HATE research? What to do for Interviews...

[HurricaneKatt]

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Does anyone else absolutely Hate research? Doing research, and a thesis, is required for the Honors College here, as well as to graduate with honors in Biology, and many Med schools either require it, or highly recommend it. I am sure that I will be asked about my research in some interview or other, but I really feel that I will not have much to say. We are studying muscle of a particular animal. Apparently we cannot harvest the specimen for its muscle here, so the it is harvested from (sacrificed) in Canada! Lab is just soo monotonous, and it seems like every day something goes wrong. The people I am working with can be very frustrating as well. I like the faculty adviser well enough, but the graduate student is so..frustrating. She talks crap behind people's back - including the faculty adviser who she has been working with for who knows how long (a couple of years at least); she is always shoving work off on us so that she can socialize with other people in the lab. Then when we can't stay late she freaks out about us leaving even though we finished OUR part of the work and what we previously agreed to do. Then, when something goes wrong - regardless of wheter we were actually involved or not, we get blamed for it!
For example, we are running proteins in big MHC gels and the process of setting up the gel is VERY long and tedious. The week before we (as in me, the fellow undergrad I am working with, the faculty adviser, and the grad student) all agreed that on the next lab day, we were going to come in and prepare A gel box. Well when we got there the grad student asked us to help her out with the second gel box too. We said ok and got both done. However, the second gel the top did not polymerize and just had to be re-mixed and re-poured. Which would take about an hour. She was going to be there for at least that long anyways still, and we had already been there for over 6 hours and done over 2x the work we had previously agreed on. And I had to leave to take care of some other important stuff. We told her that we were really sorry, but that we could not stay to finished the gel that she asked us to HELP her on (not do for her - which we basically did while she socialized), but that all of our gel was completed, everything was ready for her gel (top just needed to be poured and samples loaded) and everything was cleaned up etc. She flipped that we would not/COULD not stay and on a regular basis now she complains about how we schedule things and don't pull through, etc. This happened ONCE. She acts like it is a regular occurrence. So I have NO CLUE what she tells the faculty adviser.

Well while all of this is going on, I was preparing a gel and accidentally knocked open a bottle of apparently super toxic TEMED (http://fscimage.fishersci.com/msds/16078.htm ; http://www.analytyka.com.mx/tabla periodica/MSDS/aminas/TEMED.htm ) which they had NEVER told us was toxic or harmful at all. We inhale this stuff regularly as the gels are not poured under a hood, we do not have masks to wear....etc... Anyways, I spilled it and had to stand there and finish pouring the gel (a good 3-5 min or so) while I stand there INHALING it! THEN she (grad student) tells me to wipe it up and helps me get it cleaned. Well she obviously, even after working in the lab for the last few years, had NO CLUE about this chemical. After cleaning things up we continued with the gels for a good 30 minutes...then a safety lady came and told us to move 2 lab benches down and move our stuff. When we started moving our stuff, she got mad at us for walking in the area how are we supposed to move our stuff like she told us? Just tell us to not go there and don't worry about the stuff if that is what you want!) THEN another 5-10 min or so later, they finally figured out that his stuff is like uber toxic, and bad to inhale, and had to Evacuate the lab (not the entire building, just the lab which is rather big)!

Well after I was sent to talk to the faculty adviser and was basically told that a ton of things had been going wrong and way more gels were not working than they expected, and yadda yadda. Other than our first gel (hello - just learning), and another gel that did not work because one of the chemicals was old (the grad student told the faculty adviser it was old I guess but she decided to have us use it anyways so it wasn't like we were at fault), I was not aware that any of the gels had gone wrong. Had we been told, perhaps we could have taken action to fix things, but as we thought everything was going smoothly (and the gels we did did look pretty nice after staining, telling me that many of the "bad" gels were ones we were not involved with) we kept going the same way thinking we were right - which according to procedure we were. Anyways, they told me that mistakes were being made and little inaccuracies can ruin the whole thing (I am VERY anal retentive about making sure that I get my measurements EXACT), and how we shouldn't be socializing in lab (hello Grad student? WE work while SHE socializes!) and essentially a bunch of other balogna about how things were messing up and it was our (or more specifically "my") fault. Finally they moved me to another project. Same thing, but instead of helping the grad student with HER project - which is what we were doing essentially - I am doing a specific muscle and it is MY project.

