Volunteering at an University

[dangit]

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I finished school May and I am having trouble finding work, esp in the biotech industry. the reason is due to the lack of experience in the lab. so....after countless interviews but no acceptance, should i forego finding work and get research experience in a lab from a nearby university (ahem..stanford) haha

on the other hand, because i'm applying to med school this cycle, i'm looking for any work that i can do within the year...does anyone feel my pain or am i the only one? any input....thanks!

also, does anyone know if it's possible to work in a university lab even if you don't attend the school?

 

[Punchap]

I finished school May and I am having trouble finding work, esp in the biotech industry. the reason is due to the lack of experience in the lab. so....after countless interviews but no acceptance, should i forego finding work and get research experience in a lab from a nearby university (ahem..stanford) haha

on the other hand, because i'm applying to med school this cycle, i'm looking for any work that i can do within the year...does anyone feel my pain or am i the only one? any input....thanks!

also, does anyone know if it's possible to work in a university lab even if you don't attend the school?

If you can afford not to work for the time being, then I would definitely go for a volunteer research position. You could of course go for a job that isn't necessarily in your field (if you haven't looked there yet) and try to also fit in some part time research.

As for your last question, I'm not really sure how Stanford works. But if you're a hired research assistant at most other universities, it doesn't matter that you're a student. Good luck to you!

 

[GreenShirt]

No you don't have to be a student to work in a research lab. Labs hire technicians full-time technicians all the time. You will, however, likely experience some of the same difficulties you encountered in industry in trying to secure a position in an academic setting (ie no experience). It can take up to a year to train someone in research techniques before they are to work proficiently on their own. After one year you'll be going to medical school and all that training will be wasted. You'll have to use a shot gun approach: e-mail as many professors as possible explaining your background and ask if they have a position available in their lab. It's helpful if they know you from classes you may have taken as a UG. Being a research tech is a great job for a med school applicant b/c there's lots of flexability in scheduling. Good luck!