I hate my job. What should I do?

[trishaaa]

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Hi all,
I don't know if this is the appropriate forum for this question, but I figured I should just throw it out here b/c I'm pre-allopathic and most people in this forum are dealing with the same stuff I am (i.e. secondaries, etc.).

Anyway, here goes. I graduated from college in '03, immediately started working as a clinical research assistant in a behavioral psychopharm research lab, then I got the opportunity to switch to a sleep lab (it's affiliated with the psychopharm lab, so I'm still at the same hospital, still at the same desk, still with most of the same people, etc.). Meanwhile, I've been working part-time as a mental health specialist on a dual-diagnosis detox unit. In short, I love the detox unit and I hate the research. I'm sick of it here. Something goes wrong every day, none of which is my fault yet I have to pick up the pieces. I feel like drug companies and the NIH are always yelling at us to pick up the pace with recruitment, etc., and I was kinda hoping my last year before matriculating into med school would be somewhat *relaxing*. That's why I want to take the full-time position offered to me at the detox unit.

Now, I've consulted with a few coworkers and close friends about this. Some say leave NOW, others say stay until you get into med school. But who knows when that'll be, right? One of the docs I work with stated, " I don't think an MHS job will go over very well with medical schools. In the interviews, they will want to know what you are doing now, so I think it would be better if you are able to say you're doing research and achieving a lot (even if you don't feel like you are). I'm sorry to say this as I'm sure you were hoping I would say it's okay to go ahead and take the fun job. Obviously, I don't know that you won't get into medical school should you take the MHS job, but I think the research job will increase your chances. Once you're in, then go ahead and quit!"

One other little thing about my job here in research: I'm in love (ok, maybe infatuated with) one of my coworkers and it drives me absolutely CRAZY to be around him and not have him. But, believe me, that's not reason enough to leave. I'm just not happy here at all.

So, the big question remains: Is one year of misery worth an admission to medical school? Or do I take my chances?

Thanks for any advice you guys have to offer. Back to writing that painful, painful BU essay...

 

[it.]

i only read the title but...if you really hate your job, and if your intuition is agrees, then quit. then again, that could just be my young naivete talkin...from what little life i've lived, what i've learned: no reason to struggle if you're not happy

 

[anystream]

medical schools like to see passion in the activities people pursue. I don't think any medical school would appreciate your involvement in research that made you "miserable". the research might make you more appealing to research-oriented schools, but you sound as though you won't do research ever agin once you see an acceptance letter.

this is your life. it doesn't start when you get accepted, or once you enter medical school. its easy for pre-meds to feel this way, but i think you should learn to take care of yourself and find happiness in your life starting now : )

 

[microgin]

Hi all,
I don't know if this is the appropriate forum for this question, but I figured I should just throw it out here b/c I'm pre-allopathic and most people in this forum are dealing with the same stuff I am (i.e. secondaries, etc.).

Anyway, here goes. I graduated from college in '03, immediately started working as a clinical research assistant in a behavioral psychopharm research lab, then I got the opportunity to switch to a sleep lab (it's affiliated with the psychopharm lab, so I'm still at the same hospital, still at the same desk, still with most of the same people, etc.). Meanwhile, I've been working part-time as a mental health specialist on a dual-diagnosis detox unit. In short, I love the detox unit and I hate the research. I'm sick of it here. Something goes wrong every day, none of which is my fault yet I have to pick up the pieces. I feel like drug companies and the NIH are always yelling at us to pick up the pace with recruitment, etc., and I was kinda hoping my last year before matriculating into med school would be somewhat *relaxing*. That's why I want to take the full-time position offered to me at the detox unit.

Now, I've consulted with a few coworkers and close friends about this. Some say leave NOW, others say stay until you get into med school. But who knows when that'll be, right? One of the docs I work with stated, " I don't think an MHS job will go over very well with medical schools. In the interviews, they will want to know what you are doing now, so I think it would be better if you are able to say you're doing research and achieving a lot (even if you don't feel like you are). I'm sorry to say this as I'm sure you were hoping I would say it's okay to go ahead and take the fun job. Obviously, I don't know that you won't get into medical school should you take the MHS job, but I think the research job will increase your chances. Once you're in, then go ahead and quit!"

One other little thing about my job here in research: I'm in love (ok, maybe infatuated with) one of my coworkers and it drives me absolutely CRAZY to be around him and not have him. But, believe me, that's not reason enough to leave. I'm just not happy here at all.

So, the big question remains: Is one year of misery worth an admission to medical school? Or do I take my chances?

Thanks for any advice you guys have to offer. Back to writing that painful, painful BU essay...

Ummm... quit, or do what I've done and stay in a job that I hate, but find a bunch of people willing to sit around and listen to me b*tch about it. Venting does wonders to make time fly.

You should know that not all med schools are gung ho research. If I may give advice (that I don't take myself), I'd say do what makes you happiest. That enthusiasm for what you do, be it in the detox job or whatever will come through on your interviews.