I am glad to be on my own project, but the entire situation is ridiculous. There is TERRIBLE communication, bad relationships between people, **** talking always happening, we are using animals that had to be retrieved from out of country bc they won't let them kill them here, and the people obviously have no knowledge of the toxicity, or safety procedures, for the substances they are using. I did not want to go into research to begin with, but I thought I found something cool and was pretty excited actually when we started. Now each day is pure torture. I go in each day looking for something good and trying to do well and enjoy it as much as I can, and thing happen, and by the end I want to rip out my hair and jump out the window screaming even more than I did the last day! I HAVE To do research, and it is too late to stop this and move onto something different, but I am miserable. I know we are the underdogs in lab, but there is a such thing as way over using your scapegoat.

Has anyone else had similar experiences? I don't know what I will say if I am asked about research in an interview. (input anyone?) I mean they want you to be all passionate and stuff, but I really really do NOT like anything about research. I know that they will see through any BS, and if I say anything about it being (to me anyways) unethical and unsafe, well they will ask why I didn't report it, or something to that effect. To make things worse, I have minimal shadowing experience (I have about 18-24 hours roughly of surgery and anesthesia, and lots of patient interaction through volunteering for over 100 hours, but I also need to shadow General practice, Fam Practice, and something else for the program I want to get into) and lab is taking up my only times to shadow. I have to work all other days (gotta pay rent!). So not only is it torturous, but it is making it difficult to get in the other things I need for my application (which is well... SOON. Hopefully August!). The whole situation is very frustrating. :'(

 

[Frazier]

Print out your post and bring it with you to the interviews.

If they ask about research, read them the post. [It should take up the majority of the time.]

Follow up by selling them the fact about how you are very honest with yourself. 👍

 

[HurricaneKatt]

🙄 Thank you so very much for your helpful input.

 

[PeachyPhd]

IMO, schools want to see that you've tried research. Having eliminated as a future career, you can say that your research experience is successful. I would be honest and tell interviews that you have participated in some research and that it isn't for you.

As for a bit of (unsolicited) advice, I would quickly drop the "mine" vs. "hers"'s. Both research and medicine require an enormous amount of teamwork and cooperation. While you may not have meant it, you blame other people for all the problems you encountered in the lab. You are just as responsible for knowing risks and hazards in the lab and for helping out. Since your mentor/advisor is most likely not in the lab all the time, the senior students are the eyes and ears for your performance. Be helppful and courteous. Its like rehearsal for when you are a MS3/4/intern and residents report to the attending about your performance.

 

[CougarMD]

IMO, schools want to see that you've tried research. Having eliminated as a future career, you can say that your research experience is successful. I would be honest and tell interviews that you have participated in some research and that it isn't for you.

As for a bit of (unsolicited) advice, I would quickly drop the "mine" vs. "hers"'s. Both research and medicine require an enormous amount of teamwork and cooperation. While you may not have meant it, you blame other people for all the problems you encountered in the lab. You are just as responsible for knowing risks and hazards in the lab and for helping out. Since your mentor/advisor is most likely not in the lab all the time, the senior students are the eyes and ears for your performance. Be helppful and courteous. Its like rehearsal for when you are a MS3/4/intern and residents report to the attending about your performance.

QFT

That was a really great post Peachy.....and it applies to a lot of situations.

 

[CoolWhipp]

This is research my friend. Welcome. I did a 4 month project and things were going well. Then, my PI dropped the project making my data utterly useless.

 

[HurricaneKatt]

IMO, schools want to see that you've tried research. Having eliminated as a future career, you can say that your research experience is successful. I would be honest and tell interviews that you have participated in some research and that it isn't for you.

As for a bit of (unsolicited) advice, I would quickly drop the "mine" vs. "hers"'s. Both research and medicine require an enormous amount of teamwork and cooperation. While you may not have meant it, you blame other people for all the problems you encountered in the lab. You are just as responsible for knowing risks and hazards in the lab and for helping out. Since your mentor/advisor is most likely not in the lab all the time, the senior students are the eyes and ears for your performance. Be helppful and courteous. Its like rehearsal for when you are a MS3/4/intern and residents report to the attending about your performance.

