seeking gap year advice!

[doubledoctordoubletrouble]

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Hi all,

I am currently a senior set to graduate in Spring 2015. I will be taking one gap year during which I will also be applying to MD PhD programs. I want to do research during my gap year, but need guidance on where / how to find a one year position. Several things that are on my mind:

1. The best thing for my application (but probably not for my personal life or mental health, lols) is to stay in my current lab, since I’ll have a higher chance of getting my name on a publication or two, and to demonstrate continuity in my research experience… (I should have at least a 3rd or 4th author pub by the time I graduate… but I don’t want to make any guarantees)
   
   1. However, I don’t know if my PI has enough funding to pay me during my gap year, and even if he does, I don’t know if he WANTS to even hire me. He likes me, but I’m not much more than an undergrad to him. How do I go about bringing up this subject …? Advice please!!
2. If I don’t have the option of staying in my current lab, should I go about cold-emailing PIs? When is a good time to do that? Is now too early? And how should I approach the whole “I’m only looking for a one year temp research position” ordeal?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Osteoth]

Honestly, you should stay at your current lab. Continuity and publications are extremely important to PhD programs, for obvious reasons.

If your PI does not have the funds to keep you on, ask them if they know any other labs doing similar research that might, so that you could utilize your relevant experience in another environment, and go from there.

Last option would be to cold-email PIs because you might end up in a completely new lab environments where your years of experience and skills will be under/mis/not utilized and therefore wasted.

 

[doubledoctordoubletrouble]

Honestly, you should stay at your current lab. Continuity and publications are extremely important to PhD programs, for obvious reasons.

If your PI does not have the funds to keep you on, ask them if they know any other labs doing similar research that might, so that you could utilize your relevant experience in another environment, and go from there.

Last option would be to cold-email PIs because you might end up in a completely new lab environments where your years of experience and skills will be under/mis/not utilized and therefore wasted.

Yes, my first line of action will be to see if I can stay at my current lab--- do you have any suggestions on how to start that conversation with my PI?

 

[Osteoth]

Yes, my first line of action will be to see if I can stay at my current lab--- do you have any suggestions on how to start that conversation with my PI?

Be straightforward, it is a situation your PI has undoubtably gone through himself as a young PhD/Post Doc student, or dealt with on the other side. Just say, "Hi, so I wanted to talk to you, I'm going to be graduating soon and am looking to work while I apply to my graduate program, do you think you will have the funds to keep me on full time?" If no, "Do you know anyone who might? I want to do my research in X and as a result would hope to keep doing X to maintain my skills".