NIH IRTA in Bethesda MD

[MEG@COOL]

So Im doing a post bac at the NIH and was just wondering if anyone else here is in it and what do you do for fun on the weekends etc. There are other threads on IRTA but they deal with the work aspect more so than the outside of work life.

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[GoinBack2Cali?]

move into DC, I regret not doing it sooner.

 

[Dr. Josh]

So Im doing a post bac at the NIH and was just wondering if anyone else here is in it and what do you do for fun on the weekends etc. There are other threads on IRTA but they deal with the work aspect more so than the outside of work life.

When did you apply and when are you starting there? I'm debating about applying but heard it's really difficult to get accepted.

 

[BigRedPremed]

Have you joined the listserv? There seems to be some minor events every week organized by the IRTA's (movie nights, frisbee, parties, etc.).

 

[byong_soo]

Hey for those of you who are in it, alumni, or who will be in IRTA---- I was wondering how you have decided faculty to work with. NIH has crazy number of faculty and I just don't know how to start. Any many of webpages seem to be very outdated. Thanks for your help.
I'm especially interested in fluorescent proteins (and advanced microscopy). If you know of any nice PIs, that would be an extra plus. Thanks!

 

[gotmeds?]

So Im doing a post bac at the NIH and was just wondering if anyone else here is in it and what do you do for fun on the weekends etc. There are other threads on IRTA but they deal with the work aspect more so than the outside of work life.

Aren't you way too smart for them?

 

[amartinezz43]

hey pple, i just applied to the IRTA, how long does it take to get notified and does it improve your chances if you contact a researcher at one of the institutes?

 

[FamousPotatoes]

I'm just wrapping up 2 years as a CRTA. I contacted a couple PIs before I applied but never heard back from them. PIs have access to the database of applicants and can browse for someone they like, that's how I ended up in my lab. So don't worry too much about picking your PI from the start.

As for social advice: Live in the district. It's much better to have to commute to work than commute to fun. I live in Dupont/AdMo now, and even though my commute is 30-45mins door to door, NIH pays for my metro fare, and once I get home I am steps away from most of my friends, bars, most anything I'd want to do.

There is an IRTA happy hour every Thursday (DC is huge on happy hours) and various IRTA club sports teams. Everyone in DC also plays kickball. Join a team as soon as you get here. If it's winter, I'd recommend indoor soccer instead. They're both a lot of fun, very social, and a great way to meet new friends.

 

[Waiting4Drexel]

here is a link to a thread earlier about being an IRTA with links to specific branches so you can find PIs

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=291161

i am an IRTA in baltimore at the NIDA. however, i'd recommend trying to find a position in bethesda, where most of the branches are.

although a PI might email you if you put in an application, it is definitely recommended to email PIs. most of the time they dont have an opening, so you have to email a lot of them. my PI told me that it gives him a headache to look at the list of all the potential IRTAs that put their applications on the website. he said he would much rather have people email him. that way he knew which people were interested in his work and would be interested in working in the lab.

 

[bayberry]

MEG@COOL:

Congrats on your pre-IRTA position! I was at NHLBI and lived in Dupont Circle (DC). I took the red line to the NIH everyday. They pay for your metro tickets so living in DC is totally easy!

DC is great! I had the best time living there! There's so much to do...Adam Morgan's great on the weekends... I met so many cool international people and locals that promote clubs too! My friend does an awesome promotion on Wednesday nights at FLY, Saki, and Dragonfly. Georgetown is also really cute place to do some shopping and Modern on Thursday night is cool too! There are also a few large 3 story clubs if you are into that.

There's also tons of great restaurants too! Ethiopian, Indian, Japanese, fusion...etc. Also great music venues like 930 and cool coffe shops like Murky....the list goes on

As you can see, DC has a lot too offer and a bulk of the people there are in their 20s interning like you!

Have fun!

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

what's IRTA and CRTA mean

 

[Dooooom]

anyone at NIH now, i'm in building 10 CRC and i'm bored out of my mind!!

 

[ssquared]

what's IRTA and CRTA mean

Intramural research training award....and CRTA is just the NCI version.

But to the OP, go to Thurs happy hours at Rock Bottom....I had a great time last summer hanging out with all of the IRTAs. And live in DC along the metro, and you'll never need to use a car. Have fun at NIH! It's a phenomenal place to work, be sure to take advantage of everything they provide for you.

 

[pennybridge]

Plebians, meg@cool will not deign himself to participate in such pedestrian activites as "happy hours" and "rock bottoms." I believe he was asking for the secret locations of dark reading rooms wherein intellectuals can discuss pre-postmodernism and Coleridge's attempts to neutralize the anti-aesthetic implications of Kant's theories!

