Kicked out of research

[Globalcitizen88]

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So I've been working in the same lab for about 2 years. The last time I went to my lab was 7 months ago. I went on summer vacation for 2 weeks after that (During August 2018). For some reason, I never "showed" back up. I did suffer from some depression the following semester, but I just never had the courage to go to my lab. The other weird thing is despite never "showing up" in my research lab again, my mentor nor PI never contacted me to wonder why. (I would think any sane person would at least send me one text inquiring about me), but they never contacted me. As more time went on, I also got increasingly apprehensive about contacting them. Thus, the last text message I sent to my mentor was 7/27/2018, nearly 7 months ago.

Maybe my mentor was relieved that I "disappeared", since I was a pain in the a**. She had to spend hours upon hours with me, even after she finished "training me", because I was producing unsuccesful results 90% of the time. She was very nice and everything, but I did get a sense that I was a liability to her, my PI, and the lab because I once almost broke a $40,000 machine and I took time away from her projects.

Should I ask to rejoin the lab? Should I try to rejoin the lab? I'm a rising senior and don't plan on taking a gap year.


PS: I was even invited to a lab picnic in August 2018, but I couldn't go cause my parents wanted me to go on a carribean cruise with them. I was thinking had I actually gone to the picnic. I might still be doing research. Stupid cruise.

 

[deleted480308]

So I've been working in the same lab for about 2 years. The last time I went to my lab was 7 months ago. I went on summer vacation for 2 weeks after that (During August 2018). For some reason, I never "showed" back up. I did suffer from some depression the following semester, but I just never had the courage to go to my lab. The other weird thing is despite never "showing up" in my research lab again, my mentor nor PI never contacted me to wonder why. (I would think any sane person would at least send me one text inquiring about me), but they never contacted me. As more time went on, I also got increasingly apprehensive about contacting them. Thus, the last text message I sent to my mentor was 7/27/2018, nearly 7 months ago.

Maybe my mentor was relieved that I "disappeared", since I was a pain in the a**. She had to spend hours upon hours with me, even after she finished "training me", because I was producing unsuccesful results 90% of the time. She was very nice and everything, but I did get a sense that I was a liability to her, my PI, and the lab because I once almost broke a $40,000 machine and I took time away from her projects.

Should I ask to rejoin the lab? Should I try to rejoin the lab? I'm a rising senior and don't plan on taking a gap year.


PS: I was even invited to a lab picnic in August 2018, but I couldn't go cause my parents wanted me to go on a carribean cruise with them. I was thinking had I actually gone to the picnic. I might still be doing research. Stupid cruise.

You’re all over the place

In other posts you were claiming to already have an acceptance. Please keep the stories coherent

 

[Globalcitizen88]

@sb247

I do already have an acceptance. Just not to my first choice school, which I haven't applied to yet

 

[deleted480308]

@sb247

I do already have an acceptance. Just not to my first choice school, which I haven't applied to yet

You have a guaranteed acceptance that dissappears if you apply elsewhere

2 months out from your mcat with you pulling 494 on your practice exams, you have 4-5 withdrawls and ghosted on your research without a word for more than 6months

Don't apply elsewhere. take your acceptance

 

[JustaDO]

Sometimes, I read things on SDN, and truly hope that questions like this is a trolling effort.

 

[Robin-jay]

As someone with extensive research, and I do mean extensive, this really comes down to your PI. Undergrads can be extremely lazy in lab. Only a couple I ever trained were ever useful in actually furthering research.

 

[Globalcitizen88]

@JustaDO

This is real, not a trolling effort.

 

[Goro]

So I've been working in the same lab for about 2 years. The last time I went to my lab was 7 months ago. I went on summer vacation for 2 weeks after that (During August 2018). For some reason, I never "showed" back up. I did suffer from some depression the following semester, but I just never had the courage to go to my lab. The other weird thing is despite never "showing up" in my research lab again, my mentor nor PI never contacted me to wonder why. (I would think any sane person would at least send me one text inquiring about me), but they never contacted me. As more time went on, I also got increasingly apprehensive about contacting them. Thus, the last text message I sent to my mentor was 7/27/2018, nearly 7 months ago.

Maybe my mentor was relieved that I "disappeared", since I was a pain in the a**. She had to spend hours upon hours with me, even after she finished "training me", because I was producing unsuccesful results 90% of the time. She was very nice and everything, but I did get a sense that I was a liability to her, my PI, and the lab because I once almost broke a $40,000 machine and I took time away from her projects.

Should I ask to rejoin the lab? Should I try to rejoin the lab?

No and no.


