NIH Postbaccalaureate program

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xcrunner01

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Has anyone participated in the NIH Postbaccalaureate program? It looks amazing! Could anyone share their experiences? What is it like to work at the NIH vs. an academic lab at a university? What are the hours like? What is your typical day like?

I'm applying to the program right now; is anyone else thinking of applying this year?
 
xcrunner01 said:
Has anyone participated in the NIH Postbaccalaureate program? It looks amazing! Could anyone share their experiences? What is it like to work at the NIH vs. an academic lab at a university? What are the hours like? What is your typical day like?

I'm applying to the program right now; is anyone else thinking of applying this year?
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It is entirely dependent on which lab you are in in terms of hours, typical day, etc. But it is a great program and Bethesda and DC are great places to live, IMO.
 
Some of my classmates are applying, and I know a couple who did it. It's a wonderful program, and you should really try it out.

Like any academic lab, the hours depend on the PI and also how much you personally want to put into a project. From what I've heard, it is like many university labs, except the NIH benefits from intramural funding and Bethesda is a great place to live (as bd mentioned). Go for it!
 
I am a former IRTA, and while I agree with the posters above (the experience can be VERY lab/PI dependent) I do think that it is a wonderous program that I recommend most highly. I have posted a bunch of times on different forums about my tips for successful applying and lab finding, so you might want to look that stuff up, since I don't have time to put it all here again.

If you have specific questions, feel free to PM me. I'm happy to gush about my time at NIH.

Good luck.
 
I am a current CRTA. It is a great program. You need to find a good PI. NIH has one thing that is remarkable and that is nearly unlimited funding and resources. Even as a CRTA, I was able to a high throughput drug screen with 100 + microarrays (that would be unheard of in academic setting unless you are talking about some big shot at Harvard).

If is fun. It will give you a leg up among your peers. You can potentially get published. I think it is a great position (well...I turned down a few higher salaried offer to take CRTA, so I am biased).

PM me if you have any questions.
 
Does anyone know how taking an IRTA position affects permanent residency? I'm currently a Tennessee resident and would like to stay one for instate school purposes. I'm applying to medical schools at the end of this year (my senior year), so I would probably begin my primary apps before I was in Bethesda if I was fortunate enough to earn a spot. Can I remain a Tennessee resident while being in Maryland for a year? Just seeing if anyone has had experience with this issue. Thanks!

(Sorry if I hijacked the thread)
 
I do not know all the details,but it is possible to retain TN residency. You can call IRTA coordinator and she will help you through. There was one student from WA and she wanted to go to UW (for obvious reasons). The coordinator wrote a letter, and she was able to straighten everything out with UW. Just ask and they will help you.

BTW, for MD/PhD, it really does not matter at all most all schools if you are IS or OOS.
 
Thanks for the reply CancerKiller. So the residency issued must be cleared up individually with the school?

Yes, I know that residency doesn't matter for MD/PhD. I plan on applying both MD only and combined degree. Tennessee has good instate schools that want instate kids, so I hate to pass that up.
 
I am not sure. My gut feeling is that you will have to work with both the NIH and TN schools.

The best way to approach this is to call up the office of admission (call them up and send letter or email as well to keep written record). Many schools also post their residency guidelines on their web. You might want to look into that one as well.

The person at NIH you should contact is Debbie Cohen. She is IRTA coordinator. Hope this helps.
 
CancerKiller007 said:
I am not sure. My gut feeling is that you will have to work with both the NIH and TN schools.

The best way to approach this is to call up the office of admission (call them up and send letter or email as well to keep written record). Many schools also post their residency guidelines on their web. You might want to look into that one as well.