Now if only I could follow that advice myself! 😳

 

[trishaaa]

medical schools like to see passion in the activities people pursue. I don't think any medical school would appreciate your involvement in research that made you "miserable". the research might make you more appealing to research-oriented schools, but you sound as though you won't do research ever agin once you see an acceptance letter.

this is your life. it doesn't start when you get accepted, or once you enter medical school. its easy for pre-meds to feel this way, but i think you should learn to take care of yourself and find happiness in your life starting now : )

That's what I'm talking about-- happiness NOW! Just hearing the docs I work with tell me to stick it out (basically, one of them is telling me in a nice way that I'm sabotaging my chances for med school by switching jobs) makes me hang on. All I have ever wanted is to be a doctor. I don't want to ruin that just for one year of happiness.

I will certainly continue with research. This job was wonderful when I started (didn't work with drug companies at first, just grant-funded studies) and I truly do love and value research, just not THIS research.

 

[samenewme]

So what do you love about the other job? Patient contact? Anything else that's relevant to why you want to be a doctor? If you have a good reason for choosing the job, as well as one that sounds good (especially if the two are the same), go for it.

 

[jintonic5]

i think it also depends on where you want to go for med school-- if you want to go to an institution that is known for its emphasis on research, maybe suck it up and stick it out. however, if you are indifferent to that, i don't see why you should stick around. most people i know in med school now did research to gain the experience, but they were honest with their interviewers and said that they much preferred the patient contact of their other experiences. med schools often want to see research because they want to knowthat you've thought of all of your options. i mean, if you just say "i like science and i want to help people", research certainly provides that opportunity.

long story short: quit if you don't want to stay, but have a damn good explanation thought out for interviews.

 

[trishaaa]

So what do you love about the other job? Patient contact? Anything else that's relevant to why you want to be a doctor? If you have a good reason for choosing the job, as well as one that sounds good (especially if the two are the same), go for it.

It's a great environment altogether. The staff there works as a team-- the docs, nurses, and MHSs do their best to provide top-notch care. The patient population is very difficult, but I have had experience dealing with people who suffer from substance abuse as it runs in my family. I also get to build my leadership skills at the other job; I lead education groups on addiciton, recovery, and stress-reduction. It's pure clinical work. I don't know why it would look so much worse than the clinical research.

I can *make* either job sound good, but I know schools will like the research better. ARGH! 😡

 

[Flopotomist]

Initially, I was going to say to do whatever you think would make you happiest, but realize that this advice is as empty as Jessica Simpson's brain. Instead I will say (as a CRC who has to deal with recruitment challenges) perhaps you can identify what it is that you dislike about your current position and try to fix things.

1. If recruitment is a problem, work with other sites or centers that are more successful to develop strategies for increasing your recruitment rate.

2. If personality challenges are what is driving you bonkers, sit the person(s) down and have a frank discussion about working styles.

3. Go on a date with somebody else - get over it, the guy you are lusting over is gay and doesn't want you (or whatever little mental fib you have to tell yourself to realize that you have no chance, move on, give up.)

4. Do what you want to do, not just what you think you should do in order to get into medical school.

Good Luck!

 

[diosa428]

I can *make* either job sound good, but I know schools will like the research better. ARGH! 😡

That's not necessarily true. I think if it's still a clincally related job, then it doesn't matter if it's research or not! Honestly, you have research experience, and so do probably 75% of ppl applying to med school right now. That will not make you stand out. However, if you have this job that you love and it's related to medicine and you can talk passionately about it, then that will make you stand out. Also, I don't know who this doctor is that told you you would ruin your chances w/med school if you quit the job, but I do know that researchers (my boss, for example) are very gung ho on research and think that's what everyone should do. So you may want to take his opinion with a grain of salt. Also, from your description, it sounds like you're unhappy at this job because of the professional atmosphere (or lack thereof?) and I think that would be seen as a legitamate excuse to quit a job, even from a med school adcom.

 

[trishaaa]

I really appreciate all of this feedback! Keep it coming! I'm meeting with one of the docs tomorrow to discuss the situation, and I'm trying to set up an appointment with my undergrad pre-med advisor to get some of his advice. I should probably meet with my boss, but she'll probably just repeat what she's been saying for the past 8 months: "It'll get better."

 

[sidewalkman]

Is it possible to move down to a PT job at the research gig while working FT at the detox unit? That way you can't be accused of quitting, just refocusing your priorities, increasing your exposure in another area to gain breadth, etc. And how much could you possibly get yelled at when you're only working 10 hours or so?

If that's not possible... hmmm... that depends. I would stay with the old job, but if it's possible to leave after one trial ends and before another begins, or reduce your responsibilities gradually before starting the detox job, that'd be a good strategy. What you want to avoid is quitting in the middle of a trial and screwing over your coworkers, then having someone from an adcom call your boss and have that cost you an acceptance. If it comes up, highlight how you worked well under pressure in your old job (even if you hated it, you did OK, right?). There's a lot of pressure in clinical research these days, especially from the big players in pharma with many of their patents due to expire. An interviewer will want to see that you did well, even if it wasn't your thing.