Frankly, most PIs think that pre-meds are more trouble than they're worth in the lab, and you simply justified this notion. Also, some sane people might think "it's Global to contact us"

 

[Wahkoon]

I’m still refusing to believe this is real...

 

[narla_hotep]

Being kicked out of research is NOT the same thing as just not showing up to the lab... I'm sorry about the depression, but you effectively kicked yourself out.

 

[Robin-jay]

I’m still refusing to believe this is real...

This happened all the time with undergrads. in my lab.

 

[getdown]

Wow. Just wow.

I'm going to address a few things here:
1. You left the lab yourself. You did not get "kicked out"
2. Take some goddamn responsibility here. I see you blame everything else except yourself (depression, parents forcing you on a cruise, your mentor possibly thinking you're a liability). None of those things made you leave and not come back. At the very least give a headsup or something.
3. I hope to God this is an isolated incidence because if this is a reflection of your work ethic and commitment to medicine I would tell you right now to stay the hell away. What are you going to do during your surgery rotation when you have to wake up at 4 AM and pre round, go into surgeries, do clinic, go home at 7 PM to read and study and then repeat the cycle for the next 6-8 weeks? You just gonna up and ghost medical school? Your co-residents? Your patients? Because poor you are having a hard time? You better take a long hard look at whether medical school is right for you.

 

[965978]

Wow. Just wow.

I'm going to address a few things here:
1. You left the lab yourself. You did not get "kicked out"
2. Take some goddamn responsibility here. I see you blame everything else except yourself (depression, parents forcing you on a cruise, your mentor possibly thinking you're a liability). None of those things made you leave and not come back. At the very least give a headsup or something.
3. I hope to God this is an isolated incidence because if this is a reflection of your work ethic and commitment to medicine I would tell you right now to stay the hell away. What are you going to do during your surgery rotation when you have to wake up at 4 AM and pre round, go into surgeries, do clinic, go home at 7 PM to read and study and then repeat the cycle for the next 6-8 weeks? You just gonna up and ghost medical school? Your co-residents? Your patients? Because poor you are having a hard time? You better take a long hard look at whether medical school is right for you.

Agreed with what you said. But I don’t think OP’s post is genuine. It seriously suspects as a troll post.

 

[atomi]

You have a guaranteed acceptance that dissappears if you apply elsewhere

2 months out from your mcat with you pulling 494 on your practice exams, you have 4-5 withdrawls and ghosted on your research without a word for more than 6months

Don't apply elsewhere. take your acceptance

I would add, take the acceptance but understand that continuing the current trend you are on will result in preclinical failures in Med school, wasted money in the 6 figure range and an ultimate dismissal from Med school.

You will need to get your act together fast by the time you start M1.

If your school lets you defer a year, consider it and getting a full time job for the year. A real job with benefits where you have responsibilities. It sounds like you have a decent amount of maturing left to do. Which is nothing to be ashamed of but you need to lift those weights and get to the next level.

 

[atomi]

What are you going to do during your surgery rotation when you have to wake up at 4 AM and pre round, go into surgeries, do clinic, go home at 7 PM to read and study and then repeat the cycle for the next 6-8 weeks? You just gonna up and ghost medical school? Your co-residents? Your patients? Because poor you are having a hard time? You better take a long hard look at whether medical school is right for you.

There were 1 or 2 students every year who would reveal themselves to be this kind of student early in M3.

Skipping surgery orientation and showing up 4 hours late and listerally walking into a surgery in process wearing street clothes and sneakers with no PPE and saying I’m here for my surgery rotation.

Leave after rounds without telling anyone on IM.

Just not show up for days at a time without telling anyone then come in and say you were not feeling so good and had some studying to catch up on anyway.

Etc.

I had a Med student as an intern who I asked to write a note and he told me “nobody reads our notes so I don’t really see the point” Would ask him to go check on a patient. “I mean I guess I could but that’s like on the other side of the hospital so you know..........”

 

[965978]

There were 1 or 2 students every year who would reveal themselves to be this kind of student early in M3.

Skipping surgery orientation and showing up 4 hours late and listerally walking into a surgery in process wearing street clothes and sneakers with no PPE and saying I’m here for my surgery rotation.

Leave after rounds without telling anyone on IM.

Just not show up for days at a time without telling anyone then come in and say you were not feeling so good and had some studying to catch up on anyway.

Etc.

I had a Med student as an intern who I asked to write a note and he told me “nobody reads our notes so I don’t really see the point” Would ask him to go check on a patient. “I mean I guess I could but that’s like on the other side of the hospital so you know..........”

How does you school even admit these kinds of people?

