The other people in the lab always answered my questions and listened to my ideas. I had a lot of autonomy in my work and I gained irreplaceable experience in the procedures used to execute a large scale clinical trial.
What I wish was different
I wish I had more chances to interact with the Principle Investigator.
Advice
Ask all the questions you have. People more experienced in this field do not expect you to know everything they do.
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One person found this helpful
Research Assistant
May - August 2019 • Seattle, WA
What I liked
I enjoyed getting to run participants as a part of the TransYouth Project, a longitudinal study observing gender development in transgender and cisgender children over a period of 20 years. Working with other interns to clean data and recruit participants gave me experience on how I might approach my senior thesis, where I hope those skills to pursue a similar topic. It was a privilege to sit in on meetings where UW Psychology professors came in and spoke about their work: those meetings turned out to be valuable networking opportunities along with offering insight into how the research track looks in social psychology.
What I wish was different
I would have liked to learn more about research methods, especially since our study design relied so heavily on the use of R and Qualtrics: those skills may have been more broadly applicable.
Advice
When people give you opportunities to do new things in lab, take them: knowing more about what's going on and having more ways to contribute will make the experience a lot better for you, your coworkers, and the kids and parents who rely on you.
