<p>I am in the process of deciding my 3rd and final rotation lab choice. I didn't like my first 2 lab rotations and will NEED to join my 3rd rotation lab. My two options are:</p>
<p>1) PI A has more interesting research. He is super friendly and really outgoing and nice. He has been here for 4.5 years and is only an assistant. He has no grad students. THere are 2 lab techs working in his lab. One of his lab techs has only worked for almost 2 years and already has 2 papers. I am very interested in his research and he seems super nice and he spent more than a hour talking to me even when i showed up to his lab unexpected. If i join his lab, it seems like I will interact with him on a daily basis. His 2 lab techs seem to really enjoy working in the lab and only have positive things to say about him. But my bigest concern is that he has had no grad students and doesn't have tenure.</p>
<p>2) PI B has tenure, has been here 16 years and has had 12 students graduate. Currently he has 2 research associates and 3 grad students. He seems super busy and doesn't really have time for his students. It seems like if i join, i will only interact with him at lab mtgs or like once every 2 weeks. But he has published alot more papers than PI A and is more well known and respected in his field. However, i am hesitant to rotate here, because he is super awkward and not that friendly/nice. Also, seems like he is super strict and has high expectations. However, his graduate students obtain excellent postdocs</p>
<p>Will your program allow you to complete more than three rotations? The best course of action would be to rotate with both PIs and to make a decision based on a full rotation, not just on first impressions.</p>
<p>Also, what do you value in a PI? Some people prefer a more hands-on PI, but that preference is not inherently better or worse than the preference of people who prefer a more hands-off PI.</p>
<p>Is your department strict in only allowing 3 rotations? If you can, try to rotate in both to see which fits you better. One worry with PI A is that he might be looking for a new job in a few years if he is denied tenure.</p>
<p>Finding a good fit is of paramount importance, in my humble opinion. From your post it sounds like you adore PI A, and are only considering PI B because of his title/stature and because his past students have done well. At the same time, NeuroGrad does raise a legitimate concern re: PI A’s tenure situation.</p>
<p>Given all of the above, I would third Mollie and Neuro in recommending that you rotate in both labs if possible. If not possible, personally I would go with PI A, because if you’ll be unhappy in PI B’s lab, you won’t be inspired to do great work. Grad school is a long and at times tough journey, and it is, I think, of paramount importance to be in a lab where you feel happy and supported. Just my two cents. :)</p>
<p>Normally, I’d tell you to go for Professor A, but a couple things make me a little concerned. If he’s been at the university for 4.5 years, his tenure review should be coming up very soon. If he’s had no grad students in that time, that’s already a negative in terms of performance from the perspective of the review committee. On the other hand, if he has a lot of grants (and it doesn’t sound like he does), his position may be more secure. Overall, I’d say rotate in Professor A’s lab and try to find out the status of his tenure review. As a backup, find Professor C, whose lab you’re interested in but who is more established (tenured). That said, you seem a little unhappy about your current situation. I just wanted to point out that things might turn out better than you expect. I was in a similar situation last year - my first 3 rotations didn’t work out. I decided to take a chance, completely switched fields from biochemistry to neuroscience and am now in a really cool lab working on a great project. As has been pointed out before, though, it’s very important to do the research that you really like, because you’ll be working on the same topic for the next 4-5 years.</p>
<p>It’s worth taking extra time to find a lab that’s a great fit for you in as many ways as possible. I think sometimes people try to rush the early parts of grad school, thinking they want to get through as quickly as possible, but realize later on that taking the extra time to make the right decision in the beginning will most likely save you time in the middle and the end.</p>
<p>I will third (fourth?) the suggestion of trying to do rotations in both labs. I really can’t imagine a program that would force you into such a position - what if the 3rd rotation goes terribly (regardless of which you choose)??? I’d talk with the head of your program about possibly doing both rotations, even if you make them each a little shorter than usual.</p>
<p>Yes, I too would strongly recommend speaking with the administrator/registrar/director of your program about your situation. I don’t think any program would want to force you into a bad situation where you end up joining a lab which you really don’t want to join. I am sure if you explain your concerns, your program will be happy to help and support you in finding the right lab.</p>