Need some advice please.......

[menace]

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I'm currently about to complete my internship and become a 2nd year resident in IM, here is my Q - I am terribly interested in neurology and in neuro chemistry with an emphasis on transmitters in particular and we have a renowned neuro science department in town, I'm willing to work in the lab in my spare times including weekends and some evenings and have identified a couple of scientists who are doing research in areas where I'll be interested. I just would like to be trained so that eventually I can conduct research on a part tine basis along with academic medicine.

I have had extensive training in medicine spanning 3 different countries but my lab experience is a big ZERO - my concern is if I do get in touch with them what are my chances and how can I sell myself to them? I can say I have 2 more years and am willing to work part time in my free times and will that make me a worthy investment for them or is there any other way? Basically I just want to know if I will be taken in and what are the chances they will be in need of extra man power?? I don't want to be a pain in their backs...

Any advice will be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[sirrileydog]

I have had extensive training in medicine spanning 3 different countries but my lab experience is a big ZERO - my concern is if I do get in touch with them what are my chances and how can I sell myself to them? I can say I have 2 more years and am willing to work part time in my free times and will that make me a worthy investment for them or is there any other way? Basically I just want to know if I will be taken in and what are the chances they will be in need of extra man power?? I don't want to be a pain in their backs...

Any advice will be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I think you'll probably find a receptive lab--labs always want/need more cheap man power: undergrads, postdocs, residents, whatever. Selling yourself shouldn't be the primary issue.

It will be difficult going at first as you try to troubleshoot experiments with little technical experience, especially if you're mostly in nights and weekends. With zero lab experience, you're going to make a lot of little mistakes and it really helps to have some experienced grad students or post-docs on hand to help you through the details of a technique. If at all possible, look for some protected time through any training programs at your institution (ie 1 year training grant).
Good luck!

 

[RxnMan]

Fellowship. Assuming you're talking about a US IM residency, I don't think you'll have enough dedicated time to get good at lab techniques, let alone doing research on your own. Think about pursuing a fellowship where you'll have either 6 or so dedicated months of research time, or you'll be clinical half-time.

 

[Towel]

Most residencies will let you use a block of elective time in 2nd-3rd years for research, and many even offer 1-2 months of dedicated research time without sacrificing electives. It will be very difficult for you to learn lab techniques a few hours a week on nights and weekends, since few wet-bench experiments lend themselves to getting done in penny-packets of time, and the people you need to learn from won't be there when you are, anyway!

So my advice would be to put together a solid block of time in 2nd-3rd year and immerse yourself. At least get this arranged before your fellowship apps go out (this year, right?), so you can show the programs concrete evidence of interest and talk about your upcoming project at interviews.

 

[menace]

Thanks everyone, looks like my work is cut out for the next few weeks.