two labs, two lives - (Jan/24/2008 )

Hi!

I was just wandering if there is any one here having two supervisors.....
I just started PhD ina new lab and I have 2 supervisors....at the beggining I only thought about the advantages of it...(having resources from both labs, more space for your samples in the freezer, different points of view for your project, if anything go bad with one, you still have the other...etc) and I still think the same way. But..... I just realize that is nice to have only one group to belong to. It is as if you feel that "belonging".
Sometimes people from one group talk about my other group and viceversa....if something is missing in one lab the other group is responsible....(both labs (my labs) are in the same floor, one next to each other...), they have separate parties, etc. It might be that I just arrive here, but I still feel lost....right now I don't feel completely confortable in any group.
Beside that, things are ok.....I like my project and the booses seems to be really nice.....it is a nice building too.
Is anyone having a similar situation? how can you manage?

I had two supervisors from separate labs for my honours year, however they were at different sites about a 30 min drive away so I ended up spending most of my time just at the one lab- and made contact with my other supervisor mostly via phone and email. It worked out ok for me, but yes I did miss out on "belonging" in the other lab.

I think you are extremely lucky that your labs are right next to each other.
One thing I would suggest is why don't you try to be the person that brings the two labs together?? I know that there can be a lot of tension and clique-yness (excuse my spelling and making up words!!) between two labs but I think if you helped everyone to get to know each other better, it could be for everyones benefit- not just yours

Science is all about collaboration and sharing knowledge- and you never know when someone else may be able to help!!!

Good luck

Thank you very much!!!!

I am not sure how possible is for me to become that link, but it does sound like a good plan.....
both labs also work in different way.....lab duties are completly different.....and I prefer one of these labs over the other.....
Well....I guess it will be a challenge........

thanks again for the advice!

me too have 2 SUPERvisor and i have 3 labs!!!!

I got lab A - from my co-supervisor .... but as there is no many people using the lab, and i'm the most senior there, so i have to take care of the lab (like part time manager + low cost labour). taking care of the undergrads doing their final year project there, make sure they have all the equipments, chemicals etc. ...even thought the lab belongs to my co-supervisor... but it is just like my lab, my place. coz i spend most time there.

Then I got lab B - belongs to my supervisor, the building is just next to my lab A... I'm not the boss there, but i do part of the work there... and tissue culture lab is in that building. since it belongs to my supervisor. I have no trouble working there.

Apart from there, i have another lab belongs to both my supervisor and co-supervisor... but it is further.... about 15-20min drive fr my lab. I'll do part of my work there... eg. my microarray and data analysis part....

With the petrol price hiking these days.... having too many labs is not a good idea.....

just try to be more friendly and make friends in all labs. it will make your life much more easier while working in all the labs.

Sanjiun-81.....my goodnes!! how do you do it?!!
I am coplaining...but one lab is next to the other....even the doors for each of them are right next to each other....
I guess I will just imagine that I have only one huge lab....full of people then....

thanks for encouragment!!

Hey solmaniar,

If you just started your PhD, my advice would be to give it some time. I also worked in two different labs, and at first found it weird, but in the end I found it to be a great experience. I'd suggest that you take turns who you go to lunch with: mealtimes are a great opportunity to get to know people. Eventually you'll feel closer ties to your workmates, and trust me, sometimes it's nice to mix up who you do work with and socialize with. Now I'm in one lab and we all do everything together and it's a bit much sometimes! I try to take at least one day a week to eat lunch on my own just to preserve some feeling of independance.

As far as attempting to bring the two labs together might be a bit ambitious, but I'm sure that with time you'll come to feel as though you have two homes.

I wish you all the best,

Ginger