Thank you. That is helpful.

And to your other advice...
Perhaps that could have been better worded on my part. I agree that there is a lot of teamwork. The problem is when we go in and are expected to do extra work that was not what we agreed on (not a big deal in general, but when I have already planned my day and the rest of my schedule - a week ahead of time - around our original plan then there are scheduling conflicts that create issues, and I can't just do nothing but lab, I have many many other important things I am doing right now too) and are expected to do twice the work while the person who was supposed to be doing the extra half is standing around and socializing...that gets pretty frustrating. Also, I have no problem taking the blame for things I do. (Like the spill, that was totally my fault, I agree. However, they told us a few things that we say, don't want to get on our hands and such and the TEMED was not one, and I do not have time to read the MSDS for EVERY chemical of the many we are working with. lol They have been working with this stuff for years and were right there when it happened, and thus, should know how toxic it is). And as for taking the blame, if I am not told something is wrong, there is no way I can know to fix it. 🙄 It was just like "oh btw, Surprise! you have been messing up this whole time and the whole project is going to be messed up bc of you if it keeps up so we are putting you on a different project." when I had NO idea anything was going wrong. Things looked good to me and seemed to be going smoothly, we were all getting the hang of things and getting into a groove...nothing was said to us about things not going right. That is where I have issues. I do agree with what you said, and I am not saying that I am totally fault-free. But in this particular situation them giving us certain knowledge that they did not could have headed off a lot of "mistakes."
i.e. It is in the procedure to pour the TEMED on a specific counter that is far from any hood, so we are inhaling the stuff...which causes respiratory burns. It seems like after x years of using it, you have had ample time to know of proper safety and adjust procedure accordingly. Something as simple as working under the hood...
The whole situation has just been entirely frustrating on all ends. It has definitely deterred me from wanting to apply to many schools that require research/thesis for MD graduation! I am very glad to have been moved to my own project honestly, because now if something goes wrong it is my fault for sure, and I can't really be blamed for something I may or may not have done. If it goes wrong on my gel, than it is obviously my fault, if something is wrong with another gel, I can't be blamed for something I didn't have anything to do with. lol

 

[SweetRain]

Did anyone actually read everything the OP wrote?

 

[kami333]

This is why I buy gels.

 

[aidama]

Did anyone actually read everything the OP wrote?

It was a little tl;dr, but was a fun read 🙂

I don't know if you are aware of this, but all the stuff you've mentioned, that's research. It absolutely never goes the way you want it to, your results will never come out the way you think they should, and you will spend 50% of your time repeating what you've already done and another 50% explaining the department why you need more money. As PeachyPhD said, it's really important to try research out - like most things in life.... how else are you going to know if you like it or don't until you try it? 😀

 

[88pich14]

I did research for 2 years and absolutely hated it. You're just going to have to suck it up and finish. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

As for your interviews, just fake your interest and passion for your research. Make sure you're knowledgable about your project and can discuss your experimental plan, results, and future directions.

 

[Senlin]

You are just as responsible for knowing risks and hazards in the lab and for helping out. Since your mentor/advisor is most likely not in the lab all the time, the senior students are the eyes and ears for your performance. Be helppful and courteous. Its like rehearsal for when you are a MS3/4/intern and residents report to the attending about your performance.

It's the graduate student and PI's responsibility that the undergrads working for them (usu. for free) are trained and working safely. Most undergrads don't even know what an MSDS is; they don't know what to look out for.

Some of the OP's post falls under "that's research" (e.g., stuff repeatedly failing) but it's also clear that he/she has a terrible graduate mentor. Different lab environments produce entirely different research experiences. I think many people would agree that good mentorship and the environment of a lab are much more important than the topic of research. OP, perhaps you should try switching to a different lab? (However, I do find it disconcerting that you entered your lab thinking that you would hate it and lo and behold, you do!)

