11 replies to this topic

[Clare]

Hello

In 5 months and 2 weeks my first post-doc position will be finished. I could rant and rave about my experiences in the last couple of years but lets just say I'm not happy with the institute, department or the way my project has panned out. I did my PhD in an awesome institute (WEHI, Melbourne Australia) so perhaps I'm a bit spoilt! My current boss put me on the same project as a PhD student who then left and had a baby...so I was left to do all the work for both of us, (ChIP-chip on 120 patients and ChIP-seq too) and won't be able to do any functional studies before I leave. So no papers either :/

Anyway...

So it's time for me to move on. I am happy to move pretty much anywhere in the UK (being Australian I don't know if I could cope with the cold of Scotland though!!).

Just thought I'd ask those of you in the UK (or those who have worked here) what you think of your current place of work? (You don't have to mention the name publically, I can always PM you).

Things I'm curious about...

Does your department have frequent meetings where everyone presents what they are doing etc? (mine doesn't!!!)
Do you know what the people in the lab next door are working on?
Is it very social with pub nights etc?
Are there many medics doing research?

Thanks for your help guys

Clare

[Superman]

Clare, on Jan 19 2010, 10:45 AM, said:

Hello

In 5 months and 2 weeks my first post-doc position will be finished. I could rant and rave about my experiences in the last couple of years but lets just say I'm not happy with the institute, department or the way my project has panned out. I did my PhD in an awesome institute (WEHI, Melbourne Australia) so perhaps I'm a bit spoilt! My current boss put me on the same project as a PhD student who then left and had a baby...so I was left to do all the work for both of us, (ChIP-chip on 120 patients and ChIP-seq too) and won't be able to do any functional studies before I leave. So no papers either :/

Anyway...

So it's time for me to move on. I am happy to move pretty much anywhere in the UK (being Australian I don't know if I could cope with the cold of Scotland though!!).

Just thought I'd ask those of you in the UK (or those who have worked here) what you think of your current place of work? (You don't have to mention the name publically, I can always PM you).

Things I'm curious about...

Does your department have frequent meetings where everyone presents what they are doing etc? (mine doesn't!!!)
Do you know what the people in the lab next door are working on?
Is it very social with pub nights etc?
Are there many medics doing research?

Thanks for your help guys

Clare

Hiya,

Yes
Yes
Yes
Not sure

What is your field? I am in Scotland and it is not that much colder than England so don't let that put you off. I have nothing bad to say about our department. Everyone is friendly and knows what everyone is doing. My adviser is about to start looking for a postdoc in the ageing field if that is of interest.

[Clare]

I'm a kinda haemopoiesis/leukemia kinda gal...my PhD was on B cell development and now I work on histone mods in AML.

Actually - where are you in Scotland? I just got offered a job this morning in Edinburgh!!!!!

Clare



Hiya,

Yes
Yes
Yes
Not sure

What is your field? I am in Scotland and it is not that much colder than England so don't let that put you off. I have nothing bad to say about our department. Everyone is friendly and knows what everyone is doing. My adviser is about to start looking for a postdoc in the ageing field if that is of interest.
[/quote]

[almost a doctor]

Hiya Clare, where in Edinburgh if I may ask?

I'm based in Edinburgh and altough I now work for a company I did my PhD in Edinburgh Uni and the department was great. If you are working on B cells I might even know some people....  

For my ex-department the asnwers to your questions are:
yes
yes
yes
no

Now, if the post is actually at the hospital the 4th question answer would also be yes (a lot!).

As for Edinburgh, I wouldnt let the weather put you off.  I dont think it'll be that much colder or wettter than England, mostly if you compare it with Australia anyway.

[Clare]

I just sent you a PM

I will head up there and check it out early March. I am pretty keen because I had a really good gut feeling about the PI when I first met him (and I wasn't even looking for work then!).

Now...I may have to talk my husband into it...

Clare

almost a doctor, on Jan 20 2010, 11:42 AM, said:

Hiya Clare, where in Edinburgh if I may ask?

