Research Vs. Lab Aide

[nickmx50]

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I just applied for a job as a lab aide, here's the description:

This position performs general laboratory maintenance such as filling tip boxes, restocking tissue culture, making solutions, maintaining lab inventory (flasks, tips etc), thawing/organizing freezers, and maintaining a plasmid log. This position also conducts biology-related tasks such as making competent cells, making LB-agar plates, and may participate in some cloning processes.

I know some people get research positions and have to start at the bottom, but get to list research on their application. If I never get an opportunity to do research, how would this job look on my application compared to those people who have research? I really have great other Ec's, including a publication in a writing journal, but just want to make myself the best possible candidate when the time comes. Thanks

 

[vc7777]

... I ... just want to make myself the best possible candidate when the time comes...

In short, being physically close to research really isn't the same.

A lab tech aide job can open doors to research, mind you. If you (politely) nag the PI in your lab - doors may open up. Of course, you should first prove yourself as a lab aide.

While you can say you have some second-hand exposure to the research process, it's not the same as directed research.

To that end, take advantage of undergraduate opportunities in supervised research electives or summer opportunities.

Good luck,

vc7777

 

[songbird]

I just applied for a job as a lab aide, here's the description:

This position performs general laboratory maintenance such as filling tip boxes, restocking tissue culture, making solutions, maintaining lab inventory (flasks, tips etc), thawing/organizing freezers, and maintaining a plasmid log. This position also conducts biology-related tasks such as making competent cells, making LB-agar plates, and may participate in some cloning processes.

I know some people get research positions and have to start at the bottom, but get to list research on their application. If I never get an opportunity to do research, how would this job look on my application compared to those people who have research? I really have great other Ec's, including a publication in a writing journal, but just want to make myself the best possible candidate when the time comes. Thanks

If this is your first experience in a research lab, it's better than nothing. However, restocking tips and making agar plates is no substitute for even very basic tasks on a research project. I would highly recommend asking to volunteer in a research lab to get trained in some lab techniques, or apply for a research internship (most of these happen in the summer, but there are some during the school year).

How far away are you from applying to medical school?

 

[Ischemic]

See, I feel it depends. If you have no research exposure whatsoever, no clue how to run DNA gels, do PCR, westerns etc chances of you doing anything useful in research is almost nil. Yes, there are some lucky kids that come in and happen to jump into a lab and mentor that's about to publish something groundbreaking and they were nice enough to add the kid's name. But for the majority of kids entering labs you're going to have to prove yourself capable and not get in people's ways, cause you know this is what they do for a living. However, you need to get the experience somehow right? Well, you either do a summer research immersion program or you start off at the bottom stocking tips and making buffers and they'll teach you stuff along the way. The problem is premeds are so full of themselves and come in thinking they're going to cure cancer and do avant garde type stuff ... and PIs know it too. They're not gonna just give you their best project cause you're wasting their money by screwing up and just being an inexperienced fool. Whew, sorry for the rant, I just see this way too much while I was working in lab.

But the gist of the story is if you require research experience, you should do a summer research enrichment style program where they actually want to teach you stuff, otherwise you're going to have to work and start at the bottom.

 

[ucsfstudents]

If you do get this job, make sure to transition to a research position in a lab after 1 semester. You don't want to get stuck in this position. This is not real research, but will get you exposure to graduate students, PIs, lab meetings and presentations, lab protocols, creating solutions, biotechnology methods, etc. This experience is a stepping stone to conducting bench research, if that is indeed what interests you. This is a simple job, and will not get you any extra points when it comes to medical school applications. For that you will need to be directly involved in answering a research question.

I agree with Ischemic. If you want research experience, the best way to get that is through a undergraduate research program either during the school year or during the summer.

 

[Polo423]

If its all you can get, take it. If you have other experience and feel you can obtain a research technician position try for that. But you're right most people do have to start at the bottom. I did. I was a lab assistant and made plate and did dishes and autoclaved ****. But that experience gave me skills to be able to become a technician where I now have my own projects and ACTUALLY do research.

 

[Astarael]

I just applied for a job as a lab aide, here's the description:

This position performs general laboratory maintenance such as filling tip boxes, restocking tissue culture, making solutions, maintaining lab inventory (flasks, tips etc), thawing/organizing freezers, and maintaining a plasmid log. This position also conducts biology-related tasks such as making competent cells, making LB-agar plates, and may participate in some cloning processes.

I know some people get research positions and have to start at the bottom, but get to list research on their application. If I never get an opportunity to do research, how would this job look on my application compared to those people who have research? I really have great other Ec's, including a publication in a writing journal, but just want to make myself the best possible candidate when the time comes. Thanks

How much you actually end up doing in this position will probably depend a lot on how you act while you're there. If you show up, do your work, and then leave, you'll probably just continue to do so. But if you show up, work hard, read most/all of the group's papers, and ask people to teach you stuff, they'll probably let you do more. It's really important to be proactive and attempt to make yourself an asset to the lab because then when something new comes up, there will be a better chance of you being more involved in it.