Career questions tagged laboratory
What other strengths or experiences might I need to become a medical lab scientist?
I want a career that has something to do with health, science, and research . what other strengths would I need to become a medical laboratory technician
When should I cold email professors for lab experience or observation?
Hi, I’m a transfer student planning to attend a 4 year university as a psych major this fall. I wanted to ask when is a good time to cold email professors due to my schedule. Ideally, I would like to start as soon as possible (around summer and then into the fall), so I’ll get more experience. However, I am working full time and taking classes this summer. I do have some availability to go to office hours and lab meetings but that depends on the labs and professors that I am interested in. I wanted to know if it’ll look bad if I cold email professors around this time when I am busy, and if I should just wait until fall semester starts.
What experiences or skills do I prioritize and how do you suggest developing them during college to become truly valuable in a research lab and contribute to research that has real-world impact?
I will be a college freshman next year, majoring in molecular biology and biochemistry with a minor in chemistry. As a freshman I look forward to working working in a lab and building my research experience. #Spring26
What should I go to school for?
I am struggling to decide what to go to school for. I have a deep passion for the environment, love STEM and want to make a difference. People also love me and I them! I do not like big pharmacy or corporations. What degrees would suite someone who loves to be outside but also loves the lab, and has a passion for activism? I want deeply to make an impact on the world, but also make a modest wage, hopefully over $75k a year. I loved bio lab in community college but didn’t finish my AA and plan to go back to get my bachelors. Not great at math so environmental engineering is likely out. Any ideas?
What were the most valuable career experiences that you had before becoming a professor, and what would you recommend checkpoints would you recommend me to pursue on my own journey to become one, specifically in the engineering field?
I'm a student pursuing a doctorate in the engineering field, specifically chemical or biomedical depending on what classes I end up enjoying more or excelling at in college. I'm super passionate about sharing my knowledge, but I also always want to continue learning myself, so I want to become a professor, so that I have the opportunity to teach others while also doing research with other professors and students at the university. I understand that it's important to have research experience and to get papers published for this kind of career, but I'm not sure what else would be helpful in the profession or even just in landing the job. I want to know what opportunities would help me with this, without delaying my plans for too long.
What is it like working in a Lab environment?
Is it like how it's depicted? Do you actually get to continually work towards a goal in the lab with experiments/trials? If so how is it? And if not what is it actually like? I think I would be interested into going into a more biomedical field, something to do with genetics, and I genuinely want to think about if I'd enjoy it before I pay for college, y'know?
What are some suggestions for becoming a clinical chemists or medical lab technician?
I just finished my freshman year (college) as a chemistry major. I am interested in doing volunteer work or internships to improve my career prospects.
How do PhD admission officers think about an undergraduate who worked in two research labs simultaneously?
I am currently a rising sophomore who started in a genetics lab in March. I found a really interesting opportunity to work in a biomedical engineering lab, and their position description requires me to learn many software skills which will be helpful for my bioinformatics track. Assuming I can handle the workload, would adding a second lab strengthen my PhD application? Or might it raise concerns about my ability to commit deeply to one research lab?
How hard is it to get a job in a research lab out of college?
Research Lab
How is the job market for Medical Laboratory Scientists in Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula in Michigan?
After completing my Medical Laboratory Science program I want to move to Northern WI or the UP but I'm not sure what the job market for an MLS there would be or how being in a rural area would affect my salary. If anyone could offer some advice that would be great. Thanks again!
How do I find labs to shadow as a junior in high school and how do I reach out to them to say I'm interested?
Hi! I am a junior in high school, and I am interested in chemistry. However, to solidify if I want to go into research, I want to get lab experience and shadow someone in a lab. I have already taken all of the advanced chemistry courses my high school offers, scored high, and enjoyed the content. But I don't know where to find these experiences and how to contact these places. I don't want to get paid to be in these labs. I just want to observe what they do in labs. Should I look into university labs?