The person at NIH you should contact is Debbie Cohen. She is IRTA coordinator. Hope this helps.
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You don't have to do anything, as long as you don't change your permanent residence officially. You can live anywhere you want in the country and still have your permanent residence somewhere else. Technically, you would need to pay local and state taxes both where you are living, and where your permanent residence is. Other than that, it doesn't matter. Doing a year at the NIH is the same as when people go to college out of state and work at their college or in the area. I kept my permanent residency where I am from all of last year at NIH and it was never a problem. In fact, I am still keeping it even though I am at med school away from my permanent resident state (and its a swing state!!).

Anyway, unless you have a reason to change your permanent residence, just don't and you will be fine. Depending on how much you make at NIH you may have to pay Maryland state tax (or wherever you live while at NIH) plus local country taxes. For me, I didn't make enough to have to do that. If you do, it will be minimal and not worth all the paperwork.
 
That program looks fantastic!

I know that I will be taking a year off to do research before (hopefully) entering an MD/PhD. This looks like a good way of doing it. Thanks xscrunner!

Does anyone know of other programs like this, targeted toward people with bachelors? I'm realizing that it won't be easy to get a full-time research position for a year after graduation...
 
For recent graduates or ongoing researchers at the NIH Academy or Post Bac program are there any standout amazing PIs to work for? Any PIs that are horrible? Thanks for the information. I will be applying shortly.

Thanks.
 
neurogirl23 said:
For recent graduates or ongoing researchers at the NIH Academy or Post Bac program are there any standout amazing PIs to work for? Any PIs that are horrible? Thanks for the information. I will be applying shortly.

Thanks.
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Academy gives you a list to choose from once you are accepted.

Post Bac you just have to contact random people and see who offers you a position. Just contact a lot of people and expect to hear back from maybe 25%. Maybe there is a way to see who has recently taken students, but I am not sure there is and would have to find out.
 
I am an IRTA right now at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (the campus in Durham, NC). I'm having a great experience (though I will definitely agree that it's pretty lab-dependent.) PM me if you want info/specifics.
 
What is the salary? I cannot seem to find it.
 
MadMnkey said:
I think it's around 25K plus health insurance. Not a huge amount, but the experience more than makes up for it.
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IRTAs in the National Cancer Institute make more; I don't know why. This year I think it's $29,500 for the NCI folks.
 
mmc48 said:
Does anyone know how taking an IRTA position affects permanent residency? I'm currently a Tennessee resident and would like to stay one for instate school purposes. I'm applying to medical schools at the end of this year (my senior year), so I would probably begin my primary apps before I was in Bethesda if I was fortunate enough to earn a spot. Can I remain a Tennessee resident while being in Maryland for a year? Just seeing if anyone has had experience with this issue. Thanks!

(Sorry if I hijacked the thread)
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I'm a current CRTA and a WA state resident. I had to call the University of Washington, and clarify that the position was a temporary graduate fellowship and that I was maintaining all legal ties with the state of WA. Knowing that UW has very strict state-residency policies and the fact that I've been successful in maintaining in state status for WA suggests that its not a big problem. Make sure that you remain on a lease in Tennessee and have sufficient paperwork to prove at a later point that you are still a Tennessee resident. I was on a lease, had my bank account in WA, did not get a new drivers license in MD, have been registered to vote in WA, and on tax documents I give my state of permanent residence as WA...
 
xcrunner01 said:
IRTAs in the National Cancer Institute make more; I don't know why. This year I think it's $29,500 for the NCI folks.
Click to expand...

CRTA's get more money cause the NCI has more funding. The starting CRTA salary is around 25k + insurance + daily travel allowance (they give you metro money upto $120/month depending on how far you live from campus)

The insurance is very good and from what I remember NIH pays around $500/month/IRTA or CRTA towards the Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance...
 
xcrunner01 said:
Has anyone participated in the NIH Postbaccalaureate program? It looks amazing! Could anyone share their experiences? What is it like to work at the NIH vs. an academic lab at a university? What are the hours like? What is your typical day like?

I'm applying to the program right now; is anyone else thinking of applying this year?
Click to expand...


