next »

[trishtea]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping some of you can help me out a little.

I'm a relatively new (lab-based biological science) postdoc - I finished my PhD in the UK Dec 2010 and moved to a postdoc in the US Jan 2011 so I've been in my current position 7 months or so. I've moved from a small but friendly group at an up and coming medical school to a badly dysfunctional (no one talks to each other and my PI is a bit of a tyrant) group at a middle to high tier established school.
This job is for 2 years (as long as my PI hasn't decided she hates my at the end of the first year) working on a supplement to an R01 (I think), after which point my PI is looking at having possibly an R21 that I can be a postdoc on.
However I'm not overly enamored with the sub-field I guess (its a side-step from my PhD area) and I'm not really happy with the group. But I don't know whether it would be best to stick out the 2 years, to suck it up and stay in the field after that if I can get the postdoc on the R21, or whether to try and jump-ship sometime before that. Any suggestions?

[trishtea]

I should probably clarify - the dept I've moved to is a research-only dept so there's no teaching opportunities, nor were there any where I did my PhD so I'm also worried about getting too far down the line and having no teaching experience whatsoever.
I know in the UK people are quite commonly postdocs for a good few years before it starts to look odd that they haven't moved on. What's the consensus here? How long is too long to be a postdoc?

[scampster]

I'm not in a biomedical field (I'm a postdoc in a different STEM field), but if you don't like the research area, it seems that maybe you should stick it out for 2 years for the first part of the grant and get a couple of papers out and then move back into a research area you like (and if you frame the move that way, I don't see that the move would be burning bridges). A lot of schools have a 5 year limit on how long you can have a postdoc appointment, but you aren't close to bumping up on that.

One thing - in my experience it is harder to get teaching experience as a science postdoc than as a grad student unless you get some kind of external teaching fellowship, even at a school with teaching. Most PIs want someone committed to the project and who won't be distracted by teaching, since the work needs to get done on a certain timeline. The only postdocs in my circle who have swung this had unique situations. One had a national postdoctoral fellowship and then she got a teaching fellowship that paid 50%, so the postdoc fellowship agency let her drop down to 50% time on that and extend it. BUT she wasn't tied to a particular PI because of the fellowship (she worked with people of course, but since she was entirely self-funded they really had no control over things). The second taught when his postdoc funding started dwindling - the PI was fine with him teaching because the PI couldn't cover his salary those semesters. We have a ginormous quantity of postdocs in biologically related fields at my school and I am friends with many of them and none of them have taught here as they are married to their lab, but this is still just anecdata.

[trishtea]

Thanks scampster. I guess I'm just worried that my lack of teaching experience will work against me when I'm trying to get a more permanent job (as if there is such a thing...)
Also my PI's had me looking at other small sources of funding that I can apply for myself, which I suppose is a good thing but I feel guilty because I'm thinking of not staying. It doesn't help that I feel like an outsider in the group, but I know that's not uncommon and I should probably just stop moping ;)

[lurkingfear]

In my experience, your ability to land a TT position at research schools will hinge on your research almost entirely. That said, a little teaching experience can go a long way. Did you TA in your grad institution? Can you give a guest lecture here and there at your current institution. For the latter, I would suggest contacting profs who teach in your field, and volunteer. I for one would be happy to have a post-doc offer to give a lecture in a senior undergrad or graduate course as long as the topic fits reasonably well. One less lecture that I have to prepare. However, if your goal is to move to a teaching institution, you will need some experience in that. It doesn't sound like it is the norm where you are, but it may still be possible to pick up a course as an adjunct in another department. Whether your boss will be thrilled with you doing this is another question. Talk to him/her before you pursue this.

As to the research problems in your current lab, you are under no obligation to stay. That said, if you do write a small grant and get it, whether you stay or not, it will be a feather in your cap. It sucks to have a tyrant for a boss, with the possibility that he/she will not be happy should you decide to leave for greener pastures. There isn't much that can be done about this problem except to try to explain the situation as best you can when the time comes. Showering the person with praise regarding how much you have learned under his/her tutelage may help, while explaining your reasons for wanting to move on, which of course have absolutely nothing to do with his/her wonderful lab.

[kron3007]

I am in a very similar boat, about 8 months into a 2 year postdoc.  I was advised by my advisor to start applying for permanent jobs pretty much as soon as I started my postdoc, so I have been sending out applications.  I think it is expected that postdocs will be looking for greener pastures, so I would keep your ears to the ground.

[rosajj]

Good morning everyone, I'm very glad that I found this forum. My situation is almost similar to trishtea. This post is very helpful to me.