Lab mentor graduating; stay with lab or switch?

[Skarl]

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Hey guys

I started working in a lab this fall/winter. It's been great overall but I recently found out that my phD student lab mentor will be graduating at the end of this summer. I'll probably continue working with him through the summer and possibly try to coauthor (so far I've been listed as a second author on a national poster), but once he graduates what action should I take?

I know I enjoy research so I'd like to continue doing so. Moreover, now that I'm more experienced I want to find a new position that would be more suitable. For example, I'm interested in a smaller lab with more opportunities to personally interact with the PI, something I don't do often in my current lab. Would it raise eyebrows if I left this lab after being in it for under a year to start a new position?

 

[TexasSurgeon]

Hey guys

I started working in a lab this fall/winter. It's been great overall but I recently found out that my phD student lab mentor will be graduating at the end of this summer. I'll probably continue working with him through the summer and possibly try to coauthor (so far I've been listed as a second author on a national poster), but once he graduates what action should I take?

I know I enjoy research so I'd like to continue doing so. Moreover, now that I'm more experienced I want to find a new position that would be more suitable. For example, I'm interested in a smaller lab with more opportunities to personally interact with the PI, something I don't do often in my current lab. Would it raise eyebrows if I left this lab after being in it for under a year to start a new position?

If, when this guy leaves, you do not have a mentor or end up with a terrible mentor, leave the lab.

 

[Skarl]

If, when this guy leaves, you do not have a mentor or end up with a terrible mentor, leave the lab.

How about the alternative: if I end up with a decent or maybe even good mentor but want to switch labs to explore other research topics/other lab dynamics? I'll probably ask my current mentor for a LOR and his advice on what to do as well

 

[TexasSurgeon]

How about the alternative: if I end up with a decent or maybe even good mentor but want to switch labs to explore other research topics/other lab dynamics? I'll probably ask my current mentor for a LOR and his advice on what to do as well

You're still in Ugrad right? I think right now you can benefit more from a strong relationship rather than getting experience in another lab on another topic. It's a lot of work to train a student, and if I was a PI, I would be upset that someone was leaving in just a year to explore another lab. It's a lot of training for the PI to do.

Ideally, you want your PI right now to place you into a semi-independent project where you're working with him as much as you can. Right now, the relationship will help you more because it will give you a better letter of rec when you apply. You can always use med school to get more research experience.

 

[aldol16]

This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on where you are in your training. It can be a good thing because this is a golden opportunity for you to begin your own independent project and to work independently under your PI. This reflects well on you and you will get more out of the research experience. It can be bad if you are not sufficiently trained to be independent - in that case, either see if your PI gives you a different mentor or switch labs.

 

[Skarl]

This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on where you are in your training. It can be a good thing because this is a golden opportunity for you to begin your own independent project and to work independently under your PI. This reflects well on you and you will get more out of the research experience. It can be bad if you are not sufficiently trained to be independent - in that case, either see if your PI gives you a different mentor or switch labs.

The PI of my lab is very busy and I don't get the impression that he would have time to mentor any undergrads personally. He's usually going from meeting to meeting and I only see him at weekly lab meetings and even then our interaction is minimal. I'm not sure if that changes things.