NIH IRTA Application Advice?

[natto]

Hi all, I recently have gotten an interview (really excited and nervous!) for an IRTA position at the NIH and I am wondering if anyone who has been an IRTA or who is currently an IRTA has any insight onto how it is working in research at the NIH (e.g. research productivity, opportunities to attend scientific talks, etc.)? I am also interested in any advice that you all may have on interviewing at the NIH, as I have an interview with a lab that aligns very closely with my research interests and am really hoping to get an acceptance with this lab! A lot of the threads regarding IRTAs on SDN are relevant to pre-medical experiences but I am planning on applying for Clinical Psychology PhD programs after my post-bac and was hoping to get responses from past or current IRTAs interested in psychology graduate programs. However, honestly any advice and guidance would be extremely helpful!

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[deleted1052815]

Working as an NIH IRTA provides a lot of opportunities, but training can really be lab-dependent. Some PIs will encourage you to write a first-author paper, some will mentor you more or less, some won't be okay with you taking time out to attend non-relevant talks, etc. In addition, each lab conducts their own interviews, so it would be very dependent on the PI and there is no universal format. The best I can say is to get to know your PI's research, come prepared to the interview with good questions, and make sure you pick up on any subtle hints given from the PI or staff during the day. If you have any questions, let me know.