The work environment is very good (even though it could vary from lab to lab). There are approximately 400 IRTA/CRTA's on campus and if you like to have a social life outside the realms of the scientific community it would not be that hard as D.C. is so close...

The IRTA community is pretty cool and you'll make a lot of friends who would be in the same boat as you (People applying to grad school or med school for both MD and MD-PhD programs).

One of the nice things about labs at NIH is that funding is very good. Academic labs at universities often have constraints on how much they can spend on lab resources and supplies.

Depending on what you do your hours could be extremely relaxed or quite rigid. my roommate has to be in the hospital by 8 o clock in the morning and deals directly with patients, and so has to be very careful with timings.

I work in a clinical research lab and have it much more easy. At the end of the day what matters is that you get stuff done. Research requires the sort of dedication that is often unknown to other professions. You have to go in on weekends if the experimental demands such a thing... Sometimes youre working late into the night and occasionally you get to leave at 1 pm...

It all depends on how the lab is and what your PI expects from you...

I think the general consensus is that this is a very nice transitional experience for people graduating from college and thinking of applying to grad/med school...

I've been here for 16 months and might end up staying here for another year because of certain med school related hiccups. However, I am not regretting the prospect of being here longer than what I had initially planned...this is a nice place to live, offers much in terms of cultural diversity and social interactions, and the research experience is invaluable...🙂
 
Just wondering...how did you guys go about contacting PIs? Did you sent some blanket email to all those you were interested in, or did you actually put effort in by showing them you read their papers and would be a good fit, etc...?
 
by604 said:
Just wondering...how did you guys go about contacting PIs? Did you sent some blanket email to all those you were interested in, or did you actually put effort in by showing them you read their papers and would be a good fit, etc...?
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The latter + CV.
 
In general, the personalized approach is far superior, no matter what your purpose or which programs you're applying for. Even a line or two showing that you've at least looked at the PI's website and have an idea of what kind of work they do will take you far.

For the NIH Postbacc, for the PIs I really wanted to work with, I had to initiate contact with them. And on the whole, I found the PIs very responsive. Not everyone needed someone in their lab, but they were responsive nonetheless. Since your application is on the IRTA/CRTA database, you might also receive emails from PIs who find you. I got several emails of interest from people who saw my application, but by this point, I had already secured a spot elsewhere. But, don't count on this... if you want to work with someone in particular, let them know that, so you at least are on their radar.

Good luck.
 
achamess said:
In general, the personalized approach is far superior, no matter what your purpose or which programs you're applying for. Even a line or two showing that you've at least looked at the PI's website and have an idea of what kind of work they do will take you far.
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I'm kind of lost about writing these emails (have already submitted application, waiting on last LOR to be sent shortly) so thank you for this info. Just wondering though, how specific do I need to be? Especially since I intend to send many emails, do I need to read multiple papers by each PI or is it okay if it's just clear that I understand what the lab researches/basic info from the PI's website? Should I be referencing their papers? Or can I just say that I am very interested in X that your lab explores...

Along those lines, how long should these emails be?

In terms of talking about ourselves, is this just the sort of info that would be found in the cover letter-- just basically restate what was in there about our past experience and research interests (but perhaps condensed)?

Sorry for the long post but again feeling lost. Someone correct me if I'm wrong please: express interest in working with PI, show familiarity with what the lab does, info from cover letter about experience and research interests, and then attach CV. Is that the general format? Thank you!!
 
Several of the PIs I contacted replied back saying they don't have room in their lab currently, but another one or two were only looking for IRTAs who will stay for 2 years. I'm only interested in taking one year off, so I'm wondering how much trouble people have had getting a position for only one year. I mean, I've only contacted like 10 PIs so far but they've all been in labs I am very interested in. I'm getting a little nervous about sending out emails to PIs whose work is not as interesting to me.
 
