How and when did you learn to do research? Did you learn before or after your 1st research job?

[Gauss44]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Did you learn before, after, or during your 1st research job?

 

[ace12345]

Certainly no one learns before their first gig, but in my experience "research" isn't a static thing. It's extremely dependent on the lab, area of focus, and of course clinical vs. basic science work. For example, I fully expect what I'm doing in med school to be different than the projects I was working on as an undergrad, and therefore need to learn a lot of new things.

 

[snowflakes]

During. I knew next to nothing when I started in my lab. I didn't even know how to pipette! That's why I think it's ideal to start working in a lab during the summer so you have the time to invest into learning the ropes.

 

[hoihaie]

During my 1st lab, which I've been with for 3 years and counting

 

[kyamh]

Certainly no one learns before their first gig, but in my experience "research" isn't a static thing. It's extremely dependent on the lab, area of focus, and of course clinical vs. basic science work. For example, I fully expect what I'm doing in med school to be different than the projects I was working on as an undergrad, and therefore need to learn a lot of new things.

+1

Never feel like you are "underqualified" to work in a specific lab. No matter how much experience you have, unless the lab uses techniques you are familiar with to answer questions about a field you have previously researched in, everyone has a huge learning curve.

Some skills definitely do transfer, but these are more intangible: reading literature effectively and critically, not giving up, learning to ask the right questions, learning to answer questions for yourself, learning when asking is appropriate whether when it is appropriate to struggle on your own for a while.

 

[Aerus]

When: Since my freshman year.
How: I emailed a few professors and then chose the one that fit the best for me.
Learn: I learned quite a lot.

 

[ridethecliche]

I worked in a lab for like 2 years as an undergrad. Honestly didn't accomplish much in the name of research, but I learned a lot about the logic behind setting up experiments a certain way and also how to read and critically analyze research papers/articles.

I work in clinical research right now and definitely learn a TON more about how things work in medicine/research over the last year here and will continue to do so over the next year as well.

 

[DrCharlemagne]

I don't think there is a point when the PI will jump out of a closet and bestow upon you a pin which reads "You have learned research!" You will eventually learn how you learn, and that will start the second you convince/con someone to/into letting you train in their lab. My old PIs were still learning new tricks, and it's not uncommon to see even older technicians shadow new students when someone arrives with a new technique.

The one thing I would make an effort to "learn" quickly is what your investigator wants to see in your lab notebook. When you're first starting out, it's sometimes hard to know which observations need recording and which can be safely left off.

 

[moisne]

Let's see....

In high school, I learned to wash glassware, in gen chem I learned about waste management, and in college I had to learn to read papers, and in my graduate program, I had to learn how to write and publish articles... 😀