How did you choose which research lab to join?

[focus1]

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I'm in the process of finding a research lab to join at my college. Obviously I narrowed a few down to ones that I'm interested in and that have openings, but I was wondering if there are any other things I should consider before choosing one? How did you guys decide?

thanks

 

[gettheleadout]

Same thing you probably did, looked at my university's department page for the type of research I wanted to do, looked at programs and picked ones I found interesting, and from there I looked at specific time commitment differences between them, differences in the nature of the work, and the fact that some seemed more personally connected to the PI than others. One of them stood out, so I applied to it, and got the position. 👍

I would look out for differences in time commitments, among other things. Does one lab require 6 hours/week and another, 10 hours/week? How flexible is each lab with regard to your schedule? Are some labs smaller/bigger and which would you prefer? Possibly most important is (and you'll probably only find this out from contacting the PI anyway) what differences would there be in your duties at each lab?

 

[focus1]

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[Forthegood]

Why would that be weird?

 

[focus1]

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[gettheleadout]

oh i just didn't know if it was common for people to do research outside of the subject area of their major

It's possible that professors may favor students majoring in their subject, but there's no way of knowing unless you ask, and there's no reason to expect that they'll be biased against you for having a different major.

 

[iusesharpies]

See if the PI is on youtube and if they are, watch their videos. I was able to narrow my search a lot by how annoying they seem. 😉 Don't want to get stuck with 12-15 hours/week of nonstop horror.

Other than that, it is good to see how often they publish articles, what type of procedures they do (these vary a lot even within the same subject!), where the lab is located if off campus. Also, the size of the lab makes a big difference in how important you will be to the group - something to also take into consideration.

 

[ha87]

I would recommended finding a professor whose class you have taken and enjoyed. By doing this you will have already formed a solid relationship with the professor you are working for. You will have a good sense of who they are and how they work. When it came time for my LORs, my professor had known me both academically and personally for almost two years.


I would also recommend finding an area of research you are interested in. I knew someone that did pchem research and hated it because it mainly involved using mathematical/computational modeling. My research was in Orgo/synthetic/polymer chem and I can say that it was pretty outstanding (incredibly hands on and process oriented). The drawback to orgo/synthetic/polymer chem is that actually producing results / publishing is difficult and can take a long time. When writing about my experience / interviewing, I focused on what I learned and the experience that I gained, rather than focusing on the fact that I did not ever get amazing results or publish.


As far as majors are involved, I was a non-science major; don't let your major restrict your options. Good luck, and please do something that you enjoy and learn from.

 

[JJMrK]

I recommend looking at three things:

1) Don't join a lab where you will be washing glassware. You want to be actively involved in the planning and analysis.
2) Will you be paid?
3) How many pubs does the lab crank out?

 

[rhesuspieces]

I chose the lab with the most monkeys.

 

[focus1]

Also, the size of the lab makes a big difference in how important you will be to the group - something to also take into consideration.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

So regarding iusesharpies' quote, is it better to be in a lab of a smaller size/less undergrads?

 

[gettheleadout]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

So regarding iusesharpies' quote, is it better to be in a lab of a smaller size/less undergrads?

If you want a better chance at greater responsibility, then yes, I would assume so. This may depend on how active the lab is though, which would be reflected in its size.

 

[nolookpass]

When did you guys start getting involved in a lab. I'm in my second semester of freshman year and I'm most likely going to volunteer at a medical center, therefore I doubt I can start research this semester.

 

[Cyclist4Ever]

oh i just didn't know if it was common for people to do research outside of the subject area of their major

I studied electrical engineering and worked in a pharmacology lab in undergrad. I dont think the PI cares about what your major is.

Anyway, here are a few things to think about when you join a lab.

1) Research topic ( probably the most important thing)
2) How much commitment is needed? Is the PI nice?
3) Publication?
4) Are the lab members nice? ( trust me, you will enjoy the research more if the grad students are more social and helpful.)

 

[focus1]

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[focus1]

bump?

 

[gettheleadout]

how big was the publication possibility as part of your decisions? i mean obviously it doesn't mean that if there were a lot of undergrad publications in past years, you're likely to get one right?

It's probably a sign that the PI is more open to listing students as authors. I wouldn't think chance of publication should outweigh anything else tangible, given that publication is almost always dependent on the disposition of the PI and far less on the student, and adcoms understand this. You're better off being able to talk meaningfully and passionately about your research than being "meh" about it and rattling off your citation.

