Should I change research jobs???

[PreMedJustTryingHere]

So I have been hired as a Summer Research student at a hospital with a renowned cardiologist. I am helping this doctor with this clinical research (dry lab - data entry every day) alongside a team of summer students. The problem is I am not very interested in this specialization and the work is very repetitive. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to have gotten this job, gained a greater appreciation for cardiology and, I even get to shadow surgeries and clinic appointments. I understand that research can be slow at times and is repetitive too, but this is simply number entry. On top of that, I spent all last summer interning with him and working a part time job to show my loyalty as a student. Luckily, even got to co-author a paper (yeah I know, this isn't as big as being a primary author, but I am working on it).

Should I stay with this job next year - so I can put down that I worked with him for a while, hopefully learn more in this role and hopefully get a good reference letter? Or should I try to find a new research job that I find more interesting? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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[Shirafune]

So I have been hired as a Summer Research student at a hospital with a renowned cardiologist. I am helping this doctor with this clinical research (dry lab - data entry every day) alongside a team of summer students. The problem is I am not very interested in this specialization and the work is very repetitive. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to have gotten this job, gained a greater appreciation for cardiology and, I even get to shadow surgeries and clinic appointments. I understand that research can be slow at times and is repetitive too, but this is simply number entry. On top of that, I spent all last summer interning with him and working a part time job to show my loyalty as a student. Luckily, even got to co-author a paper (yeah I know, this isn't as big as being a primary author, but I am working on it).

Should I stay with this job next year - so I can put down that I worked with him for a while, hopefully learn more in this role and hopefully get a good reference letter? Or should I try to find a new research job that I find more interesting? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

A little late, but I'm not sure if this is the best use of your time. If you are really interested in research and want to gain valuable research skills, then find another position that gives you more involvement in the research design process. It's great that you got to shadow him, but here are a few options to consider:

1) Stick with this PI, but ask for more responsibilities and involvement with the research project(s). Now that you have some experience, do you feel comfortable designing some aspects of the research and/or helping out with IRBs etc?

2) Find another clinical lab that will let you take on more advanced responsibilities.

3) Find a bench science lab and get exposure to wet lab work. Do you have any data analysis and/or statistical skills you could apply to bench research?