tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7079841100149848531.post4256530217352133304..comments2023-03-23T04:17:35.867-05:00Comments on ... ponderings of a fool: Choosing a lab...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7079841100149848531.post-12838881169076186082007-03-24T08:01:00.000-05:002007-03-24T08:01:00.000-05:00PostDoc thanks for the suggestions. Updated the l...PostDoc thanks for the suggestions. Updated the list accordingly. Picking a good lab is not just skill there is also luck involved. You can never truly know a lab until you are actually working in it and labs/people change.<BR/><BR/>Happily fitting I think takes time because of the luck and it takes time to know yourself (not to mention that you change over time). The pressure of academic research environment can make it hard to evaluate carefully which I think is a major problem in the system.PonderingFoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10767758746935185528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7079841100149848531.post-62801802047809110102007-03-23T20:58:00.000-05:002007-03-23T20:58:00.000-05:00I have a couple factors to add! :) For me, the r...I have a couple factors to add! :) For me, the resources available are a big deal. While this could fit in your funding point, I picked a very well funded program that had taken on more people than it had space to house. I spend more time at my desk than anywhere, so being stuck in a dark, moldy room or in administrative offices with constantly ringing phones was hardly blissful. I'm much happier now that we found more square footage in which to expand. <BR/><BR/>The other - which is as tricky as the rest and likely fits in several of your categories - is politics. Even with the best of mentors and labs, the work I do isn't independent. I'm probably near the far end of the spectrum in terms of being useless without collaborators, but I need to know who's already working on what, have the comfort level of asking for help outside my lab and the knowledge that there's some support system should I run into some sort of turf war. <BR/><BR/>I'm glad you've had such good luck with labs - it's a definite skill to pick the right environment. I feel I've done reasonably well, but I've struggled enough to wonder if I can ever happily fit in academia longterm. (Long, selfish comment - sorry about that.)post-dochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06493309260165352484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7079841100149848531.post-10571142877406771882007-03-23T19:28:00.000-05:002007-03-23T19:28:00.000-05:00It is tough. With post-docs taking longer and lon...It is tough. With post-docs taking longer and longer, I think tolerable at least is becoming more and more important. There are prestigious labs that are not "high pressure" and more having a life friendly that do produce. Prestige is also subjective. Given what we know of how people view men v. women (women having to be twice as productive to being viewed as equal to a man) putting prestige ahead favors male PIs would be my bet. <BR/><BR/>It is also a cycle, presitgious labs get top post-docs/grad students who can churn out good data which keeps the lab prestigious. It is scary trying to get out of that system. It is hammered into us, the heirarchy that exists in science and bucking the trend is dangerous, but is that actually true?<BR/><BR/><BR/>I have lucked out so it is easier for me to say this. When I was working after undergrad my boss was a big name and was great. The same was true in grad school and it is true for my post-doc. <BR/><BR/>It is a hard decision. A lot of it I think can change with better mentorship in grad school (of course that would mean better PIs). With confidence improved it is easier to make a choice between a higly prestigious lab with a jerk of a boss and a slightly "less" prestigious lab with a great boss/lab.<BR/><BR/>I think especially for graduate school at least learning/work environment has to be on top. Prestige won't matter much if after 6 years of grad school you want out of science. At least with a post-doc you have enough experience to be independent if need be.PonderingFoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10767758746935185528noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7079841100149848531.post-13561794184446013542007-03-23T18:45:00.000-05:002007-03-23T18:45:00.000-05:00The prestige vs tolerable working environment is a...The prestige vs tolerable working environment is a huge thing. For postdocs that really want to make a difference to their career chances, putting their lives on hold for a year in a high pressure high prestige lab is probably worth it. The trade off sucks but it could make the career. <BR/>To me, meeting the lab members before agreeing to anything is important. Even if the reports aren't all positive, forewarned is forearmed and all that. <BR/>Nice post though, stuff that more people should consider before they blindly stumble into a bad lab experience.DrOtterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15428353654954650053noreply@blogger.com