 

[Hextra]

Some of the OP's post falls under "that's research" (e.g., stuff repeatedly failing) but it's also clear that he/she has a terrible graduate mentor. Different lab environments produce entirely different research experiences. I think many people would agree that good mentorship and the environment of a lab are much more important than the topic of research. OP, perhaps you should try switching to a different lab? (However, I do find it disconcerting that you entered your lab thinking that you would hate it and lo and behold, you do!)

This is pretty spot-on. I did some benchtop research for ~year and really enjoyed most of my days there. Sure things can go wrong. As other posters have said, that's research.

The most frustrating thing I ever had to do was RNA isolation, a two day process where you will funk up your data by simply breathing in the wrong place. It's tedious, it's laborious, but when you DO finally get some good data it's a fabulous feeling. To me, it sounds more like you're part of a toxic work environment and that is the biggest contributor to your dislike of research.

There's a lot to be said about slugging through this stuff and getting your name on a paper. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me to hear an adcom say straight up that, if nothing else, having been in a lab shows you can grit your teeth and finish a tough project and that's why they like to see it on applications.

 

[s1lver]

Did anyone actually read everything the OP wrote?

I didn't, that is way too long for a message board.

 

[MilkmanAl]

IMO, schools want to see that you've tried research. Having eliminated as a future career, you can say that your research experience is successful. I would be honest and tell interviews that you have participated in some research and that it isn't for you.

As for your interviews, just fake your interest and passion for your research. Make sure you're knowledgable about your project and can discuss your experimental plan, results, and future directions.

I'd do one of these (or pehaps a combo) depending on how focused on research the school you're interviewing at is. The extent of my research questioning at UAMS was:

"Have you done any research?"
"No, not really."
"Okay, [next question]"

 

[Hifey]

I read it- yes the whole thing.

OP, that sounds almost EXACTLY like my research experience except that mine was clinical. Most of the stuff we did as students in our lab was data entry, participating in child behavioral experiments and coding. The work wasn't hard but my supervisor was the most annoying frustrating back stabbing ***** to walk the planet. She wasn't even a graduate student, just a B.A who was hired as a clinical coordinator. Overdramatic, constant gossip, "dental" appointments like twice a month, talking about EVERYBODY to EVERYBODY (including the PI), unprofessional behavior and clothes (who the hell wears a strapless sundress and stilettos to work at a medical center?!). She even once talked about me in front of the other undergrad students when I took a week off for the MCAT (which she had okayed two weeks prior and I had worked double time for a couple of weeks so that I have extra hours to cover). She's only tell you you were doing well when she was about to tell you that you're now doing horribly. Anyways, thankfully I had worked hard and put up with it and ended up with a decent letter of rec from the PI. However, I only lasted a year and three months.

also, my school is the same in that you can't honor in bio (even if you have the GPA without doing a project).

like others have said, I think they're just looking for the fact that you've tried research. I wasn't asked very extensively about my research during interviews and they were much more interested in my clinical experience and general life history and academics. Just explain that although you're glad you got to experience it, you've decided that this isn't the path for you and that you're much more interested in the clinical side of things. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES talk about your relationship with your graduate student unless SPECIFICALLY asked. To do so would make it look like you're blaming everything on her.

and get those applications in ASAP.

 

[HurricaneKatt]

It was a little tl;dr, but was a fun read 🙂

I don't know if you are aware of this, but all the stuff you've mentioned, that's research. It absolutely never goes the way you want it to, your results will never come out the way you think they should, and you will spend 50% of your time repeating what you've already done and another 50% explaining the department why you need more money. As PeachyPhD said, it's really important to try research out - like most things in life.... how else are you going to know if you like it or don't until you try it? 😀

haha glad to entertain. 😉 And yes, I realize that things going wrong from time to time is part of research. But it is a totally different story when you are not told anything is going wrong and think you are doing well, and all of a sudden are blamed for the things that have gone wrong (the gels) when, had you been told the first time something went wrong, you could have tried to figure out why it went wrong and fix it.

It's the graduate student and PI's responsibility that the undergrads working for them (usu. for free) are trained and working safely. Most undergrads don't even know what an MSDS is; they don't know what to look out for.

