How many pre-meds get paid to do research?

[saveourpens]

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I'm not talking getting paid to clean glassware and do bitch work or for a lab-tech position. I'm talking actual research with pubs.

I was more than ready to do the research in the summer as a "volunteer", but then my professor started talking about getting paid at the end of every month. I didn't complain. Should I feel lucky or is this rather common?

 

[ThatQuestionGuy]

What's the difference between what you're doing and a lab tech position?

 

[saveourpens]

the lab tech in my micro-bio lab was in charge of making stock solutions, making sure everything was clean, but was minimally, if it all, involved in actual research.

Now, I'm in another lab (thank god I decided to part ways with my stupid micro-bio lab) have my own project with autonomy, and a possibility of a first author publication.

 

[JJMrK]

It's not uncommon but you may have to search around a bit.

 

[xBODOMx]

Sounds like you need someone to stroke your epeen. Most premeds get lab tech positions because we are undergraduates. Get over yourself.

 

[saveourpens]

Sounds like you need someone to stroke your epeen. Most premeds get lab tech positions because we are undergraduates. Get over yourself.

ok buddy looks like I struck a nerve, and thanks for answering my question. I guess I should feel lucky!

 

[xBODOMx]

Haha nope. I love my lab my job. But thanks for your concern.

 

[Slowpoke]

feel lucky.

 

[jm192]

ok buddy looks like I struck a nerve, and thanks for answering my question. I guess I should feel lucky!

No, he's right

The way you posted the question is like, here's what I get paid to do. And it's better than the crappy stuff you do. And, it's not like you're gaining anything else from this thread. If it's common, oh well? If you should feel lucky, oh well?

I would assume you DIDN'T mean to demean lab-techs or people that clean glassware, but you sure come across as being on a high horse.

I got paid to work at McDonalds for 2 years. Do you figure that's common or should I have felt lucky?

 

[familyaerospace]

I'm not talking getting paid to clean glassware and do bitch work or for a lab-tech position. I'm talking actual research with pubs.

I was more than ready to do the research in the summer as a "volunteer", but then my professor started talking about getting paid at the end of every month. I didn't complain. Should I feel lucky or is this rather common?

Rather common in my experience. But then, I never volunteered as a researcher, I was offered a job as a research assistant. I didn't start doing free research for anyone until I had my masters and was unemployed.

 

[Narmerguy]

A lot of students research for credit rather than pay. Some students, such as myself, have been offered a choice between pay or credit and I always take the credit.

 

[FearAndInsomnia]

A lot of students research for credit rather than pay. Some students, such as myself, have been offered a choice between pay or credit and I always take the credit.

I actually get both (pay and credit.)

 

[T1R3KO]

At my school, it's pretty easy to get funding (aka a decent stipend) for working in a lab over the summer. None of our research positions pay during the academic year, though, so we can apply for credit.

 

[ThatQuestionGuy]

the lab tech in my micro-bio lab was in charge of making stock solutions, making sure everything was clean, but was minimally, if it all, involved in actual research.

Now, I'm in another lab (thank god I decided to part ways with my stupid micro-bio lab) have my own project with autonomy, and a possibility of a first author publication.

Oh, maybe there's a difference between lab and research tech. Anyways, I have a job like that but I also graduated from college so I figure most people have to get a degree first.

 

[MisterVeil]

A lot of students research for credit rather than pay. Some students, such as myself, have been offered a choice between pay or credit and I always take the credit.

Are you crazy? All else being equal, I'd take pay over credit every time.

 

[saveourpens]

Some of you guys are pretty arrogant. I don't care enough about you guys to somehow start making myself feel superior to you. That said, thanks for the responses.

 

[surftheiop]

Some of you guys are pretty arrogant. I don't care enough about you guys to somehow start making myself feel superior to you. That said, thanks for the responses.

 

[saveourpens]

haha I love that owl

 

[bonsaitree1]

Most people I know get paid for their research + credit (and they have an intellectual contribution to the work). This is in Canada.

 

[skiddoc]

Some of you guys are pretty arrogant. I don't care enough about you guys to somehow start making myself feel superior to you. That said, thanks for the responses.

