Need serious and honest advice. Should I quit?

[Kape1one]

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Hey SDN,

I am in need of some serious advice concerning the research I am currently doing.
I am a second year undergrad at UC Berkeley. I have been doing research in a Biology (mice research) lab since May of this year.The first couple of months were very interesting, but lately, the research has been very boring. I do the same thing EVERY single day, and I am seriously getting tired of it. I had the intention of doing research at the same lab until I graduated, but I am seriously considering quitting! I do PCRs every single day and it gets very annoying when my experiments do not work.
Should I quit my research position at the lab? How will Med Schools look at my decision? Does being a doctor involve doing research?
I am also currently volunteering at a local hospital in the ER dept, and it is the total opposite. I am in love with my volunteering position at the hospital. I like helping out doctors and patients.
Is five months of research enough? I also do not think I will be able to get a letter of recommendation from the P.I because I haven't had the chance to develop a good relationship with her. What should I do!?
I am seriously stressing out!
A lot of friends tell me not to quit my research because it is very prestigious having one on my resume, but the thing is that I can't take it any more.

Sorry for the long post.

I appreciate your feedback!

 

[Stumpyman]

You should quit; research isn't even a requirement, if you don't like it quit and find another position you'd be more interested in (even more so because you mentioned you can't really develop a relationship with you PI).

 

[Erythropoietin]

Do something you truly like. Maybe switch research groups..talk to another professor or something. You may like their project better. But yeah, you are not required to do research.

 

[Kape1one]

I thought we needed a research letter of recommendation for Med School.

I guess not.

Should I just stick to my volunteering position at the local hospital and quit my research?

Again, thanks!!

 

[Snoopy92]

Hey SDN,

I am in need of some serious advice concerning the research I am currently doing.
I am a second year undergrad at UC Berkeley. I have been doing research in a Biology (mice research) lab since May of this year.The first couple of months were very interesting, but lately, the research has been very boring. I do the same thing EVERY single day, and I am seriously getting tired of it. I had the intention of doing research at the same lab until I graduated, but I am seriously considering quitting! I do PCRs every single day and it gets very annoying when my experiments do not work.
Should I quit my research position at the lab? How will Med Schools look at my decision? Does being a doctor involve doing research?
I am also currently volunteering at a local hospital in the ER dept, and it is the total opposite. I am in love with my volunteering position at the hospital. I like helping out doctors and patients.
Is five months of research enough? I also do not think I will be able to get a letter of recommendation from the P.I because I haven't had the chance to develop a good relationship with her. What should I do!?
I am seriously stressing out!
A lot of friends tell me not to quit my research because it is very prestigious having one on my resume, but the thing is that I can't take it any more.

Sorry for the long post.

I appreciate your feedback!

I faced the same dilemma, except for the fact they were working me ridiculous hours, that you did last year and I decided to quit. I only worked for a month however I still put it in my resume and it has definitely helped me find another lab job. As long as you're on good terms with your PI, and she understands that you're quitting for another reason and not because its boring, then you should be fine. Just find some research that you really would enjoy.

 

[235788]

Hey SDN,

I am in need of some serious advice concerning the research I am currently doing.
I am a second year undergrad at UC Berkeley. I have been doing research in a Biology (mice research) lab since May of this year.The first couple of months were very interesting, but lately, the research has been very boring. I do the same thing EVERY single day, and I am seriously getting tired of it. I had the intention of doing research at the same lab until I graduated, but I am seriously considering quitting! I do PCRs every single day and it gets very annoying when my experiments do not work.
Should I quit my research position at the lab? How will Med Schools look at my decision? Does being a doctor involve doing research?
I am also currently volunteering at a local hospital in the ER dept, and it is the total opposite. I am in love with my volunteering position at the hospital. I like helping out doctors and patients.
Is five months of research enough? I also do not think I will be able to get a letter of recommendation from the P.I because I haven't had the chance to develop a good relationship with her. What should I do!?
I am seriously stressing out!
A lot of friends tell me not to quit my research because it is very prestigious having one on my resume, but the thing is that I can't take it any more.

Sorry for the long post.

I appreciate your feedback!

I was in the same boat and stuck it out for two years. I got an extremely strong LOR out of it. Just look at the long run. Few people who want to become doctors enjoy lab work... I look back and am happy I finished it out. I didn't enjoy it, but I gained a lot out of it.