With my qualifications, what jobs will accept me?
I am graduating in the spring with a microbiology degree from UMD. I have little lab experience, and have applied to 40+ jobs with no response/luck.
How to become a lab technician?
Lend your expertise: what does it take to become a lab technician? Note: We've seen a lot of interest in this career, so we're looking for guidance from our community of professionals.
What is the best way to start preparing for a MLS/CLS career as a sophmore in college?
Hi! I'm entering my sophomore year of undergrad. What tips would best help me prepare for my career in MLS programs before I graduate?
What internships are available right now for high school engineering students?
I'm a high-achieving Engineering focused student with knowledge in CFD software and 3D design through Fusion 360.
What chemistry field would be the best for someone who doesn't want to be stuck in a lab all day?
I want to go into a chemistry field but don't want to be stuck in a lab all day. I have looked into chemical engineering but I want to know what other fields I may like.
How do I get used to surgery smells and views?
How do I get used to the surgery smells/visuals? I have shadowed a research neuroscience lab that operates on mice for a couple of months now, and the scents/sights of the needles and mice still make me queasy. How do I overcome this?
How can I reach out to science labs asking for an internship as a high school student?
Could anyone provide email templates for requesting a medical or chemistry internship as a high school student trying to work with popular and selective research labs?
Hello! My name is David and I am a current high school student. I'm conducting an interview with any professional in Genetic Counseling field for a Foundations in Health Science Class project about careers! I have created a total of 13 questions. Comment on this post, answering all 13 questions to be apart of my assignment.
1. What profession did you choose? Why? 2. How many years of college did you need to go through? 3. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? 4. How can I decide if I should earn a Ph.D. in this field? 5. Were you in a college program? 6. Did you have to pivot and go back to school at a later date? 7. Did you shadow another professional in the field? 8. Did you join any school clubs related to your current profession? 9. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during your school years? 10. What skill sets did you learn or gain while pursuing your career? Please answer directly and numbered
How can I be a successful medical laboratory scientist?
I'm a junior in high school who wants to pursue a career in medical lab sciences. Maybe in diagnostics or research? My favorite classes so far were AP Psychology, Biology, Anatomy, and Chemistry.
How do scientific researchers come up with their ideas?
I'm an 11th grader in some biotechnology classes, and it's got me very interested in pursuing a career in medical research. However, I don't really understand how researchers come up with their ideas. Is there a list out there to choose from, or do people come up with them themselves? Because I've been trying and never came up with anything.
What is the quickest track to become a clinical lab scientist?
clinical lab scientist
What job would you reccommend for lab work and research other than chemistry and microbiology?
For example, working with cells, tissue, etc. As well as working with microscopes, possible genetic engineering, bacteria.
What do I need to do in order to qualify for an MLT certification?
I am nearing the end of my M.S. program in Biology and I do not have an MLT certification that a lot of CLIA laboratory jobs require. Only a few colleges provide an MLT program and I can't afford a $5k program right now. The other option is to spend three years in a clinical lab but no lab has responded because they all require an MLT to begin with, so I have no idea how to actually qualify for the MLT certification exam despite having a B.S. in Biology and soon an M.S. in the same field. What do I need to do that is affordable and practical for me to get an MLT certification? I desperately need professional advice, as my professors do not even know how MLT certification works.
what is the differences between a veterinary assistant and a laboratory animal caretaker?
I am trying to learn the differences between those two trades to understand better and see how each one does and see it as possible that is a good career and put myself there or not
What's the difference between working in a lab and working in R&D for a company?
I'm graduating with my bachelor's degree in physics this May (yay!), and I learned that I loved working in the lab, performing experiments, doing computational analyses, drawing conclusions, etc. I'd love to work in a lab at some point but there seem to be a lot of entry barriers for physicists who don't have a higher degree. I'm wondering what the main differences are between working in a lab and working in a research and development role in industry. Any insight appreciated!