MS2 Research

[cdql]

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I've been working at a lab the past couple of weeks as part of my efforts to ease my butt off the couch and back into the flow of school.

The PI there seems to like my work and has invited me back to work at her lab for ~1 hour a week.

My questions are then:

1) Is it a good idea to continue this research even during the busy MS2 year? (2nd year of med school)

2) What could I actually contribute by working so little? (Other than autoclaving glassware, I don't see what one hour a week could actually accomplish?)

Thanks for the help and advice!

 

[Law2Doc]

I've been working at a lab the past couple of weeks as part of my efforts to ease my butt off the couch and back into the flow of school.

The PI there seems to like my work and has invited me back to work at her lab for ~1 hour a week.

My questions are then:

1) Is it a good idea to continue this research even during the busy MS2 year? (2nd year of med school)

2) What could I actually contribute by working so little? (Other than autoclaving glassware, I don't see what one hour a week could actually accomplish?)

Thanks for the help and advice!

I suspect by "1 hour" per week, he really means "a couple of hours" per week or more, as things progress. These things tend to grow as you go along. Whether it is a "good idea" to continue the research depends on how strong a student you were in the first year (did you have an easy time of it, or did you struggle), and whether the research looks like it is heading toward publication or whether it will just be more time, but nothing added to your CV. You probably couldn't accomplish a whole lot in an hour a week, but certainly could get something done in 5-10 over a long enough period.

 

[cdql]

Thanks so much for the advice!

I was thinking the same thing. 1 hour really isn't enough to get anything done and I think my PI is banking that if I show up, I'll stick around to finish at least what I've started, making it roughly 2-3 hours each time I show up.

While I enjoyed some success as a 1st year, it took a massive amount of studying to get it done so I guess I'll toy with the decision just a little bit longer.

Lastly, having had no background in research, I'm not sure if the work I'm doing is headed towards publication or whether it's just wasted time.

sigh...decisions decisions 🙂

 

[DoctorFunk]

Lastly, having had no background in research, I'm not sure if the work I'm doing is headed towards publication or whether it's just wasted time.

I would probably just ask the PI. They should have a good idea of whether your research is something they are expecting a paper out of or if it is simply a pilot study to determine the feasibility of future projects.

It also never hurts to ask upfront whether you will be listed as an author on any potential papers. The PI will probably understand that it would be a great addition to your CV heading into residency, and you will get the potentially messy process of determining where you stand in the manuscript-writing process before the research is even finished. Even completing your part of the research project and offering to write the Materials and Methods section of the paper pertaining to your project can be enough to garner credit as a writer.

 

[cdql]

Thanks again!

I spoke with her today and she said that while she can't guarantee a paper from the work, she would guarantee that IF something was published, I'd get my name on it.

That sounds pretty good so I guess I'm inching closer and closer to saying yes 🙂

Again, thanks for all the help!