If it's between a lab you're more interested/think you'd be happier at and one you aren't nearly as attracted to but think you'd be more likely to get published in, go with the one you like more.

 

[JJMrK]

It's probably a sign that the PI is more open to listing students as authors. I wouldn't think chance of publication should outweigh anything else tangible, given that publication is almost always dependent on the disposition of the PI and far less on the student, and adcoms understand this. You're better off being able to talk meaningfully and passionately about your research than being "meh" about it and rattling off your citation.

If it's between a lab you're more interested/think you'd be happier at and one you aren't nearly as attracted to but think you'd be more likely to get published in, go with the one you like more.

I tend to disagree with this. If you're involved enough in the work that you're getting a publication, you'll be able to talk meaningfully about it. A publication as an undergrad is huge, and trumps anything else that will come out of your research. It will also be on your CV for the rest of your career.

 

[thelaw986]

I'm a bit confused about the term PI. Does it refer to the professor that's in charge of a particular research department you've enrolled or can it refer to the graduate student that you get partnered with when working in the professor's lab?

 

[iusesharpies]

PI = principal investigator... so the head of everything and usually who the groups named after

 

[Silverfalcon]

I chose the lab with the most monkeys.

Genius. Who needs publications when you have monkeys?

 

[tiedyeddog]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

So regarding iusesharpies' quote, is it better to be in a lab of a smaller size/less undergrads?

I'd say you should look more for a consistent record of getting undergrads involved. Ask what previous undergrads have accomplished and also be straight up with your desire to get hands-on experience and your own personal project.

 

[tiedyeddog]

I tend to disagree with this. If you're involved enough in the work that you're getting a publication, you'll be able to talk meaningfully about it. A publication as an undergrad is huge, and trumps anything else that will come out of your research. It will also be on your CV for the rest of your career.

I totally agree with JJMrK. Go with the publication. Many, many, many premeds do some type of research. A publication clearly shows you were meaningfully involved.

 

[gettheleadout]

I tend to disagree with this. If you're involved enough in the work that you're getting a publication, you'll be able to talk meaningfully about it. A publication as an undergrad is huge, and trumps anything else that will come out of your research. It will also be on your CV for the rest of your career.

I totally agree with JJMrK. Go with the publication. Many, many, many premeds do some type of research. A publication clearly shows you were meaningfully involved.

Well gosh never mind then...

 

[TheMagician17]

I started off by listing 10-20 potential areas that strongly interested me. These mainly included cancer-related research whether it was at the molecular, cellular, chemical, level, etc. Unfortunately, I received 20 rejection letters from all the professors 😀

I finally decided I needed to start somewhere so I pretty much looked at the available ones only. Finally, with a stroke of luck, I got one in the psychology department. I never really had much interest in it, but after speaking with the PI, I got genuinely interested in it. Plus, I decided I needed the research experience to be more competitive and felt that the basic research skills I get from this lab will suffice.

I would just try to ask as many labs as possible for a position. IMHO, where you start research does not weigh that heavily, so long as you develop the skills of a researcher.

 

[JJMrK]

I'm a bit confused about the term PI. Does it refer to the professor that's in charge of a particular research department you've enrolled or can it refer to the graduate student that you get partnered with when working in the professor's lab?

It's usually the person who wrote the grant and who has to report to whichever agency supplied the money.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Genius. Who needs publications when you have monkeys?

I would definitely trade publications for monkeys.

 

[iusesharpies]

I'd say you should look more for a consistent record of getting undergrads involved. Ask what previous undergrads have accomplished and also be straight up with your desire to get hands-on experience and your own personal project.

I agree... but have found that youre more likely to get hands-on experience in a smaller setting. Plus, there is more direct contact with the actual PI (most of the time) which is always a good thing.

 

[WingedOx]

the first one to give me a job...

 

[gettheleadout]

I would definitely trade publications for monkeys.

I know you're kidding, but I guess that's kind of the point I was trying to make. I really think it would be better (more enjoyable/easier/whatever) to work in a lab where you really like the people, environment, research material, etc... rather than one where enough of those factors are very negative but you have a higher chance of being published. I was less saying that chance of publication should matter very little and more saying that it just shouldn't trump everything else.

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

the first one to give me a job...

Same here. High five to that!