some reason that might not be related to "tardiness issue." What does the post-doc or grad student with whom the OP is working, say about this?

 

[polyploidy516]

im really sorry if I gave off that impression. Unfortunately, I do feel that that attitude was reflected in my tardyiness as I thought I could make up for that by staying there later. However, as far as my work was concerned, I really put in my best efforts.

Ill definitely use this as an important lesson and will for sure not repeat this mistake later. Thank you once again.

 

[polyploidy516]

I actually feel as though there is a bigger story to this that OP might not be mentioning. The PI seems to want to get rid of him for some reason that might not be related to "tardiness issue." What does the post-doc or grad student with whom the OP is working, say about this?

Honestly, I do not think there was anything else. He specifically said that it was due to my tardyiness and unreliability that he cannot work with me anymore. He mentioned that my results were good but that he just could not rely on me.

He and I had a pretty honest and open relationship when I worked there. If he had a problem, he would say it directly to me rather than cover it up (ex: when I showed up 10-20 min late the first few times, he was clear about how my tardyiness was bad for him and the lab).

That's why I'm pretty sure there wasnt anything else as he would praise me otherwise for my intellectual efforts and curiosity.

The postdoc was the one who actually recommended to the PI that he fire me because of my tardyiness.

Ive already moved on from this experience and will definitely perfect my next one to get the best LOR possible.