Looking for labs while applying

[MSTPtastic]

---

Members do not see this ad.

What do you think is the most appropriate way to handle this?

In May my lab had to let me go due to lack of funding. I'm still looking for a lab position (it can be difficult to find a PI that is ok with hiring someone for just a year). In the meantime, I need to figure out what to tell schools.

As far as my primary application is concerned, I left my job in May and I'm not doing anything for the next year. For schools with minimal secondaries, that could be a problem. Many schools do ask you what you're doing for the next year on their secondaries, but I don't want to wait until I have a job offer to submit my secondary for these schools.

So, how should I handle this? The most obvious solution, to me, is to send an update letter when I've secured a position in a lab. In that case, I can just tell the schools who ask that I am looking for a position, and that they can expect an update letter in the next few months. But I don't know if this is the best solution, especially given that many schools don't accept update letters pre-interview.

Thanks for your advice in advance.

 

[halcyonpage]

I was in this same pickle and ended up getting a clinical job. *sigh* Though, TBH my app is a lot stronger from it, but I still wish I had gotten a good gap year research job. Hopefully you find something. I think some people have been successful as lab volunteers that later transition into more involved employees.

 

[MSTPtastic]

I've got a few leads - in fact, right now I'm applying for a dream job that involves obtaining consent from patients for clinical samples, then analyzing those samples - but my backup plan at the moment is a PT clinical job I've already secured paired with a long-term volunteering gig in an MD's lab.

For the record, I called up a few schools who don't take update letters. One of them actually laughed - while the med school might not take update letters, MD/PhD offices seem to be much more amenable to the idea (so long as it's a true update, of course). I'm applying right away, and then I will send a letter in a couple weeks when I (hopefully) get a full-time research position.