Research in Boston

[snarkypro]

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Hi everyone...

I am new to the site (okay so i been here for months just never posted anything) and just wondering if anyone has tips on getting a research position in the boston area.. I am a postbac who will be done with studies this thursday (yesss) and would like to work full time whilst applying to schools. I have limited research exp. (5months in o.chem research at school) but a very good work history (software).. help me out people thanks!

this site is great.

 

[rgerwin]

Okay. There are many options. I've worked at 2 institutions in Boston for almost 4 years. My first suggestion is to go to www.partners.org. They serve alot of hospitals, like MGH and the Brigham. You can also apply for multiple jobs at one time. Other food places are Dana-Farber (www.danafarber.org), Beth Israel and Children's. I would start with hospitals, b/c they have great resources, alot of different types of jobs, and good benefits.

Good luck!

 

[kate_g]

This shouldn't actually be all that hard to do. Get on Medline or Google Scholar, find some research you like the sound of, then figure out who at Harvard/MIT/BU/Tufts (they're in Boston, right?) is doing that kind of research (might be able to restrict your search by institution on Medline or add it as a search term on Google Scholar, otherwise go through the universities' web pages).

After you've found a handful of professors whose research you like, send them a very polite (and brief!) e-mail explaining your situation and ask if they'd consider hiring you as a tech. Ask to come visit the lab for an interview. Same as the usual advice for applications - cast your net widely (e-mail loads of profs) and somebody is bound to respond. Having an interest in the field and being a generally capable person is going to be much more important than having specific experience in whatever that lab does - a prof looking for a post-bacc tech is *not* looking for a leading expert in the field. Again, similar to the usual application advice, don't be heartbroken if most of the profs don't respond to you. They're busy and they get a lot of e-mails like yours, at worst they'll ignore it so don't worry that you're "bothering" them with one e-mail.

Good luck!

 

[chrisjohn]

Kate_g's method will work, no problem.

Get ready to be whored out. Research assitants do all the work, get very little of the credit. On the plus side, the experience is valuable; you get to realize how badly you don't want to pursue a PhD and make connections that you'll need for the medical school admissions process.

Ahh, it's almost as bad as the Army, but without all the drinking.

 

[rgerwin]

Clinical Research Coordinators, such as at Dana-Farber, will make more money than basic science.

 

[kate_g]

I should say that my advice was geared specifically toward getting a low-commitment job that would still keep you in research. Academic PIs expect a lot of turnover in techs - the *typical* applicant is just like you, looking for something to do for a year before going on to grad/professional school or a real job or whatever. So you can be honest about your intentions. I don't know for sure, but some of the other suggestions sound like places that might be looking for career employees, and then you have to go through all the crap of hiding your intentions from your boss and coworkers. You just have to find out how much you'd have to hide and decide whether it's worth better pay.

To get as medical as possible with the academic research route, you can try specifically to contact Harvard med school profs. If that doesn't work, I'm sure you can find PIs at area universities who are doing research at area hospitals. For instance, I worked for a year as a tech in a lab in the research wing of the Philly VA hospital, my boss was ICU director at the VA and adjunct faculty at Penn.

 

[snarkypro]

I should say that my advice was geared specifically toward getting a low-commitment job that would still keep you in research. Academic PIs expect a lot of turnover in techs - the *typical* applicant is just like you, looking for something to do for a year before going on to grad/professional school or a real job or whatever. So you can be honest about your intentions. I don't know for sure, but some of the other suggestions sound like places that might be looking for career employees, and then you have to go through all the crap of hiding your intentions from your boss and coworkers. You just have to find out how much you'd have to hide and decide whether it's worth better pay.

To get as medical as possible with the academic research route, you can try specifically to contact Harvard med school profs. If that doesn't work, I'm sure you can find PIs at area universities who are doing research at area hospitals. For instance, I worked for a year as a tech in a lab in the research wing of the Philly VA hospital, my boss was ICU director at the VA and adjunct faculty at Penn.

Point taken. I certainly don't want to be one of the sneaky types. I've been looking into all the places mentioned (currently volunteering at BWH, so I am especially looking at positions in the partners network) but DF and others as well. A friend of mine mentioned a position that sounded career-type to me, so I may run into that dilemma of hiding intentions if that were to go anywhere but we'll see...

 

[snarkypro]

Clinical Research Coordinators, such as at Dana-Farber, will make more money than basic science.

Thanks rgerwin, I am looking at df for a position.. my prof actually has a relationship with them but the collabo is new so he can't help me specifically per se. ahhh the wonders of job searching.

 

[snarkypro]

Kate_g's method will work, no problem.

Get ready to be whored out. Research assitants do all the work, get very little of the credit. On the plus side, the experience is valuable; you get to realize how badly you don't want to pursue a PhD and make connections that you'll need for the medical school admissions process.

