Quitting my lab after PhD acceptance?

[student0800]

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Hey SDN, I am in sort of a tricky situation here and would appreciate some input. I just received an offer to a Clinical PhD and will be accepting it. I graduated from undergrad in December 2012 and since then have been working in 2 different research labs (both unpaid, volunteer basis). The first research lab has been enormously helpful in terms of both preparing me for grad school and for exposing me to research. I have had an integral part on the team. The other lab has been terrible. I feel used and exploited. It is out-of-state, so I drive an hour and a half each way, 2 days a week, for 6 hour shifts. I do NOTHING but data entry and filing. It is incredibly exploitative and I get paid nothing to do it. I work with undergrads who at least get school credit. I stuck with it throughout the app process, but I don't get anything but "research experience." In addition to the waste of time it is (with traveling and actually just sitting there entering data for nothing), all of the commuting has taken a financial toll on me as I have no income. Quitting the lab would allow me to work more with the team I am on now and actually do something productive with my time. I applied to work with the team because they promised hands on exposure to conduct assessments (it is with social anxiety, something interesting to me). Now that I have been accepted, would it be okay to bow out of this position? I will maintain my other commitment, but I really can't imagine continuing this for 3 more months.

My only fear (very irrational) is that the PI will contact the school where I got accepted (they know I was made an offer) and disparage me for dropping out early when I "signed on" for a 2 semester commitment. FWIW, my advisor made no mention of my experience with the research lab so it's pretty much moot in their eyes, and on top of that, I never asked the PI of this lab for a recommendation letter. So all they really are is a line on my CV. Can anyone weigh in on if this can come back to haunt me either during the app process or later in life? The PI I work for/with is in a drastically different field of psychology than I plan to pursue, albeit under the "clinical" umbrella.

 

[CheetahGirl]

I would honor my commitment for the 2 semesters, but doesn't the semester end in early May?! Bow out, professionally, then....

And congratulations on your acceptance! 🙂

 

[student0800]

I would honor my commitment for the 2 semesters, but doesn't the semester end in early May?! Bow out, professionally, then....

And congratulations on your acceptance! 🙂

Thanks a lot. It does end in early May. I just added a little bit to my OP about the financial toll this is taking on me and how bowing out would allow me to actually do productive research with the team I am on now. I am pretty close to publishing but need a few more hours a week.. and this project takes out a big chunk. So do you suggest I leave? I couldn't really tell from your post, tbh!

 

[doasisay]

Ultimately, you have a job (even if it's unpaid). You can quit after giving 2 weeks notice and it shouldn't be a huge problem, but if you want to honor your original time commitment, I would ask if you could work remotely or only 1 day/week as the commute is becoming problematic. They will likely say no, but it will at least look like you're trying to come up with a workable solution.

 

[student0800]

Ultimately, you have a job (even if it's unpaid). You can quit after giving 2 weeks notice and it shouldn't be a huge problem, but if you want to honor your original time commitment, I would ask if you could work remotely or only 1 day/week as the commute is becoming problematic. They will likely say no, but it will at least look like you're trying to come up with a workable solution.

I don't want to honor my time commitment. Like I said, I feel used and in the interview for this position, they told me my time would be spent doing assessments mixed with data management. I have done less than 4 assessments, which take 30 minutes, over the last 5 months. I have no problem quitting. My question is- could this impact my future career or have a negative impact with my advisor?

 

[songthatneverends]

I think that addressing the issues at hand will get you much further than quitting- whether they will let you do what you had originally been asked to do, the long commute, ect. You wanted this position for a reason, so I would do what you can to try to get out of the position what you hoped to get out of it. Talk to the PI about your concerns and try to find a solution. Burning any bridges just as you enter graduate school doesn't seem like a good move. You never know where you will end up or what you will be doing. Whether word would get back to your advisor, I guess you cant know for sure, but if it did, I am not sure that it would reflect well on you and would likely have a negative impact.

 

[LisaLisa86]

What songthatneverends said. Don't burn bridges this early in your career. Also keep in mind that while they may have promised assessments, it's possible that things out of their control are preventing the number you can do (ex. slow recruitment, scheduling issues, unexpected large amount of data entry needed, someone unexpectedly quitting, etc.). Data entry and management is an important part of research, and certainly not exploitative. You will likely have to do these things even as a graduate student.

I would meet with the head of the lab (or whoever brought you on) and discuss how you would like to be given additional opportunities such as more assessments, as was agreed when you joined. See how the conversation goes with that. It's only 2-3 months, and certainly not worth burning bridges over. Subfields within Psychology are small.

 

[GirlNeuro13]

What songthatneverends said. Don't burn bridges this early in your career. Also keep in mind that while they may have promised assessments, it's possible that things out of their control are preventing the number you can do (ex. slow recruitment, scheduling issues, unexpected large amount of data entry needed, someone unexpectedly quitting, etc.). Data entry and management is an important part of research, and certainly not exploitative. You will likely have to do these things even as a graduate student.

I would meet with the head of the lab (or whoever brought you on) and discuss how you would like to be given additional opportunities such as more assessments, as was agreed when you joined. See how the conversation goes with that. It's only 2-3 months, and certainly not worth burning bridges over. Subfields within Psychology are small.

I agree with the other two posters, don't burn bridges if you can avoid it. However, I highly doubt anyone would call the program you were just accepted to. That's seems a bit excessive to me.

FYI-- I spent two full years volunteering in labs doing only grunt work before I was finally offered a paid position or began getting more in depth experience (NP testing). I never felt exploited but perhaps I had lower expectations.

 

[QAsPsych]

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[LisaLisa86]

Agreed- you basically have short-term consequences, which will probably not be much (I highly doubt they will call the program). However, you also have long-term consequences. You will be applying to a lot of things through your career- practicums, internship, post-doc(s), faculty/research positions, conference-related stuff, etc. Subfields are quite small and people gossip/exchange information freely. For example, you could be applying to a post-doc position, and the POI reviewing your application may be quite close with the head of the lab you're in now. They could, at that point, easily pick up a phone and give a call, even if it's just a line or two on your CV. You could also be running into this person at conferences and the like- it's much better to be able to ask them to a quick drink and catch them up on your life/career than to have to duck when you see them coming down the hallway. You have no idea of the amount of gossip within my subfield that I've heard about RAs/RCs, grad students, and professors- in both my program AND other programs/labs. My main advice in this field is never, ever, EVER burn bridges or act unprofessionally.

Ask for whatever you can to make the last two months challenging, and even if you get nothing in addition to what you're currently doing, put your head down and finish politely and keep in touch over time with the head of the lab. Not the advice you wanted, but there you go.

 

[deadmau5]

in toronto, if you are not doing an hour and half each way... you are doing alright lol.