My position as "student researcher" just ended on July 1. For 19 months, my job was to do whatever I was told, no matter who told me to do it. I helped whichever researcher needed help at the time. This worked fine for me. I was able to learn lots of different things because I did something a little different for each person who asked for my help. I also got to know everyone in the lab pretty well. Most of the time, however, I worked for one of two people: Laura, and Judy. Laura is no longer working at the lab, but Judy is.
On July 1, I became a research technician. This new position is a little different. My job is to work for Ivana. I do whatever experiments she needs me to do. In between her work, I can help other people if I want to. If you've been reading my blog, you know that the last 2 1/2 weeks have been pretty boring. We have been moving into a new lab which means we are lacking many of the necessary equipment and supplies to actually do any work. But on Friday, the first instrument was installed. So we were able to do some work- if it involved that single instrument. Judy asked me to run some of her samples on that instrument. I agreed without any hesitation. I was excited to get back to the bench and do what I love- science.
Then, on Monday, she asked me to help her with a new technique. Neither of us have done it, but we've both done something very similar. It involves many basic laboratory techniques that I am very comfortable with. However, it can be somewhat difficult because it involves RNA. There are 3 things that you have to be aware of when working with RNA: 1)If the samples are not kept cold constantly they will degrade and become unusable. 2)You have to work quickly and get the samples back into the freezer as soon as possible. And 3) you have to disinfect everything in the immediate area constantly because proteins that chew up RNA are sitting around on everything- the table top, your hands, etc. RNA can be somewhat difficult to work with, but if you follow those 3 rules then you're fine. And luckily, I know those 3 rules. So I'm thinking that I can do this new technique without any problem. But Judy wants us to do it together just to be sure it goes okay. On just 4 samples. This is kind of hard to explain if you don't work in a lab, but imagine having 5 people in the kitchen baking cookies together. At some point, there's just too many people trying to work on the same bowl of ingredients. That's how I felt about this procedure. You don't need 2 people working on 4 samples. And because we're working on it together, I have to go at Judy's pace. Which is S-L-O-W. I get so frustrated when I have to stand there and wait while she reads the directions for the 50th time. Or when she goes off on a speech about how careful you need to disinfect everything. Or how she wants to repeat the last 2 steps just to make sure we get everything right (when in my opinion, we did it fine the first time). I will admit that I am not the most patient person, and this pushed me to my limit. There were times when I had to tell myself to take a deep breath, and don't say anything I will regret later. Then, at the end of the day, she just leaves and gives me directions to finish. I guess I should have been happy that she left me alone, and I kind of was, but another part of me felt like "why do you get to leave, while I have to stay here and finish your work?"
I wanted to just tell Judy to do her own work in the first place, but that would be kind of rude when the only other thing for me to do is sit at my desk and check facebook for the 200th time that day. So I didn't really feel like I had a choice. And to be honest, I don't mind doing her work- if I could just do it by myself! I don't like having to do it her way, at her pace. It drives me nuts!
I have to say right now that this is nothing personal against Judy. She has been an amazing mentor for my entire time in this lab, and nobody has been more patient than her when it comes to teaching me good laboratory technique. But I'm past that point now. I'm ready to be on my own. So, do I have a bad attitude? Probably. I should take this as a lesson in patience. I wonder if that lesson will ever sink in.
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