As a husband and father, balancing laboratory life and personal life is an ongoing juggling act. Experiments requiring a typical workday somehow stretch an extra 2-3 hours, straining time with family. When my son wakes up with a fever, and my wife cannot miss work, I have to lean on my labmates to attend to my cultures until I arrive. Having an empathetic principal investigator (PI) and supportive colleagues are tremendous assets. Once I decided to intern in the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT), I needed careful planning to prevent my juggling act from becoming a circus.
Before considering an internship outside of the lab, you need permission from your PI, of course. Essentially, you are convincing your “boss” to continue paying you a full-time salary with potentially reduced on-site presence. If your PI requires a set number of hours per week, plan on extended work days or weekends to make up the difference. Some PIs merely want results; in this case try to meet regularly with your PI and proactively share pertinent data to reassure them that you are productive.
Each of our interns maintains a unique schedule that pairs well with their laboratory schedule. We aim for 6-10 hours a week in the office. Physical presence, particularly for new interns, provides spontaneous and invaluable discussions, networking, and opportunities to expand your knowledge. More seasoned interns may reduce their on-site hours. As an intern, you will likely be paired with a licensing associate and your schedule will need to coordinate with theirs.
Finally, an intern master calendar is maintained to assist not only the interns but the staff in OTT. Furthermore, available desks and workstations may be a commodity. Knowing when resources are available will make you more productive when you are present.
Similar to bench science, careful preparation makes all the difference!
– Jason Cloward