 

[atomi]

How does you school even admit these kinds of people?

When you admit 150 people there’s going to be 3 or 4 that are serious problems. Most usually get weeded out preclinical but usually at least 1 per year squeaks by doing lectures from home and bare minimum mandatory activities and shows up for clinicals like it’s a pass/fail phys Ed class in college. Happens at every school, there’s always some ridiculous M3 story that the whole school hears about.

 

[965978]

When you admit 150 people there’s going to be 3 or 4 that are serious problems. Most usually get weeded out preclinical but usually at least 1 per year squeaks by doing lectures from home and bare minimum mandatory activities and shows up for clinicals like it’s a pass/fail phys Ed class in college. Happens at every school, there’s always some ridiculous M3 story that the whole school hears about.

So every year your school expels 2-3 people pre-clinical

 

[Pantsareamyth]

So you didn't really get kicked out then?

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

And to think this person has a medical school acceptance. Can't even show up or perform in an undergraduate lab. This person will have patients one day. *shutters*

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

Agreed with what you said. But I don’t think OP’s post is genuine. It seriously suspects as a troll post.

You would think so but I've met premeds like this. Wouldn't surprise me if this were real.

 

[Isoval]

If you genuinely want back into that lab, show up to the PI’s office with your tail between your legs. Offer up an apology and an explanation, and it’s decenty likely you’ll have a position again. You’ve already been trained and you have a somewhat decent history with the lab, despite recent events.

If you don’t, then keep walking and never look back.

 

[Tenk]

You should rescind your acceptance. Nobody wants to wait 7 months for you to return a page.

 

[Goro]

There were 1 or 2 students every year who would reveal themselves to be this kind of student early in M3.

Skipping surgery orientation and showing up 4 hours late and listerally walking into a surgery in process wearing street clothes and sneakers with no PPE and saying I’m here for my surgery rotation.

Leave after rounds without telling anyone on IM.

Just not show up for days at a time without telling anyone then come in and say you were not feeling so good and had some studying to catch up on anyway.

Etc.

I had a Med student as an intern who I asked to write a note and he told me “nobody reads our notes so I don’t really see the point” Would ask him to go check on a patient. “I mean I guess I could but that’s like on the other side of the hospital so you know..........”

Oh Gawd!!! We call these kids "Site killers" because they cost us rotation sites.

The last one who did this failed to match.

I hope you crucified them, Atomi.

 

[IlDestriero]

If you were 1/2 a man, you’d just roll in there one day after class like nothing happened and say “So, what’s up?” and then ask what they want you to do. It’s important to act like you still belong there even though there may be all new students, etc. When you refer to your 7 months away without any notice make sure you phrase it something like “I haven’t been around for a while”. Maybe ask if they stil need you to do whatever the last thing they asked you to do was. Extra credit for getting there before anyone else is there and just getting to work. Have some results in hand when everyone else rolls in.

 

[atomi]

So every year your school expels 2-3 people pre-clinical

Absolutely. Not necessarily expel, but you have to pass step 1 to go to clinicals and that deep sixes at least 1-2 per year alone. Add in a scattering of drop outs for professional or personal issues and that’s why the grad rate from us md schools is 90-95%, not exactly 100%.

It’s a small number, but still a nonzero number.
Admissions is good, but not perfect.

 

[965978]

Absolutely. Not necessarily expel, but you have to pass step 1 to go to clinicals and that deep sixes at least 1-2 per year alone. Add in a scattering of drop outs for professional or personal issues and that’s why the grad rate from us md schools is 90-95%, not exactly 100%.

It’s a small number, but still a nonzero number.
Admissions is good, but not perfect.

But if we are looking at a 3-4% drop out/expulsion rate, that’s around 600-800 med students nationwide not graduating every year. It’s soul wrenching to think that those spots could have gone to deserving people.

 

[atomi]

But if we are looking at a 3-4% drop out/expulsion rate, that’s around 600-800 med students nationwide not graduating every year. It’s soul wrenching to think that those spots could have gone to deserving people.

Maybe the admins can chime in on the actual numbers in their experiences. I am just relaying what I saw while in school.

 

[Goro]

But if we are looking at a 3-4% drop out/expulsion rate, that’s around 600-800 med students nationwide not graduating every year. It’s soul wrenching to think that those spots could have gone to deserving people.

At my school, the most common cause for attrition is mental health issues.

Don't assume that those who fail out are automatically "undeserving"

 

[965978]

At my school, the most common cause for attrition is mental health issues.

Don't assume that those who fail out are automatically "undeserving"

You’re right. I apologize.