You sound like a douche bag. You'll make a great doc!!! 👍👍👍

 

[saveourpens]

You sound like a douche bag. You'll make a great doc!!! 👍👍👍

Hey thanks!!!

 

[StayingFocused]

I'm not talking getting paid to clean glassware and do bitch work or for a lab-tech position. I'm talking actual research with pubs.

I was more than ready to do the research in the summer as a "volunteer", but then my professor started talking about getting paid at the end of every month. I didn't complain. Should I feel lucky or is this rather common?

I thought this was pretty common, actually. I've never met anyone who volunteered in a lab!

I always get grants for my research~It makes my profs happy too b/c I get paid but not from their pocket 🙂

 

[Narmerguy]

Are you crazy? All else being equal, I'd take pay over credit every time.

Well, it's a simple calculation really. You can take the hourly wage that will give you good spending money throughout college. However, in most cases, everyone gets an A for research credit. I get 3 credits per semester and started my freshman year. Since I intend to continue until graduation, that's 21 credits of A added to my GPA and my BCPM. That's a massive boost and I'd take the benefits of that over spending money any day. Not to mention that I get paid for summer research so I still get decent money for it one way or another.

 

[klmnop]

ive gotten two paid positions as a premed research assistant. its not difficult, it just depends on what lab you get thrown into. some labs blow and make you do crap work. some labs realize you are there to learn and they want your help. smaller labs generally give you more responsibility and freedom. plus if you work as a lab tech for a few months you will find a position as a research assistant soon enough because they like to hire people with lab experience. if there is a lab course at your school where you learn to do westerns, southerns, pcr, cell culture, gene cloning.... all that ****, take it and put it on your resume. experience is huge in getting a research job because it takes months for first-timers to perfect new techniques on their own. don't give up, talk to a lot of researcher cause there are always some looking for a hard worker, and there are always a few that are willing to pay.

 

[dukejen04]

I had a paid research job in college, but I had volunteered there for a year as a high school student and worked one summer before I started college. I got paid pretty crap in the beginning, but was making close to $15/hr later on. However, when I started getting credit for an independent study, I couldn't be paid anymore (except summers).

My advice would be to maybe volunteer a semester or so, and then try to turn it into a paying gig. My PI was pretty open to it after I'd proven myself and shown a real interest in the lab.

 

[MisterVeil]

Well, it's a simple calculation really. You can take the hourly wage that will give you good spending money throughout college. However, in most cases, everyone gets an A for research credit. I get 3 credits per semester and started my freshman year. Since I intend to continue until graduation, that's 21 credits of A added to my GPA and my BCPM. That's a massive boost and I'd take the benefits of that over spending money any day. Not to mention that I get paid for summer research so I still get decent money for it one way or another.

If you really need all those credits of As to make up for other grades (and I'm not trying to bash anyone when I say this, as I understand this could be a legitimate concern for some people), then the credit makes sense.

But otherwise, I'd much rather be making some money than earning credits and grade points I don't need.

 

[Narmerguy]

If you really need all those credits of As to make up for other grades (and I'm not trying to bash anyone when I say this, as I understand this could be a legitimate concern for some people), then the credit makes sense.

But otherwise, I'd much rather be making some money than earning credits and grade points I don't need.

Not really making up for grades so much as providing insurance. My grades are fine without the credit but this makes the GPA hit of a bad semester a lot lighter if one of those happens. It's not going to be a massive boost to your GPA, but it makes each semester that much better.

I suppose if you really have a need for the money that's not a bad idea either. However, I believe most threads on this topic typically end in favor of getting credits. Either way it's sweet.

 

[bomgd3]

I've never worked as a free lab slave. I started out freshman year at $10, bumped down to minimum wage for a while thanks to a cheap prof, and I'm all the way up to $20 now. I'm a biomedical engineering major so I take care of a lot of the computational data collection/analysis type stuff in the lab. I think that since my background is in engineering, I was always averse to doing free lab work since internships in industry pay well, and it's basically unheard of to do a free internship in engineering.

 

[BlitzSleep]

I'm not getting paid for the research that i'm doing at the hospital next to my school, Hell, I would have paid them for this opportunity....suckers....