By Natalya Ortolano
I can’t say if I was more excited or nervous on my first day of graduate school. Starting a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at Vanderbilt University was daunting for many reasons, but most of all was deciding on the lab to complete my dissertation research. Since a close family member had left a doctoral program in the sciences due to poor mentorship, I was determined to find a lab that not only matched my research interests, but also fostered my professional development and supported my long-term goals, whatever those ended up being.
If you have just started a doctoral program in the sciences, you may also feel anxious about choosing your dissertation lab. It’s a big decision, one not to be taken lightly. For better or worse, you will be in that lab for 5-6 years. In my program, I spent the first academic year rotating in 4 different labs for about 8 weeks each. I’m happy to report that I’ve since been in my lab for 4 years and I have no regrets about my choice.
If you have just started a doctoral program in the sciences, you may also feel anxious about choosing your dissertation lab. It’s a big decision, one not to be taken lightly. For better or worse, you will be in that lab for 5-6 years. In my program, I spent the first academic year rotating in 4 different labs for about 8 weeks each. I’m happy to report that I’ve since been in my lab for 4 years and I have no regrets about my choice.
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