Choosing a lab: Know Yourself

Do I Know You ? "Flickr" cc

Selecting a lab is likely one of the most important choices a Ph.D. student can make. This is the lab you will forever be associated with and the environment is an essential component to making or breaking it in this business. The reason I say that is because there are always highs and lows in science even for the best or luckiest of students. Science is challenging and failure is inevitable. But, in the right lab with the right mentoring you can really excel and that all depends on the lab you select.

So when you are a first year graduate student  in many integrated or "umbrella" programs in biomedical science students go through rotations that last a few weeks. The purpose of this is to find a good lab fit. But you can't possibly test out every lab so here is my cheat sheet to get the answers that you need to find yourself a great fit.

It all begins with you. Who are you? When do you feel the most productive? Are you a morning person or a late-night worker? Do you like working around many people or are you the type of person that likes to work in silence? Do you work well in a team or independently? How do you communicate? Are you a direct, task-oriented person or are you need motivation and guidance? Figuring out who you are through personal assessment is something that every student and faculty member, in my opinion, should be mandatory. Knowing in advance who you are and what you bring to the table will make you not only more self-aware but help in communicating who you are to your future lab. One online assessment you may consider is a DISC assessment, a leading assessment in the corporate world. I'm sure that there are opportunities at community centers or even university career centers. They aren't all hokey, you can actually get something out of it. I used to think that liberal arts educations were a waste of time and money. I am actually finding that those classes that were required and filled up gaps in my science-heavy schedule allowed me to diversify my interests and learn a little bit about myself. Never hurts to have something to say in an interview besides just what I have done in science.