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- Feb 13, 2001
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I am getting my AMCAS application ready to be submitted this summer and I am unsure whether or not to report a research position I had for 8 months.
It was my first time ever working in a lab and it was purely bad luck that I ended up with one of the most bitter, unpleasant researchers on campus. His impression of me is that I was immature, unreliable, irresponsible, etc., all of which I obviously disagree with (and conflicts with the success of my present research). For the most part, his opinion is based on the fact that for the last two months of my time with him, I tried to find any way possible to work when he was not there (since he was so damn mean). I came late a few times and he flipped. He gave me NO autonomy and was constantly looking over my shoulder to see what I was doing and inevitably criticize me.
In general, he was VERY difficult to work with. He would give me little "quizzes" and stare at me like I was a total idiot if I did not have an answer (or an incorrect one). I once was preparing a solution and upon checking my work, he asked me how sure I was of what I was doing. I told him I was quite sure and he asked whether I would bet money on it. He wagered $5 that I was wrong. Not knowing quite what to do, I agreed and after explaining my reasoning for how I prepared the solution, he simply grabbed my money, put it in his wallet, said "Never be too sure of yourself" and walked away. We clearly did not get along.
Probably the worst it ever got was when he threw an apple at a wall because I did not know how to properly withdraw blood samples from a dead rat with a syringe (I had never used a syringe or withdrawn blood from an animal before, living or dead). He proceeded to pick the crushed apple up and throw it at (not in) a garbage can with such force that he knocked it halfway across the room. He then blamed me for the mess, telling me that I should know what I'm doing if I'm going to ever get anywhere in the lab.
My current research couldn't be going better. I am in the middle of fine tuning my expt's and will probably publish by the end of the year. In fact the current researcher I am working under recently told me how great of a job I am doing, the exact opposite of what the first researcher thinks.
So the question is, do I put my first experience on my application. Two things should be noted:
1) The researcher is affiliated with one of the medical schools I am applying to (in fact, he has been an interviewer in the past). If this school (or any school, for that matter) would contact him, he would not have kind words for me.
2) It was a paid position, so I assume it is considered employement and not just academic research. Does the AAMC require that ALL employement be reported on the AMCAS app?
I know that if I were asked about it on an interview, I would be able to explain the situation. In fact, my advisor (who teaches at the med school) told me that he could never understand how I lasted even 8 months with him and that he felt that the researcher had an anger disorder (I would not dispute this). However, I do not want med schools to contact him beforehand and give him the opportunity to cause problems. On the other hand, if they find out that I had worked with him (this is possible since, as I have said, he is affiliated with the med school) and I did not put it on my app, that will look very bad.
What should I do???
It was my first time ever working in a lab and it was purely bad luck that I ended up with one of the most bitter, unpleasant researchers on campus. His impression of me is that I was immature, unreliable, irresponsible, etc., all of which I obviously disagree with (and conflicts with the success of my present research). For the most part, his opinion is based on the fact that for the last two months of my time with him, I tried to find any way possible to work when he was not there (since he was so damn mean). I came late a few times and he flipped. He gave me NO autonomy and was constantly looking over my shoulder to see what I was doing and inevitably criticize me.
In general, he was VERY difficult to work with. He would give me little "quizzes" and stare at me like I was a total idiot if I did not have an answer (or an incorrect one). I once was preparing a solution and upon checking my work, he asked me how sure I was of what I was doing. I told him I was quite sure and he asked whether I would bet money on it. He wagered $5 that I was wrong. Not knowing quite what to do, I agreed and after explaining my reasoning for how I prepared the solution, he simply grabbed my money, put it in his wallet, said "Never be too sure of yourself" and walked away. We clearly did not get along.
Probably the worst it ever got was when he threw an apple at a wall because I did not know how to properly withdraw blood samples from a dead rat with a syringe (I had never used a syringe or withdrawn blood from an animal before, living or dead). He proceeded to pick the crushed apple up and throw it at (not in) a garbage can with such force that he knocked it halfway across the room. He then blamed me for the mess, telling me that I should know what I'm doing if I'm going to ever get anywhere in the lab.
My current research couldn't be going better. I am in the middle of fine tuning my expt's and will probably publish by the end of the year. In fact the current researcher I am working under recently told me how great of a job I am doing, the exact opposite of what the first researcher thinks.
So the question is, do I put my first experience on my application. Two things should be noted:
1) The researcher is affiliated with one of the medical schools I am applying to (in fact, he has been an interviewer in the past). If this school (or any school, for that matter) would contact him, he would not have kind words for me.
2) It was a paid position, so I assume it is considered employement and not just academic research. Does the AAMC require that ALL employement be reported on the AMCAS app?
I know that if I were asked about it on an interview, I would be able to explain the situation. In fact, my advisor (who teaches at the med school) told me that he could never understand how I lasted even 8 months with him and that he felt that the researcher had an anger disorder (I would not dispute this). However, I do not want med schools to contact him beforehand and give him the opportunity to cause problems. On the other hand, if they find out that I had worked with him (this is possible since, as I have said, he is affiliated with the med school) and I did not put it on my app, that will look very bad.
What should I do???