I'm based in Edinburgh and altough I now work for a company I did my PhD in Edinburgh Uni and the department was great. If you are working on B cells I might even know some people....  

For my ex-department the asnwers to your questions are:
yes
yes
yes
no

Now, if the post is actually at the hospital the 4th question answer would also be yes (a lot!).

As for Edinburgh, I wouldnt let the weather put you off.  I dont think it'll be that much colder or wettter than England, mostly if you compare it with Australia anyway.

[Superman]

I am in Aberdeen. You should check out the highlands if you move to Edinburgh if you like that sort of thing. Camping is great and skiing in the winter. Going skiing this February... can't wait.

A lot of that sort of research goes on up here in the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS). I did my masters in that department and it was nice too. Check it out

Edited by Superman, 20 January 2010 - 01:08 PM.

[Clare]

I love camping but have never skiied. Actually, I'd rather do distillery tours than ski

Clare

Superman, on Jan 20 2010, 09:08 PM, said:

I am in Aberdeen. You should check out the highlands if you move to Edinburgh if you like that sort of thing. Camping is great and skiing in the winter. Going skiing this February... can't wait.

A lot of that sort of research goes on up here in the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS). I did my masters in that department and it was nice too. Check it out

[pito]

Clare, on Jan 21 2010, 10:27 AM, said:

I love camping but have never skiied. Actually, I'd rather do distillery tours than ski

Clare

Superman, on Jan 20 2010, 09:08 PM, said:

I am in Aberdeen. You should check out the highlands if you move to Edinburgh if you like that sort of thing. Camping is great and skiing in the winter. Going skiing this February... can't wait.

A lot of that sort of research goes on up here in the Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS). I did my masters in that department and it was nice too. Check it out

Not really being helpfull, but why did you move from australia to the uk?

[Clare]

So I could travel around Europe easily

Where in Belgium are you? I want to move to Belgium one day. Mmmmm beer...

Clare

pito, on Feb 5 2010, 05:43 PM, said:

Not really being helpfull, but why did you move from australia to the uk?

Edited by Clare, 08 February 2010 - 05:20 AM.

[pito]

Clare, on Feb 8 2010, 02:20 PM, said:

So I could travel around Europe easily

Where in Belgium are you? I want to move to Belgium one day. Mmmmm beer...

Clare

pito, on Feb 5 2010, 05:43 PM, said:

Not really being helpfull, but why did you move from australia to the uk?

Ah I see, you want to travel in europe.. haha , its funny the people from europe are doing the opposite: they want to move to the states, canada or australia to travel overthere.
I suppose is logic you do it the other way around.


I live between Mechelen and Antwerp

Ah yes, all those beers in Belgium, we have plenty here.

It always reminds of the "Westvleteren" beer. (one of the best and really famous beers in the world , for beerlovers offcourse)

This is a beer that is made by some monks and they only produce X crates each year and every person is allowed to only buy 1or max 3 cases and you need to go to the Abbey because you cant buy it in any shop (its not really commercial) and then you see them coming up, buying their 3 cases, going away, and then sending their wives to buy 3 other cases and then after the wife passed by they send their children (if they are +18) to get more cases..

Its really funny, every year you see these images on the news how there is an "underground" beermaffia trying to get more cases then allowed haha
  

Edited by pito, 09 February 2010 - 08:42 AM.

[Clare]

That's an awesome story about the beer! I haven't tried that one yet - because when I see it for sale it's always so expensive!
C

[pito]

Clare, on Feb 10 2010, 11:52 AM, said:

That's an awesome story about the beer! I haven't tried that one yet - because when I see it for sale it's always so expensive!
C

Yeah, well its illegal to sell it in a shop so I find it strange you could buy it somewhere. But it does make sense its expensive then haha.
Where did you see the beer then?

But anyway, if you like beer, you should indeed try it once. It was voted the best beer of the world a few years ago so I suppose you might like it.
And also the story behind it makes it a bit unique too.