Who Works Here?

I'll take the time to write this post about what sort of people work alongside me in the research lab. Since the NYSPI is a huge institution, of course there is a large hierarchy of people who work above the researchers - administrators, board members, etc. However, in the realm of the actual research, the PI (primary investigator) is in charge of the research. He or she deices what the content of the research project will be - this includes the subject being investigated, the method in which the research will be conducted, and the interpretation of the results. These PI's usually have doctorates in clinical psychology, neuroscience, biology, or other related fields, and have to go through very long application processes, especially when it comes to applying for grants that allow them to do this research.

I'll spend more time describing the background and work of research assistants, whom I've spent much more time working directly with. RA's usually have a BA in a relevant subject, and since an RA position at the lab is considered a "transition" job, RA's typically plan to go to medical or graduate school in the future. The RA contract states that he or she must work there for about a year, during which they are working ~40 hour work-weeks (it's a full time job!), which include some weekends during experimental cycles. The RAs that I have encountered have all planned to be there for about 1.5-2 years, after which they plan to go on to graduate or medical schools (the two that I worked with directly in the Res Lab want to go to medical school, while the RA in the outpatient lab was looking towards graduate school).

So becoming an RA in the lab seems to be a useful step in the process of getting into grad/medical school. Many people suggest taking a break after undergrad before going on to the next level of education. This allows time to get valuable work experience that can be added to one's resume and application. Schools seem to look favorably upon those who have shown the maturity and responsibility required to run a lab. Although I am still a couple of years away from making this sort of decision, it is definitely something I will now consider!