Question about research!!!

[jr doctor in sd]

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Hey guys...

I emailed the chairman of pediatrics at my school of medicine and he for some odd reason actually cared and emailed me back 😀. and after emails, an interview and such...i have a position as a volunteer researcher under this post-doc with a PhD and a master's who seems really dedicated - oh and EVERYTHING we're doing is involving STEM CELLS! (which is what i've wanted to get into/learn more about for years!)

Now the hard part...I just started this position a few weeks ago. And, as stated, i get no money or credit or anything.

Is there any way I could expect a grade or anything (which would help boost my GPA and probably make me seem like a more important part of the research team) in...say this summer? or even early next year?

Im just curious because I'd love to get some kind of school credit for what I'm doing because it'd really help...is there any way to approach with this Q? is a little over 6 months long enough to wait before asking? Would an MD in charge of the entire research operation have the power to ask to give me school GRADED credit...or would I have to ask some department?! any knowledge on the matter is greaaatly appreciated! 👍

 

[Kingfish]

Look for a research internship course (something like introduction to research methods) in the biochemistry or biology department. Talk to the professor who runs the internship and, unless he's a jerk, you should be able to get credit.

 

[HumidBeing]

Please don't say that you "get no money, or credit, or anything." You're getting experience in something that interests you and you are making connections. Those are pretty cool things on their own. But wait! There's a bonus! This is actually considered volunteer work. I consider that pretty cool, too, especially considering that when there's a new undergrad in the lab, he's usually benefiting more than than the lab, because the other members are basically donating their time to teach him the ropes. It can take awhile before he's ready to contribute.

Credit seems to be luring you, though. If it's important to you, then you should address the request to whatever department at your school you want to get the credit from. It's not the PI's job to do that for you. it doesn't benefit him at all. The department or your advisor can tell you what you need to do from there.

You've already figured out one of the main advantages of the credit angle - that it's usually an easy grade. If your GPA needs a boost, getting credit can help. It won't make, or even seem to make, you a more important part of the team, though.

Sometimes getting credit for working in the lab can be a disadvantageous. If you were to get credit for time spent there in the summer, would you have to pay for it? How about for the fall; would it take crowd out any other classes that you needed, or nudge you over the limit to where you had pay for extra hours? Those are just things to watch out for.

Enjoy your time in the lab. It can be a wonderful learning experience! I can tell that you're excited and eager to have this opportunity. Good for you!

 

[jr doctor in sd]

Please don't say that you "get no money, or credit, or anything." You're getting experience in something that interests you and you are making connections. Those are pretty cool things on their own. But wait! There's a bonus! This is actually considered volunteer work. I consider that pretty cool, too, especially considering that when there's a new undergrad in the lab, he's usually benefiting more than than the lab, because the other members are basically donating their time to teach him the ropes. It can take awhile before he's ready to contribute.

Credit seems to be luring you, though. If it's important to you, then you should address the request to whatever department at your school you want to get the credit from. It's not the PI's job to do that for you. it doesn't benefit him at all. The department or your advisor can tell you what you need to do from there.

You've already figured out one of the main advantages of the credit angle - that it's usually an easy grade. If your GPA needs a boost, getting credit can help. It won't make, or even seem to make, you a more important part of the team, though.

Sometimes getting credit for working in the lab can be a disadvantageous. If you were to get credit for time spent there in the summer, would you have to pay for it? How about for the fall; would it take crowd out any other classes that you needed, or nudge you over the limit to where you had pay for extra hours? Those are just things to watch out for.

Enjoy your time in the lab. It can be a wonderful learning experience! I can tell that you're excited and eager to have this opportunity. Good for you!

Hmmm alot of useful stuff in your post 😀.

Yeah see that's why i definitely don't want to address it to anyone yet in the near future...i know it was very nice of the extremely busy chairman of a huge hospital to email me and even meet with me in person and talk to me and show me his lab. I hate the fact that GPA controls everything (at least a big part)...and i have a friend who is starting his second quarter of psych research and getting an A every quarter for 3 units boosting his GPA so much. I know it's kind of cheap or an easy way to get a boosted GPA but i could def. use a small boost...so thats why it's pretty important to address later on.

I just hope by my junior year id be able to get something besides volunteering out of it...only because i volunteer at a hospital once a week, do at least 8-10 hours of volunteer service a week through the biggest pre-med group on campus which i'm an officer in, and am in some other groups where i do stuff about once a week...so id love a grade boost and gladly do as im told. But yeah...stem cell research is def. probably the top choice for me if i could have chosen where to do research 👍

 

[HumidBeing]

Okay. Looks like credit is something you should check into. It wouldn't hurt to ask the appropriate dept. at your school early how to go about it. Sometimes it's a quick and easy process & sometimes there can be time consuming paper shuffling and approvals involved. Since it's a stem cell research lab, your bio. dept. is most likely the best place to start asking. You might even be able to get some spring credit out of it.

(I saw a couple of typos in my first post where I stuck in extra words, but I'm just leaving them. That's what I get for not proofreading.)

 

[cookiegurl]

You sound like you're from UCSD so I'm going to offer advice since I'm also a UCSD student. If you're not, then please ignore this =)

For the Biological Sciences department (I am assuming you are a bio major), we have BISP 199 which gives 4 units of independent research credit a quarter. I am not sure if you can recieve a letter grade for it though, but from your friend's story, it seems like you can. I've done it in the past but my program (summer research program) made me get P/NP for those units.

To apply for BISP 199, you have to fill out some paperwork (actually, a lot 😛) It just details what you'll be doing, what your poject is, etc, etc. You can get a printout online at the Bio department website. You and your PI must both fill out the form and turn it in before a certain deadline for it to apply to the following quarter.

You can always go in and ask the department for more specifics.

Hope this helps.

 

[jr doctor in sd]

You sound like you're from UCSD so I'm going to offer advice since I'm also a UCSD student. If you're not, then please ignore this =)

For the Biological Sciences department (I am assuming you are a bio major), we have BISP 199 which gives 4 units of independent research credit a quarter. I am not sure if you can recieve a letter grade for it though, but from your friend's story, it seems like you can. I've done it in the past but my program (summer research program) made me get P/NP for those units.

To apply for BISP 199, you have to fill out some paperwork (actually, a lot 😛) It just details what you'll be doing, what your poject is, etc, etc. You can get a printout online at the Bio department website. You and your PI must both fill out the form and turn it in before a certain deadline for it to apply to the following quarter.

You can always go in and ask the department for more specifics.

Hope this helps.

🙂 Yes maam i am at UCSD. Im a neurosci and physiology major so yes under bio. Im not sure if its the same as my friend only because he had a clinical/lab research thing where he saw some ppl with problems and then recorded data and stuff it was rlly easy from what he said and thats why im so jealous!!! haha.

I dont know if id be able to get grades for it since mine is not only not a social science but also mine is strictly lab-related research 🙁