What are some of the challenges with working in the lab?

... I have developed a greater appreciation for the importance and necessity of paying attention to details, which in this type of work are of the utmost importance. There are so many different people working in the lab each day that it would be very easy for everyone to do the same tasks in a slightly different manner, which would create extremely difficult working conditions in a very short period of time.

… there are many different aspects and duties that need to be performed, and research assistants must be flexible in the times that they come in and help. There are always problems that are going to arise, and you need to be aware that you may be asked to put in some extra time in order to get the problems fixed in an orderly fashion.

Working in the lab requires this flexibility because your schedule must accommodate the study participants.

You must be willing to put in the allotted number of hours, work early mornings a couple days a week, work on the weekends, and attend weekly meetings.

When working with the elderly you must take into account many factors. For example, you may have to deal with poor hearing and poor balance. One must always be aware, alert and ready to react in case something unforeseen occurs.

I believe that the one main thing that keeps the EPL running smoothly is attention to detail. Every part of the study, from phone calls to the participants to how to run the metabolic cart has a script. I feel this, while tedious work at times, helps me, as well as incoming undergrads, a great deal.

... the scripts and protocol ensure that everybody is working in the most efficient way possible and that experimental accuracy is maintained. I also think this consistency allows for the lab to run as smoothly as it does because everybody, from the doctors to the undergraduate assistants, is held to the same high standards.

When I first began working in the lab I was overwhelmed by the amount of information was presented with; however, because it is such an organized operation, I found that once I learned the system and had access to the scripts it became a very easy environment to work in.

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