Kaushik said:
Several of the PIs I contacted replied back saying they don't have room in their lab currently, but another one or two were only looking for IRTAs who will stay for 2 years. I'm only interested in taking one year off, so I'm wondering how much trouble people have had getting a position for only one year. I mean, I've only contacted like 10 PIs so far but they've all been in labs I am very interested in. I'm getting a little nervous about sending out emails to PIs whose work is not as interesting to me.
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I did not get a position in one lab specifically because the PI was looking for someone who would stay 2 years and of course, I wasn't going to lie to them and say that I would defer admission if I got in.

As mentioned above, I did eventually get into a lab and the experience has been good. However, I was not very proactive about it (eg, sending PI's email and stuff) - the PI contacted me, I interviewed, he offered the job, and I took it.
 
LadyLightning20 said:
I did not get a position in one lab specifically because the PI was looking for someone who would stay 2 years and of course, I wasn't going to lie to them and say that I would defer admission if I got in.

As mentioned above, I did eventually get into a lab and the experience has been good. However, I was not very proactive about it (eg, sending PI's email and stuff) - the PI contacted me, I interviewed, he offered the job, and I took it.
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Thanks for the reply.

I have no problem sending out emails to nearly every PI at the NCI. But, like I said in my previous post, my biggest worry is that I'll only get bites from labs whose research is less interesting to me than the ones I get rejected from. Hopefully, I'll hear back from a PI or two whose work really interests me (I'm primarily interested in the radonc and radbio branches).
 
I know some guys who did this. Some said it was just a big international party in DC everyday, but others said if you take it seriously it's worth it. One guy was in Swartz's Lab, said he was great. 2-year commitment isn't unusual.

Thinking of applying to the Northwestern Neurobio MS - any other one-year MS degrees out there at respectable schools? Looking for a pre-med grad degree prior to med school apps -

http://www.neurobiology.northwestern.edu/academics/ms.shtml
 
so, the IRTA program closed applications in january, right? but there is an 'academy' program? are applications still open for this? i'm thinking about getting into a lab after i graduate. i'm currently in a lab and i've only spent a summer + 2 semesters, but i'm wondering if i should join a different lab after i graduate (this may).
 
whiteshadodw said:
so, the IRTA program closed applications in january, right? but there is an 'academy' program? are applications still open for this? i'm thinking about getting into a lab after i graduate. i'm currently in a lab and i've only spent a summer + 2 semesters, but i'm wondering if i should join a different lab after i graduate (this may).
Click to expand...

You have them confused. IRTA is open year-round for applications. In fact, its not really an application process per say, but more like you upload your resume for people to have access to. For the IRTA program, you basically need to contact people you would be interested in working for. If they are looking for a student and have space, then they can get on the database and look at your "application." Usually then they will call you to talk before they decide if they want to give you a spot.

IRTA has about 500 people doing this program at one time. The majority do only 1 year. Your contract is with that labs PI independently, so you just need to work out with that person how long you are going to be there.

Academy is a more structured program, with formal classes/seminars, and they provide you with housing (at a subsidized rate, like $900/mo in Bethesda) with other Academy students. The program is for people interested in Health Disparities Research. The program has a pre-selected group of PIs that you can choose to work with once you are accepted into the program. It is basically the same as IRTA, for all intensive purposes, except that you have a smaller group of students (like 15) and you get together weekly for seminars and such. Plus you live in apartments together.

PM me if you have any other questions.
 
I have a few questions:

1) Is it expected that all applicants must have a degree in the sciences?

For example, I have a degree in a non-science discipline but did finish my pre-reqs for med school. However, I've been taking upper-level science electives (post-bacc) that have significant lab components, where I've been exposed to many lab techniques that are beyond the skills learned in the pre-req labs.

Would I be eligible for something like NIH IRTA?

2) Also, is prior research experience necessary?

Since I was focusing my undergraduate studies in a non-science field, I did not have the opportunity to do research in a biomedical-related area. I figured that the NIH Postbacc program would be suitable for me since it will give me an opportunity to explore research, but I don't know if they will see it like that.

