Overworking myself

[Petrichor1]

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• So I posted this on the premed thread but received no responses but I gather this is probably the best place to ask. Thsee past months I have been working 2 daily jobs that are basically full time. One is research and the other is clinical work. I have been an avid researcher for years now and even though it can be miserable without funding or its constraint, I find the work much more enticing. The clinical job is there as a financial support as I do research for free. I want to try for a publication but after doing 20 hr work days, I am nearly drained. What should I do? I want to motion my pi to say something but he is too busy or may have lost interest in training me since they expect me to work more than what I do..which is kind of unrealistic seeing that I have graduated and that I am doing the work for free.

 

[pokm]

I never post, but reading this, I feel compelled to strongly recommend you put yourself first. This can come about in many different ways. Going for your goals is a way of putting yourself first, yes, but respecting your health and bodily limitations is another. You absolutely must find a balance of these things that will keep you happy, but also keep you alive.

If your PI is no good and you're not reasonably close to a publication (I'm talking submission in the next 6 months) you need to get out of there right away.

As far as financial support goes, I'm not super familiar with it all, but I'm pretty sure there are a handful of postbacc fellowships that would allow you to pursue research. You'd probably have to relocate to NIH campus or not get to stay with the same PI or something like that, but I'd definitely look into it. You'd probably have to quit your clinical job, but it sounds like you were just using that for financial support anyway, which is what you'd be getting in exchange for your research during a post-bacc program. Eh, I don't actually know too much about this topic, so I'm going to stop spewing. Just know that there are options.

I hate seeing/hearing people overwork themselves like this. Know that your physical and mental health comes first and act like it! 🙂

 

[Petrichor1]

I never post, but reading this, I feel compelled to strongly recommend you put yourself first. This can come about in many different ways. Going for your goals is a way of putting yourself first, yes, but respecting your health and bodily limitations is another. You absolutely must find a balance of these things that will keep you happy, but also keep you alive.

If your PI is no good and you're not reasonably close to a publication (I'm talking submission in the next 6 months) you need to get out of there right away.

As far as financial support goes, I'm not super familiar with it all, but I'm pretty sure there are a handful of postbacc fellowships that would allow you to pursue research. You'd probably have to relocate to NIH campus or not get to stay with the same PI or something like that, but I'd definitely look into it. You'd probably have to quit your clinical job, but it sounds like you were just using that for financial support anyway, which is what you'd be getting in exchange for your research during a post-bacc program. Eh, I don't actually know too much about this topic, so I'm going to stop spewing. Just know that there are options.

I hate seeing/hearing people overwork themselves like this. Know that your physical and mental health comes first and act like it! 🙂

thanks I really appreciate it. I just started both the lab and clinical work and I gather it may take a year for me to get to publicable work but nothing is assured. I do think that the people are strict but timely in their project completion in comparison to my past lab that I was in for a long time. Perhaps this could help or hurt me because I could end up with no significant findings and no recommendation letter because the PI seems to not be so impressed with me. Quite frankly though, I learn faster than other people and it is simply my short time span for work every day that prevents me from exercising my abilities and producing more data. I have not at all motioned for financial support by PI but he knows my schedule and has not said anything. Is this a sign of "I'm not too important to keep in the lab" and/or "we don't have funding"? A colleague of mine mentioned that no funding is just a synonym for "we don't need you right now but we'll accept your free service". I only got into the lab because a person suggested my name to it; halfheartedly, I feel that this may be acting against me though since I may not have been chosen by my abilities. I want to prove their words true however, and not quit in the beginning, so I am very worried about burning bridges. The job that pays also is ok but like I said, "I only do it for financial purposes". In very few ways do I see it helping me meet my end goal. For the past 4 months I was desperate for a job and when I got this clinical one lined up, I was really appreciative (in fact I got 3 at the same time, just picked this one up because it fit perfectly with my research schedule). I am not looking to having NIH supported postbacca programs though because of how little they pay compared to my current job (which is also low-paying but not like 20k). However, I am looking to them for support as they offer a great package in terms of schedule and the excitement of research. Is my salary estimate true? I may just be stuck doing this for a year but some days (most actually) have been quite rough.