Two Lab Tech offers - help me choose

[lovistic23]

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Hey people! I'm graduating this May from an Ivy league school with a major in chemistry, hoping to take 2 years before going into MD/PhD. I have two offers for lab tech and I'm struggling to decide. Can someone help me choose which one would be the best choice? I don't know what I should be going for...!!!

• Microbiology lab in UPenn Med School
  • Works on infectious disease. Will be doing molecular biology work
  • PI: Associate Professor at UPenn Med School, in the MD/PhD advisory committee, sweet lil Asian guy
  • Lab tech treated as a graduate student, past lab techs got 2-3 publications. Mostly second authorship is ~okayish journals
  • Small lab size (~6 ppl)
  • Big perks: Can take classes for free at UPenn - I have to take some classes anyway to increase my GPA so this is gold
  • Salary is standard ~32k, but Philly seems cheap
  • Has a lab in another country and will get chance to collaborate. More possibility to publish
  • He tells me that he will reject everyone for me
  • He gave his current postdoc a month off so that he can study for his MCAT - shows how nice he is

• Cancer research lab at a Harvard teaching hospital (Affilated with HMS)
  • Works on finding biomarkers for cancer
  • PI: Assistant Physician and Assistant Professor at Harvard Med School, couldn't meet with him because he was away. but talked to his postdocs and they seemed super intelligent
  • Publishes a lot in big big names (PNAS, Nature, Cell). The last lab tech published 4 papers, but as like the 6-7th author in each.
  • Not sure if I would be independent or not, but there is no grad student in the lab
  • Medium lab size (>10 ppl). Collaborates actively with another lab
  • Salary is standard ~40k, but Boston seems expensive
  • All group members have a Harvard MD or MD/PhD which is like dream. The PI has an MD at Harvard himself
  • Chances for data analysis work which I am quite interested (I wanna learn how to code and stuff)
  • Downside: I have to pay for my classes (probs at some community college)

What to do what to do!!!!!

 

[QuakerRay]

Based on what you said I would definitely go with Penn. Biggest reason being you've actually met with the PI and like him which will be huge if you work there for two years. Also most other points you listed seemed to favor Penn.


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[tarheelpenner]

If your real questions is: will working at Harvard get me into Harvard medical school, the answer is no. Seems like Penn is the best choice for you. Be wary of PI's who hire without meeting you, it will likely be an indicator for your experience in the lab.