3) How competitive is this program? I've read somewhere that it's an even-level playing field and its up to the applicants to be proactive to get a position.
 
Xcited392 said:
I have a few questions:

1) Is it expected that all applicants must have a degree in the sciences?

For example, I have a degree in a non-science discipline but did finish my pre-reqs for med school. However, I've been taking upper-level science electives (post-bacc) that have significant lab components, where I've been exposed to many lab techniques that are beyond the skills learned in the pre-req labs.

Would I be eligible for something like NIH IRTA?


2) Also, is prior research experience necessary?

Since I was focusing my undergraduate studies in a non-science field, I did not have the opportunity to do research in a biomedical-related area. I figured that the NIH Postbacc program would be suitable for me since it will give me an opportunity to explore research, but I don't know if they will see it like that.

3) How competitive is this program? I've read somewhere that it's an even-level playing field and its up to the applicants to be proactive to get a position.
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1. Most IRTAs I've met had science degrees, but it's definitely not a requirement.
2. Prior research is not required, but this is more lab-dependent. Most people seem to have done research in undergrad, but I don't know how crucial that is...for example, my undergrad research was in an entirely different field than what I'm doing at the NIH, so I had to learn all of the new techniques anyways. Everybody was super nice about showing me how to do new things.
3. I think it just depends on how proactive you are. You definitely need to take the initiative to email PIs with your resume. If you email a ton of labs, you'll likely get a few PIs who will at least interview you. Good luck! 🙂
 
Do you guys know if NIH drug tests?
 
When I was there (starting in summer 2008) they did NOT drug test.
 
Please PM me if anyone knows any good NIH PI's that does either clinical or both basic science and clinical research, thanks
 
I was just offered an IRTA position in Bethesda, MD. I live in Detroit though. Have any of you moved to MD to do this program, and if so, how did you do it? (places to live?, roommates?, etc)
 
I'm considering this as well. I'll be graduating in the Fall, so I want to spend a year working, then the other 6 months traveling. Thanks for all the input!
 
Mahwish said:
I was just offered an IRTA position in Bethesda, MD. I live in Detroit though. Have any of you moved to MD to do this program, and if so, how did you do it? (places to live?, roommates?, etc)
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The program has over 500 people in it every year, with maybe 70% (my own personal rough estimation) not from the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. There is such a high turnover in the Bethesda area that it is not difficult to find reasonable, nice accomodations. Craigslist, NIH IRTA listservs, etc are good places to start. I believe the NIH GPP office has a few connections with local property management companies, if you wanted to go that route.

Long story short, its easy to do and lots of people do it every year.
 
I just recently got offered an IRTA position at the NIH in Bethesda. Though, I won't be starting until late Aug-early Sep, I've been exploring the housing situation. This site was recommended in an older IRTA thread: http://www.recgov.org/housing/housing.html
It's still updated regularly.

Also, D.C. Craigslist has a lot of listings. Look in the Maryland subsection for cheaper housing as it's pretty expensive in the city.

Also, any IRTA appointees should join the Yahoo! ClubPCR group. There's a lot of info on housing, activities (mostly barhopping), and for sale items on there.
 
Does anyone know what kind of grades or exam scores are needed to get into the program?
 
Exams and grades don't really count for a lot in the admissions process. The important part is to take initiative and contact PIs on your own. The application is really just a formality. If you've ever had to find a research position in college that's not a formal program, this process will be very familiar to you.
 
Many have advised contacting PIs, yet I do not find any list of PIs on the NIH/IRTA website. How did you guys go about finding PIs to contact? I already know what kind of research I would like to become involved with and having a list would extremely help.

Please PM/message me if you can provide/direct me to the list of investigators.

Thanks a bunch!
 
I think the last reply to this was in 2008, but just wondering if anyone since then can answer whether or not the NIH drug tests for the IRTA postbac program?
 
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