Ahh, it's almost as bad as the Army, but without all the drinking.

chrisjohn I already expected this and it stinks but what can you do. I like reading the postings saying things like 'we want you to think you are fully integrated and respected' in such and such a place and I laughed to myself about that. that's why I liked my organic prof.. he allowed students to do the research and GET CREDIT for it.. my name is going to be on a paper soon. I thought that was pretty cool of him.

but actually about the PhD - do you think its necessary to get one to pursue research? I think that its not necessary and being of the older post-bac variety student not sure if I want to put 4 more years into a PhD..

 

[rgerwin]

Honestly, I didn't have any connections either. Just ubmit your resume to every job that looks interesting, and doesn't specify a 2-yr. committment. Be honest about your time constraint. I know the 2 techs i my lab only committed to 1 year, and one isdefinitely leaving afterwards. It's totally possible. And even the lab techs make a decent salary. I love it here, more than MGH. My job there was great, but I like Dana-Farber better as an institution. Maybe smaller? GOod luck.

 

[kate_g]

but actually about the PhD - do you think its necessary to get one to pursue research? I think that its not necessary and being of the older post-bac variety student not sure if I want to put 4 more years into a PhD..

It's necessary only if you want to become a professor at a regular academic university (i.e. not med school). Even then probably not actually 100% necessary - I'm sure there are PIs at "normal" universities who only have an MD, depending on the field of research - but you'd be at a disadvantage because you won't have hardcore independent research experience and way less experience doing things like writing grants to fund your lab. My largely uninformed guess is that it would be easier as an MD-only to become a PI at a med school or even as a doc in a hospital that has a research division. To be "involved" in research - not running the lab as the PI, but collaborating - I'd guess you could do that pretty easily without a PhD, especially if you stick around university hospitals. I know people who have done "postdoctoral" research stints some time during the whole internship/residency/fellowship process if they were interested in getting a job that let them do research.

 

[RxnMan]

but actually about the PhD - do you think its necessary to get one to pursue research? I think that its not necessary and being of the older post-bac variety student not sure if I want to put 4 more years into a PhD..

Not at all. Just take a look at a med school's website and you'll see what I mean. Many of the med school faculty I have done basic science research with 'only' have MDs.

That's not to say that the MD/PhD doesn't have it's place - if you want your work to be equally respected amongst both types of doctors, have an easier time publishing (a MD/PhD 'looks' like they know better what they're talking about more than 'just' a MD), or you want to look better than 90% of the field when applying for grants or faculty positions, then a MD/PhD is great.

If you don't want to spend 4 years getting the PhD, I've met many physicians with MS degrees, gaining many of the PhD benefits without the time committment. There are specialized MD programs (Albany Med offers a MD with a distinction in research) and fellowship programs after residency that are designed to allow you to earn advanced degrees. Academia-type residencies can also provide you an opportunity to earn an advanced degree and bump up your research cred.

In short, by getting an acceptance, and knowing you want to do research, many doors are open to you.

 

[rgerwin]

You can do just as much research with just an M.D. An MD PhD is good for gong to med school for free, but only if it's a combined program.

 

[chrisjohn]

An inquiry about the worthiness of pursuing a PhD, what a question!

I’ll tell you what my mentor, who holds x3 PhD, told me. “GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. GET YOUR MEAL TICKET THEN GO TO THE BEST PLACE AND GET TRAINING.” Good advice I think.

A PhD is absolutely not essential to pursue a research career. Will it help? Of course! Where else will you get trained how to pimp the NIH road map other than by trial and error?

If you’ve never done any or been around research be sure to understand one thing. PI’s do not do bench work. That’s right; they sit in their office, attend meetings, and write grants in the hopes of getting an R1. This accomplished, they sit back for 3 years, hire several foreign research assistants because they come cheaply and attend conferences. Do yourself a favor, run to your local library or better yet buy a copy of Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis. Talk about prescience, nothing has changed. NOTHING! Researchers for the most part are not interesting in asking hard questions, they’re interested in their meal ticket. This is slightly different at the powerhouse research institutions but not really, the PhDs just have a better grasp and are savvier.

I am not knocking PhDs for worrying about money. Hey folks, if you haven’t noticed, money goes a long way and it is IMPORTANT.

If you’re a youngster with a lot of grit, go ahead get an MD/PhD if the opportunity presents itself. It’s a great way to get a medical education inexpensively but don’t kid yourself it’s not free. The amount of time spent in the lab is no joke. Time is money.

If it’s any surprise after reading the above, I decided not to pursue an MD/PhD in lieu of a traditional MD program. I normally quote Harrison Ford, with “it isn’t the years, it’s the mileage” but in this case it is the years. Two to three more years on top of the eight makes ten.