Research?

[Doctormo24]

Allright, I am a Biology major @ Florida International University. I am just a freshman. My BIO LAB TA, who is doing his PhD is looking for an assistant to help out with research, the research involves plants, this could potenitially lead to a paper being published in the American Journal. Should I take this opportunity, or is it not a good choice for medical type research?

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[Saluki]

Allright, I am a Biology major @ Florida International University. I am just a freshman. My BIO LAB TA, who is doing his PhD is looking for an assistant to help out with research, the research involves plants, this could potenitially lead to a paper being published in the American Journal. Should I take this opportunity, or is it not a good choice for medical type research?

I'd do it. Any research looks good and it may open doors to working in research that's more pre-med related...

 

[dr.z]

I'd do it. Any research looks good and it may open doors to working in research that's more pre-med related...

I would do it as well.

 

[jebus]

But what is the "american journal"? I would do it if you can get a publication quickly and then a good LOR from the primary investigator and then get out. I have no idea what "American Journal" is and neither does google. Get to a lab that publishes in Nature, Cell, or Science, or other big name journals. Kiss as much ass as you can to get that kind of position. If you can't get a quick publication and LOR, spend your time in clinical ECs. Those are the important ones.

 

[DrBowtie]

Plants

I would look for something better rather than just take the first thing thats open since it should be a relatively long term commitment to get published.

 

[C.P. Jones]

Plants

I would look for something better rather than just take the first thing thats open since it should be a relatively long term commitment to get published.

i did plant cell wall research for a year and half....number of publications....zero.....oh, my work should lead to something.....if the plants grew a little faster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Em1]

If YOU think plant research would be interesting I say go for it.

If you hate plants and are just thinking about it for the sake of doing research, I wouldn't. Tell your TA you're looking for something more cell bio/genetics/whatever you're interested in related and ask him if he knows of anyone looking for an assistant in that area.

You're just a freshman- this will not be your only opportunity to do research.

 

[C.P. Jones]

don't get plants wrong though! my lab was a molecular lab, and most of the work we did was genetics bench work, and being able to apply it to an actual plant model was interesting...more interesting than staring at a gel (if you could believe it).

if you actually care to know what you're doing instead of just thinking of it as "i work w/ plants", then it is cool to do

 

[StevenRF]

Yea, publishing is not as easy as "I'm just gonna get published." Worked in a pchem lab for 2 years with a few PhD students and we didn't get published.

If your really interested in plants I'd do it. There are a lot of drugs and chemicals discovered by botanists. If you just want to do it because it's the first thing that came along, don't bother. It's not hard to find something you really are interested in as most profs are looking for undergrads (unlike grad students, they don't have to pay you => free slave labor. some will if they are nice).

BTW, my anthropology teacher was telling us about this student studying medical anthropology / biology before med school. He went with his prof to various places around the world over summer looking at natural medicines used in indiginous cultures. Cool stuff.

 

[Doctormo24]

I know my TA said something about the American Journal..... there was something else that the end of American Journal of.... I can't recall. I am slowly by slowly finding out the details of the position. I currently work @ Starbucks on campus getting paid minimum wage so its allright but a research position could definitely open doors so I am gonna take that into consideration. I think it might be paid because he mentioned something about a work study program. I emailed him just to find out all the info so I will just have to wait a while and see.

 

[remo]

I would pass on it unless you have been unable to find anything else. I personally wouldn't waste my time working on plants with a TA. IMO, you should look for a lab with a faculty member where you could work for a few years and get something good going. Do dishes or whatever you need to do to get in. Also make sure to research who you will be slaving away for. Make sure they are getting published at a regular rate and that the lab personnel have been working there for awhile (if people are constantly bailing out then stay away).

 

[QofQuimica]

I spent 2.5 years in college working in a plant pathology lab and it was really cool. We did a lot of molecular bio techniques (PCR, gel electrophoresis), cell bio (plating, growing cultures), and also a lot of agricultural things (planting in the greenhouse, helping with experiments to test fruit production). After I'd been there for a while, they started paying me. Also, I used some of the work that I had done there as the topic of my undergrad thesis. Even though it's been going on ten years and I've done an MS and most of a PhD since then, I still got asked about it at a couple of my interviews. It's kind of a unique and cool thing to have on your app. But if you don't think it's interesting, definitely find something that you think you'd like better. Good luck.