Research: Long Term involvement???

[vicinihil]

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Currently I'm involved in a research project (1 year thus far) in a biochemical signalling lab. Hopefully I will be publishing this coming spring before heading to the ASBMB conference to present my findings. However, I have been offered a research position in a organic chemistry lab under a guy who founded a Parkinson Patch which is under stage 3 clinical trials right now.

My debacle is whether or not to continue with one PI for the rest of my college career (class of 2008) or switch to a different lab after I publish (cross fingers) in the first one.

 

[eddie13231]

First of all, congrats on finding such a research position as a freshman fresh into college! Secondly, I would do what interests me most, not which would publish the easiest. Are you bored doing signal research? And secondly, you "might publish" come spring. Is this good enough for you? I would definately do your presentation, I think it would look excellent on your apps. However, you still have a lot of time at school, could you balance both research positions or would that be too much?

 

[vicinihil]

One of the downsides of my current biochemistry research is that I don't get paid but I do get independent study credit. At my institution we can only get 8 credits of said independent study and I've already used 3. I plan to use the other 5 asap; therefore after this semester, I would be doing research for fun...yay..not really.

This new position could or could not pay; it hasn't really been discussed yet. Aside from research, I am also juggling school and peer advising and possibly TA position so doing 2 research positions may not be plausible along with volunteering.

Do you find that med school adcoms look more favorably upon long term devotion to 1 lab or it doesn't really matter as long as you publish.

 

[thismeanswar]

I would try my hardest to do both if I were you. If you could get published in both labs, that would look amazing and give you lots of experience.

 

[CADreaming06]

One of the downsides of my current biochemistry research is that I don't get paid but I do get independent study credit. At my institution we can only get 8 credits of said independent study and I've already used 3. I plan to use the other 5 asap; therefore after this semester, I would be doing research for fun...yay..not really.

This new position could or could not pay; it hasn't really been discussed yet. Aside from research, I am also juggling school and peer advising and possibly TA position so doing 2 research positions may not be plausible along with volunteering.

Do you find that med school adcoms look more favorably upon long term devotion to 1 lab or it doesn't really matter as long as you publish.

actually i don't think you even need to publish. alot of research, even at the grad student level is unpublishable, so i imagine ADCOMs just want you to have experience. because you will be published, you are already far ahead of others. have you thought about asking your current lab head if she/he would consider paying you? Another thing to consider is LORs . . . do you think you would be able to spend enough time in the new lab to get a meaningful recommendation? good luck on your decision, as I see it you are in a win-win situation.

 

[Doko]

Although I think going into the other lab will give you experience and learn many more assays, I think it's important to keep your commitment and stick with your current lab. If you can publish after a year, it probably means that you will publish more in the future.

I can't speak for everyone, but with my sub-par numbers, I truly believe that my publications were what got me into medical school.

I wouldn't take the opportunity to publish lightly. Many kids would kill to have something that you do!

 

[Adcadet]

I'd think long and hard about where you'll learn the most. If the other lab is doing things you want to learn, that's a major plus. Also, if the new PI is a guy that can teach you a lot, that is a huge plus.

Personally, I transitioned from basic research in college to more applied research in grad school to clinical epi work in medical school. I started out in basic science 'cause that's the only place I could start. I think progressing around in different areas can be useful in figuring out what you like. I don't think anybody would look down on you for switching labs to explore different areas, as long as you're not doing it too quickly.