 

[MEG@COOL]

Aren't you way too smart for them?

I bet my PI is way smarter than most physicians

 

[MEG@COOL]

Plebians, meg@cool will not deign himself to participate in such pedestrian activites as "happy hours" and "rock bottoms." I believe he was asking for the secret locations of dark reading rooms wherein intellectuals can discuss pre-postmodernism and Coleridge's attempts to neutralize the anti-aesthetic implications of Kant's theories!

Actually Im more into existentialist philosophy and fencing.

 

[pennybridge]

Actually Im more into existentialist philosophy and fencing.

The French existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre was sitting in a cafe when a waitress approached him: "Can I get you something to drink, Monsieur Sartre?"
Sartre replied, "Yes, I'd like a cup of coffee with sugar, but no cream".
Nodding agreement, the waitress walked off to fill the order and Sartre returned to working. A few minutes later, however, the waitress returned and said, "I'm sorry, Monsieur Sartre, we are all out of cream -- how about with no milk?"

 

[MEG@COOL]

Intramural research training award....and CRTA is just the NCI version.

But to the OP, go to Thurs happy hours at Rock Bottom....I had a great time last summer hanging out with all of the IRTAs. And live in DC along the metro, and you'll never need to use a car. Have fun at NIH! It's a phenomenal place to work, be sure to take advantage of everything they provide for you.

Yeah the metro sounds like a good option. Still I will likely have a car there to use occasionally for driving to interviews maybe grocery shopping...

 

[MEG@COOL]

Have you joined the listserv? There seems to be some minor events every week organized by the IRTA's (movie nights, frisbee, parties, etc.).

I will join it. Thanks.

 

[MEG@COOL]

When did you apply and when are you starting there? I'm debating about applying but heard it's really difficult to get accepted.

Why debate about applying? Apply if you are interested. Also apply to other programs. If you apply to enough places you will be able to get a job. I applied to this program as well as positions at a local university, and a biotech company to make sure Id find something.

I think from the time I applied to the time I was accepted in a lab I wanted in the irta was maybe a couple weeks. The cycle is year round so its never too late to apply.

 

[VD-MD]

hey pple, i just applied to the IRTA, how long does it take to get notified and does it improve your chances if you contact a researcher at one of the institutes?

You should definitely contact the PI or one of his/her senior staff if you are interested. Our lab hires IRTAs every summer but the bulk of them actually make the first contact. I think if you list down specific research interests and future goals (ie, medicine), a PI may eventually contact you. A good GPA doesn't hurt either. Glamour photos and measurements are totally optional

 

[shevie]

hey guys...im not technically an IRTA, I applied for a research position at an NIH lab doing research in the area where I had done 4 summers of rsrch not knowing there was any organized postbac irta program. Unfortunately, my PI already had one postbac working in his lab and couldnt officially hire me as a postbac IRTA until she leaves for med school, because the NIH only allowed for one postbac position in his lab at a time...so its just a different pay scale in the mean time, and im not officially called an IRTA, but same diff i guess. anyway on weekeneds theres tons to do baseball games lots of restaurants, and theres a big irta community so i hear from the other girl in my lab. I get emails all the time for frisbee get togethers, baseball, etc etc. but i live in baltimore and commute daily to bethesda, i moved to MD b/c my husband is doing his masters at UM-Baltimore, so i dont know that much. There is amazing shopping in Bethesda if ur interested, very broad range of stores (from Gap to Gucci and every price range in btwn), even coming from manhattan ive come to appreciate Bethesda for its shopping lol! hope that helps!

 

[Barbarossa]

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[shevie]

What are the living costs like, and how to find housing?
thanks.

http://preirta.cit.nih.gov/DotNetNuke/Default.aspx

 

[Eunicegarcia]

So I know that the best way to get a chance to be an IRTA is to know first of all if the PI's need an IRTA. For those of you that are in a privilage position.... Is anyone leaving to med-school or something. I know this is the best time to contact a PI, since they will soon have to train a person. Please let us know so we can contact or I can contact the PI....

Many thanx

 

[MUPrincess]

Hi,

I was offered a IRTA position in Baltimore MD but I would rather work in Bathesda, does anyone know if PIs in Bathesda who are looking for students? I would greatly appreshiate the information!

Thanks!

MU Princess

 

[cbs21]

Hi,

I was offered a IRTA position in Baltimore MD but I would rather work in Bathesda, does anyone know if PIs in Bathesda who are looking for students? I would greatly appreshiate the information!

Thanks!

MU Princess

I'm not sure about Baltimore, but PIs in Bathesda appreshiate students who can spell.