Times are rough with the economy and each year is a record year for med school applicants. Especially as a Cali resident your going to need a little something extra (whether it be 34+ MCAT/solved world hunger etc.). Eye on the prize.

 

[NKChemEng]

Hey SDN,

I am in need of some serious advice concerning the research I am currently doing.
I am a second year undergrad at UC Berkeley. I have been doing research in a Biology (mice research) lab since May of this year.The first couple of months were very interesting, but lately, the research has been very boring. I do the same thing EVERY single day, and I am seriously getting tired of it. I had the intention of doing research at the same lab until I graduated, but I am seriously considering quitting! I do PCRs every single day and it gets very annoying when my experiments do not work.
Should I quit my research position at the lab? How will Med Schools look at my decision? Does being a doctor involve doing research?
I am also currently volunteering at a local hospital in the ER dept, and it is the total opposite. I am in love with my volunteering position at the hospital. I like helping out doctors and patients.
Is five months of research enough? I also do not think I will be able to get a letter of recommendation from the P.I because I haven't had the chance to develop a good relationship with her. What should I do!?
I am seriously stressing out!
A lot of friends tell me not to quit my research because it is very prestigious having one on my resume, but the thing is that I can't take it any more.

Sorry for the long post.

I appreciate your feedback!

I'd say switch labs if you still want to do research, or quit research altogether if it's not your thing. It's not a requirement for med school whatsoever (it just happens to be a quite common EC as so many pre-meds are in some way science majors). Find something else that you like. 5 months of research is plenty if you have other things going for you.

 

[Kape1one]

Besides research, I have been volunteering at the ER like I mentioned above, and I have been tutoring in science at a local high school.

I also have about 150 hrs of shadowing an MD and a DO.

 

[Barcu]

Research looks good, and the majority of students have it. A research LOR can be very helpful because it shows you outside of the academic context in a critical thinking role (especially if you start early and start doing some more independent projects). So, it will help out your app.

Having said that, research can be boring. I enjoyed part of the research, and I loved being in the lab atmosphere. But there were many days I wanted to set fire to the place. So weigh it out so it's worth it to you. The switching labs might help. However, you will realize that research is pretty much 5% about the exciting results, and 95% about running experiments to prove your results were right. It can get tedious.

It certainly isn't a requirement. But if there are aspects you enjoy, and you are looking at more competitive schools, I would stick with it. As time goes on, you may get more responsibilities or a new project that will make it much more interesting (but then again, it's never completely interesting).

 

[Tim Armstrong]

You should quit. When I was a sophomore I did research that I didn't particularly like. I couldn't get any publications, hardly got to interact with the PI (so no LOR), and I didn't really like the actual research. I did it for a year, then decided to quit once I found a position in another lab. Switching labs was the best decision that I could've made. I love the research I do now (most of the time), great LOR from my PI, one publication, etc. So I would first try another lab and speak with the PI about how you will be involved in the projects and if there is any possibility of eventually doing an independent project.

 

[Double Trouble]

Don't quit if you are going to get a publication within the next two semesters. If not, just do something you enjoy.

 

[Xiao]

Don't quit if you are going to get a publication within the next two semesters. If not, just do something you enjoy.

I agree. Stick it out if you have immediately upcoming publications (i.e. the manuscripts have been written and are in the process of being submitted). Otherwise, I think you will be much better off doing something you enjoy. Many factors go in to picking a lab, the most important of which, in my opinion, should be PI/mentorship, followed by subject matter of research. Choose wisely and be clear (also tactful) about your expectations upfront.

 

[eHombre]

I have been doing research in a Biology (mice research) lab since May of this year.The first couple of months were very interesting, but lately, the research has been very boring. I do the same thing EVERY single day, and I am seriously getting tired of it. I had the intention of doing research at the same lab until I graduated, but I am seriously considering quitting! I do PCRs every single day and it gets very annoying when my experiments do not work.

It sounds like your PI is treating you like a lab tech and is having you doing endless mouse genotyping. Is this really all you're doing there? If so, the exercise has long outstripped its educational usefulness and no wonder you're bored out of your mind. If you want to continue doing research, you should talk to your PI about getting moved to a more stimulating project in his/her lab. If refused then, short of an imminent publication, switch labs.

 

[NickNaylor]

Tedious, repetitive, and frustrating when it doesn't work...

Sounds like another field I know.