How many labs have you worked in?

[MangoPlant]

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How many labs have you done research in throughout your undergraduate career, as of now? Please count ALL the labs you have done research in (including the ones you worked in during the academic term and during the summer, if any)

Do not count lab classes (organic chemistry lab/gen chem lab/bio lab/etc).

This is just to get an idea of how many pre-meds do research and in how many labs. Anyone who is currently an undergraduate, or has already graduated is welcome to answer.

 

[TheShaker]

I've only worked in one lab but it's been more than 3 years now. I can't imagine going to a new lab at this point and having to learn the baby steps again.

 

[MedPR]

How many labs have you done research in throughout your undergraduate career, as of now? Please count ALL the labs you have done research in (including the ones you worked in during the academic term and during the summer, if any)

Do not count lab classes (organic chemistry lab/gen chem lab/bio lab/etc).

This is just to get an idea of how many pre-meds do research and in how many labs. Anyone who is currently an undergraduate, or has already graduated is welcome to answer.

Two but both were during gap years

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[penguinism]

One lab throughout my whole undergrad career, summers included. Resulted in publications and an awesome letter of rec from my PI!

Think quality, not quantity. If you find a good lab, stay with it. If you hate your PI or your project, move on.

 

[circulus vitios]

5, all with publications. If you're doing anything less, don't even bother.

 

[WildEMDoc]

0, I did no research in undergrad. I may not do any in grad school either, depends on how next semester works out.

 

[WildEMDoc]

5, all with publications. If you're doing anything less, don't even bother.

 

[Doctor Strange]

No bench work at all. I did a summer of clinical research, but it didn't involve being in a "lab." I seem to be doing pretty swell this cycle despite that fact.

 

[Bulls2017]

1 or 2 labs with a lot of experience and a couple publications will benefit you much more then multiple labs where you simply learn all the techniques over and over. Definitely quality not quantity.

 

[lobo.solo]

None

 

[circulus vitios]

These types of threads exist only to lie/brag and step up neuroticism. I figure what better way to honor this thread than to troll. For the record, I have no research experience. 🙂

 

[HSUReddie]

I put 2, but my research experiences are sort of weird and not really benchwork at all.

My undergraduate research is in coral reef ecology, and I also had an internship with a research institute at a children's hospital, but it was more public health based.

 

[Cinclus]

I worked in two different labs as an undergraduate, and then I worked in a different lab as a graduate student. It was all molecular bio/genetics type research.

 

[LogicofMan]

maybe 6 labs is a sign I need to graduate already...

 

[MangoPlant]

One lab throughout my whole undergrad career, summers included. Resulted in publications and an awesome letter of rec from my PI!

Think quality, not quantity. If you find a good lab, stay with it. If you hate your PI or your project, move on.

This is awesome!

Should I be concerned that I barely ever see my PI? I almost always only get to see the graduate student that I work with. The only time I saw my PI was when I was first interviewed. Is that normal or bad?

 

[penguinism]

This is awesome!

Should I be concerned that I barely ever see my PI? I almost always only get to see the graduate student that I work with. The only time I saw my PI was when I was first interviewed. Is that normal or bad?

I had a very good relationship with my PI. Unless he was busy with a looming grant deadline, it was pretty much an open door policy (and I was in his office probably at least once or twice a week at first, even if it was just a simple question about an assay). Of course you will see the grad students more often since they are in the lab all day, but it would be a good idea to start meeting with the PI as well. Do you have laboratory meetings?

This will also depend on the personality of the PI. Mine was a younger guy who loved interacting with students. Some PIs prefer to be left alone unless there's a major issue.

 

[Doctor Strange]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl4L4M8m4d0[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Amba]

1 bench lab (about 2 years now, plus summers) and 1 clinical lab (primarily for 1 summer).

 

[Jloyay]

1 clinical research lab (pharmacology).

 

[Eiot]

Zero

 

[La Presse]

2...so far. I am going to get into another one in the summer....

 

[Ismet]

Two: 1 summer internship at NIH, then 2 semesters + 1 full-time summer in a neuroscience research lab at my school.

 

[Swartzlehman]

X

 

[IncognitoGuy]

These types of threads exist only to lie/brag and step up neuroticism. I figure what better way to honor this thread than to troll. For the record, I have no research experience. 🙂

Gunners gonna gun 😉

 

[Mountaineer12]

I've worked in 5 -- one as a part-time job senior year of high school, two as part of college summer program, one for four semesters during undergrad, and one that I'm currently a tech for.

None of them (besides the tech job) were very long term or time consuming and I don't have any papers so it's not as impressive as it sounds 😛

 

[MangoPlant]

I had a very good relationship with my PI. Unless he was busy with a looming grant deadline, it was pretty much an open door policy (and I was in his office probably at least once or twice a week at first, even if it was just a simple question about an assay). Of course you will see the grad students more often since they are in the lab all day, but it would be a good idea to start meeting with the PI as well. Do you have laboratory meetings?

This will also depend on the personality of the PI. Mine was a younger guy who loved interacting with students. Some PIs prefer to be left alone unless there's a major issue.

There are lab meetings, but so far no one has invited me to go to them 🙁. My PI seems like a friendly person, but the door to his office is always closed (even if he is in it). The only way to enter is to knock, and wait for him to open it. I feel weird going in to just make small talk because I feel like I'm using his precious time. Would getting to know a post-doc be a good idea? I mean, they are PhDs too!

 

[qwerty2012]

about 2 labs in undergrad.