1st Year Rotations

[bsharpe269]

For those of your who went (or are going) into grad school with a very specific research interest, did you have to do rotations? I will be applying with a masters and very clear research goals. There are a handful of professors in the country who I really want to work with and I'll be applying to their schools. I have a lot of experience in this area so I don't really want to rotate with other professors since I am applying to the schools for specific labs. For those of you a similar situation, were you able to do all of your rotations in the same lab? How did this work out for you?

[Eigen]

This will depend strongly on the school. 

 

Either they'll let you jump straight into one lab, if the PI is interested, or still want you to do the rotations as an educational experience. 

 

Generally, what I've seen in the latter cases is that your PI who's lab you'll come back to will suggest specific rotations to pick up skills/connections/work with potential committee members. 

 

It's a great time to go to a new lab and learn a specific skill, or get access to a particular instrument. 

[ion_exchanger]

For a lot of schools that I have visited, you can only rotate with one lab if you like. It's actually better, you don't waste time, can begin immediately on potential projects, and won't take space from someone who doesn't know what lab they want to join. Beware that some PI's will outright ask due to funding. They don't want to use time/resources training a student who already knows that they won't want to join their lab.

[St Andrews Lynx]

It depends on the Department - some are strict about doing the proscribed 2-3 different rotations, others aren't. There is often the opportunity to begin a rotation in the summer with your top choice lab. 

 

I'd say go in with an open mind and do a 2nd rotation. Most 1st year grad students in my cohort shuffled their advisor preference list within the first week, even. New information will emerge once the current grad students really start talking to you. Grant applications fall through. 

 

You don't want to be in the position where your top choice lab rejects you due to incompatibility/lack of funding and not having a back-up.

[bsharpe269]

You don't want to be in the position where your top choice lab rejects you due to incompatibility/lack of funding and not having a back-up.

 

I get this idea but i know EXACTLY what I want to study so there are only around 15 people in the country who I want to work with. I will be applying to programs to work with them and contacting them before applying to make sure compatability and funding arent issues. I am sure that this isnt that uncommon for people with masters already since we have already gone through a couple years of graduate research, really narrowing down our interests.

 

Thanks for the info... I hadnt really thought of the benefits of doing a rotation in another lab even if I am already committed to one. It is true that I could pick up skills that could also be useful in my main lab.

[St Andrews Lynx]

Thanks for the info... I hadnt really thought of the benefits of doing a rotation in another lab even if I am already committed to one. It is true that I could pick up skills that could also be useful in my main lab.

It's also a useful way of making connections & friendships with other lab groups. Who knows when you will need to go down the corridor to borrow a chemical or use a specialist piece of equipment? If you impress the other faculty during your 2nd and 3rd rotations it will be very easy for you to choose your committee members later.