 

[cfdavid]

So, the big question remains: Is one year of misery worth an admission to medical school? Or do I take my chances?

Thanks for any advice you guys have to offer. Back to writing that painful, painful BU essay...

NO. It's not worth it. Resign, with a 2 week notice (or other if it was stated up front). Hand in a professional letter of resignation (lots of good info on the net), and move on. Do it with class and don't get into your reasons for leaving. Don't burn bridges, and offer to train your replacement if applicable.

 

[CoffeeCat]

I recently left a research job where the PI was a professor at the med school I was interested in. I hated the job, I wasn't comfortable with the whole pharmaceutical company research thing, the woman I worked with was a bad scientist and a nut and each day I felt myself become less of who I want to be. Plus, it was interfering with the MCAT. I felt really weird and awful about quitting but now I realize what a good choice it was for me even if I forfeited an LOR that would help me get in.

Maybe all you need is some distance from the job to look at it objectively though I think in most cases the benefits of staying in an awful job don't outweigh the benefits of quitting. Can you take a few days of vacation and see how it feels for you? Is it possible to work full time at your other job?

If you really want to quit and your other job is still med-school related - hello, patient contact, do it.

 

[beavers03]

There are good things and bad things about every job. What percentage is good and what percentage is bad? if it's more than 20-30% good, that beats out how I and all my engineering coworkers feel about our jobs. 🙂

And a note of advice about the coworker situation. Based on my experiences dating a coworker or even being infatuated with a coworker is definitely not a good idea. Tell yourself that it won't work out in the long run and try to maintain a friendly yet professional relationship with him.

 

[trishaaa]

There are good things and bad things about every job. What percentage is good and what percentage is bad? if it's more than 20-30% good, that beats out how I and all my engineering coworkers feel about our jobs. 🙂

And a note of advice about the coworker situation. Based on my experiences dating a coworker or even being infatuated with a coworker is definitely not a good idea. Tell yourself that it won't work out in the long run and try to maintain a friendly yet professional relationship with him.

Lately, it's about 20% good. I actually conducted a beautiful MRI on one of my subjects this morning. That RARELY happens (scanner always breaks, subjects have panic attacks, forget that they have metal in their heads, etc.) So maybe today it's 25% good...

About the coworker, I was maintaining a "friendly yet professional" relationship with him and kept telling myself it would never work out (we actually discussed this, and he said he won't date people from work anymore--his last relationship was with a coworker), but apparently I cannot accept this quite yet. And the fact that I took him to a wedding last weekend, got drunk, and was a bit sexually agressive didn't help things (it just heightened my feelings about him). Whoops!

 

[samenewme]

And the fact that I took him to a wedding last weekend...

Change jobs. It's time.

 

[Sundarban1]

Quit.

 

[emgirl]

Trisha-
I was in the same position as you- hated my job, hated my boss- it was extremely boring research and everything always went wrong but my boss just blamed me all the time. My biggest regret is that I stuck out the job for an extra six months after I realized I hated it. THat time could have been spent doing something I really enjoyed. I quit and had to break my lease on my apt (which cost $1000) and move to another state for my new job that I love but it was all worth it. Don't let the doctors that you work for tell you that leaving a research position will hurt your chances at med school- they are biased and clearly will benefit by talking you into staying. However, if you decide to leave I would hesitate before asking those doctors for LORs because they are making their position known- they will not be happy with you leaving (even though they are trying to make it sound like it is the med schools that will care). The detox job sounds just as relevant to med school, if not more so if you don't plan to ever do research. It's not as if you are leaving research to work at the Gap. Seriously, do what makes you happy! ****ty jobs, research or not, are not worth it!

 

[Its_MurDAH]

About the coworker, I was maintaining a "friendly yet professional" relationship with him and kept telling myself it would never work out (we actually discussed this, and he said he won't date people from work anymore--his last relationship was with a coworker), but apparently I cannot accept this quite yet. And the fact that I took him to a wedding last weekend, got drunk, and was a bit sexually agressive didn't help things (it just heightened my feelings about him). Whoops!

Damn girl. 😱

Well once you quit, you won't be this guy's coworker no more...and then you can spit that game any which way. 😀

 

[mshheaddoc]

My advice,

Take the job in the detox and quit research. No offense but if you have been doing this for about 2 years that is research. if you really like the detox go for it. Something you love gives you another look at medicine. You're not a PhD, not all doctors do research. Not all schools require alot of research. I think 2 years is a pretty good amount of research. Additionally you are still working in a clinical perspective. If the money is the same, and I were you ... I'd say hasta la vista (professionally with a 2 weeks notice resignation letter) and tell them you found another position that you would ilke to explore. 😀