Some of the OP's post falls under "that's research" (e.g., stuff repeatedly failing) but it's also clear that he/she has a terrible graduate mentor. Different lab environments produce entirely different research experiences. I think many people would agree that good mentorship and the environment of a lab are much more important than the topic of research. OP, perhaps you should try switching to a different lab? (However, I do find it disconcerting that you entered your lab thinking that you would hate it and lo and behold, you do!)

In response to the first part. Thank you. I feel like safety was pretty much brushed aside, we were told to wear lab coats when staining and not to get stain on our hands. That was pretty much it. About an hour and a half after the TEMED was spilled, they asked if I got any on me and said "b/c if you did, you need to go to the hospital immediately." Like, hello? Why didn't you think of this an hour and a half ago? And why did you let everyone in the lab stand around breathing this toxic substance that causes respiratory burns for 30 min before you figured out to evacuate? I feel lucky, and they should too, that nothing worse happened! They never even mentioned the TEMED was toxic, much less (as they later informed me) the most toxic thing in the lab. 🙄 😱

To the last thing you mentioned. I believe I stated this above, but if not, here goes. I did not want to go into research, but when I found the research I am currently in doing muscle stuff, I was REALLY excited. Like muscles! Sweet! A lab that I am actually interested in. I could not have been more thrilled. I was interested in the project, and excited to start. A while after starting, when certain issues began surfacing, certain personalities became apparent, etc, I quickly became more and more miserable. Each day I try going in positive and finding a groove, or something interesting...but honestly. It is not There. The research we are doing has no real application. It was interesting learning more about muscle when reading the papers to write the intro to my thesis, but that was about it. The animals we are researching (seals) were sacrificed, and had to be gotten from out of country bc we can't kill them here. The research does not do ANYTHING to help the seals, does not apply to medicine in any way...it is simply a "hey, I am curious..." project. 🙄

I read it- yes the whole thing.

OP, that sounds almost EXACTLY like my research experience except that mine was clinical. Most of the stuff we did as students in our lab was data entry, participating in child behavioral experiments and coding. The work wasn't hard but my supervisor was the most annoying frustrating back stabbing ***** to walk the planet. She wasn't even a graduate student, just a B.A who was hired as a clinical coordinator. Overdramatic, constant gossip, "dental" appointments like twice a month, talking about EVERYBODY to EVERYBODY (including the PI), unprofessional behavior and clothes (who the hell wears a strapless sundress and stilettos to work at a medical center?!). She even once talked about me in front of the other undergrad students when I took a week off for the MCAT (which she had okayed two weeks prior and I had worked double time for a couple of weeks so that I have extra hours to cover). She's only tell you you were doing well when she was about to tell you that you're now doing horribly. Anyways, thankfully I had worked hard and put up with it and ended up with a decent letter of rec from the PI. However, I only lasted a year and three months.

also, my school is the same in that you can't honor in bio (even if you have the GPA without doing a project).

like others have said, I think they're just looking for the fact that you've tried research. I wasn't asked very extensively about my research during interviews and they were much more interested in my clinical experience and general life history and academics. Just explain that although you're glad you got to experience it, you've decided that this isn't the path for you and that you're much more interested in the clinical side of things. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES talk about your relationship with your graduate student unless SPECIFICALLY asked. To do so would make it look like you're blaming everything on her.

and get those applications in ASAP.

That is EXACTLY what it is like. She even talks crap TO me about other undergrads in the lab! So I am sure she talks about me also! AND she talks to everyone about the faculty adviser behind her back and is seriously fishing ALL of the time for something, anything, that he f.i. did wrong. I cannot transfer to another lab, but thankfully I only have to stick this out for the summer and Fall semester. I can't wait until it is over.

And for my application, I am not taking the MCAT until Aug 5 so I have a little time. I just need to finish up my personal statement and it will be good to send. 🙂

 

[Ischemic]

Research is not necessary for med school. Many get in wtihout it just gotta make sure everything else is tiptop.

 

[HurricaneKatt]

Research is not necessary for med school. Many get in wtihout it just gotta make sure everything else is tiptop.

No but I am in the honors college and it IS necessary for that. It is also necessary if I want to graduate with departmental honors in biology.