summer research problem

[mossyfiber12]

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So I was talking to my postdoc today who as a passing comment tells me that my experiments are really minor and I won't have enough data to publish anyway by the end of the summer so I should concentrate on learning how to make my own buffers and crap. This is not what exactly I understood from talking to my PI and the postdoc while selecting the lab (and I did have options). If I had known that that's what their expectations were then I would have never joined this lab.

I am usually in lab from 9-5 and I am just wondering if I am wasting my M1 summer vacation away by working in a lab from which I won't get anything out.

Is there any positive to this situation? As far as I can tell my PI likes me and he has seen me in lab working on a late friday afternoon.

Should I talk to my PI and see what exactly his expectations are or should I keep my mouth shut, work hard and hope that I get a good rec out of my PI at the end of the summer??

 

[WellWornLad]

This is why you shouldn't do research unless you're genuinely interested in it.

No one can guarantee a publication before you've done the research. When you say things like "wasting my summer" and "I did have options" you sound like your sense of entitlement is out of control. When you say "my PI saw me working on a late Friday afternoon" it sounds pandering to boot. So I would recommend that you keep your mouth shut to avoid a bad impression and try to enjoy the experience for what it is.

 

[Blesbok]

Bring up to the PI that it would be nice to get a pub for your resume and maybe they will tack you on somewhere else.

 

[mossyfiber12]

I was actually looking forward to the project based on my conversations with the PI and the postdoc. However, now that I have started working, it seems to me that what I was told before was exaggerated.

Some of my friends I have talked to don't have as much "work" as I do yet they talk about how their PI keeps telling them that they may be published over the summer. In that sense, I am a a bit bitter as I feel like the efforts that I am putting in will go unnoticed.

As far as having "other options", I meant couple of other labs. Plus, who wouldn't rather take the summer off just to travel? But I figured since I have had past lab experiences, I might have a more significant research project over the summer which will be nice to talk about come interview time. Obviously, publishing a paper would be ideal but I guess it was hard to hear it from my postdoc especially because I am working harder in lab than most people I talked to yet seem to be getting little out of it.

I appreciate the feedback though 🙂

 

[PBandJ]

you can definitely still talk about your work at residency interviews even if it's not published. a residency director who knows a thing or two about research already understands that it's very difficult to get enough work done in one summer to publish a paper. people do it, sure, but the odds are they came in just at the right time to finish up a project or just had some amazing results. it's also possible that they just got their name tacked on without doing much work. but don't sell your experience short just because of a publication issue. now, if you're truly not enjoying the work, that's a completely different situation.

 

[FrickenhugeMD]

I encountered a similar thing to what you are talking about, except that the lab was also catering to high schoolers and freshmen in college. After the first day I never came back, and wrote them an e-mail explaining why. I decided to take the unpaid route, enjoy my summer and work with a cardiologist at my home institution. I put in a few hours every couple days doing chart reviews and I should get a couple publications out of the deal (not 1st author though)

My advise, bail if you have other plans or want a life for the last free summer of your life. The beach is calling you!