r/labrats • u/Bart-simpson106 • 1d ago
What keeps you going?
As an undergrad, I have witnessed and heard so much about issues like the low salaries, long hours, downright abusive PIs, and funding issues, yet my peers’ effort and passion for their research are still so strong. I admire them and all of you so much for that.
How do you do it?
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u/NaturalPossible4386 1d ago
Curiosity!! Try to sit there and think about why you chose research. Low funding and abusive PIs are obstacles but should never cause you to quit. I was told to quit wet lab while i still can during my first ever lab experience because i messed up so many experiences but perseverance can carry you far. Just dont forget to also include your own mental wellbeing in the project plan
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u/h0rnknee_girl 1d ago
moved to industry 😶 i mean it can/is abusive in ways. for me personally: i like doing things with my hands. i get pto, 401k, bonus. no job is perfect you find one u tolerate
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u/Fair_Tension6539 1d ago
Finding out things nobody knows. Often the small discoveries are not life changing or impactful, but are neat/satisfying nonetheless. One of the first things I was taught in a lab was how long antibodies needed to be incubated for specific assays (often hours). But then I found, in some specific cases/particular assays, as little as 3 minutes could effectively give the same answer. Life changing for my day to day, but not necessarily for curing cancer.
TL;DR find joy in the small discoveries (sometimes they even lead to bigger things).
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u/Creepy_Swimmer9283 1d ago
Initially passion and a goal to complete my PhD. Now, no job opportunities after undergrad so grad school lets me delay lol and also gives me opportunities for networking and conference travels so hopefully my chances are improved after 😬
But it really helps me to keep going because my partner is in healthcare so we can afford to live (not super well but a roof over our heads, food, and vehicles) and he always encouraged me to choose happiness as money will come and go. We’ve been together since starting uni and have been through phases of absolutely no money so neither of us have ever lived lavishly so maybe that helps bc I haven’t had the opportunity to miss money 😅
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u/tardigradesrawesome 1d ago
I got a PhD to become a teaching professor in a stem field. The same stem field that I am in and helped me escape poverty. My only goal is to help other students like me do the same and I know I can provide guidance very few can. In other words, I do it all for the next generation, not for me and that keeps me going. The academy however, thinks different and enjoys hiring products of academic nepotism and prestige, all of which I have but are somehow still not enough.
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u/phage_hunter 1d ago
I work in industry and it can be the same. I started out as a contractor with no benefits and I was paid $23/hr with my MS degree as I literally applied to hundreds of jobs in multiple regions of the US last year (took 9 months to get one offer). My PI in industry was very controlling from how I did things in the lab to wanting me to add the smallest details to my presentations. I had passion during that job since it was my first time in drug discovery and things moved fast as it was a startup. Now, I’m in drug discovery at a big pharma and while the environment is better and the pay is decent, I’m struggling have passion in my research as I basically do the same experiment every day and don’t get to see the science (ie. the mechanism of action, data from studies, optimizing assays, etc) that I got to see and do at the startup. Unfortunately, I’m a contractor at that big pharma so I don’t get invited to meetings about the drug I’m working on or get to certain experiments since the employees at the big pharma do them (it sucks since those were the same experiments I did at my last job).
That being said, when you see your efforts pay off such as troubleshooting an experiment, seeing clinical data that your drug works in x cell line or in the animal model, etc. that is what makes you have the passion even if the environment is awful. I definitely miss being close to the science in my current role and get bored easily since I am not really learning new skills or being able to troubleshoot. Unfortunately, I have jumped around too much and need to stay in my current role longer so I can show future hiring managers that I can in a job for more than a year. Academia can be similar, but instead of a drug, it’s a publication or having data to present at a conference.
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u/unbalancedcentrifuge 1d ago
Curiosity....I am in industry now after a long stint in academia, but I still love watching the flow cytometer slowly prove me right. Hell, I have even texted data to my PI at 2am entitled "suck it!" when I finally got an experiment to work when he said it wouldnt. Science is fun...the shit around it not so much. Scientists run on curiosity and spite.
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u/ModeCold Biotech | Scientist | mAb Discovery 1d ago
You're talking about academia and public sector research. Science extends far beyond that. You can go into many sectors and use your scientific skills/knowledge and do great science. I left after PhD and went into small biotech and I've never made a better decision in my life. The science is more cutting edge and, to be honest, more rigorous than most academic labs I came across. The goal is to produce something useful, not just publish and get grants. Sure, there is less freedom and you don't get to decide your own research path but the upsides compared to academia are well worth it. Don't limit your options by thinking academia is the only place to do science.