I've had the great fortune of mentoring many fantastic students while I've been at Duke. I've worked with many undergraduate and master's BME students for various research projects. As such, I decided to write up some of the lessons I've learned and systems I've put in place. Please leave comments on things I may have missed or about different experiences you've had! Job Ad I've hired students in different ways. The past few times, I've put out a job ad and sent it to the target group, whether BME undergrads who are in a certain course, all first year BME Master's students, etc. Keep in mind that depending on your available communication channels, it can take some time and persistence to obtain applicants. Here's a sample job ad, giving an overview of our lab's research, a brief statement of the project on which the student would be working, and expected qualifications: We are seeking a highly motivated individual who enjoys the freedom to pursue their own ideas in a supportive environment to join our team. Our goal is to understand and control neural function with the purpose of restoring function to individuals with neurological impairment or disease. Presently we have active projects in • deep brain stimulation (DBS): mechanisms of action; closed-loop control; design of innovative therapies • peripheral nerve recording and stimulation for control of bladder function, including restoration of continence and emptying • spinal cord stimulation to treat chronic pain: modeling, preclinical studies, and clinical studies to understand mechanisms and innovations to increase therapeutic efficacy • autonomic nerve stimulation and block: computational modeling for analysis and design, with complementary in vivo experiments • transcranial magnetic stimulation: mechanisms and innovations to increase therapeutic efficacy We conduct computer-based modeling of neurons and electric fields, in vivo stimulation and recording in pre-clinical models, and clinical feasibility studies in humans. The focus of this position is on computational modeling of electrical stimulation and block of autonomic nerves. This is a part-time position and provides exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary research and career development. A BS in engineering, strong programming skills, and prior coursework or experience in bioelectricity are required. We encourage curiosity, enthusiasm, and initiative! For consideration submit a resume to... Interviewing Once I've received resumes, I'll set up interviews with the top ~3 candidates. Here are some interview questions that I use. It usually only takes ~30 min to interview, and then I'll show them around the offices and lab. I'm looking for some level of technical expertise, but I also want to know that they'll be excited & curious about the work, that they'll communicate well, that they'll take initiative, etc. Interviewing is nerve-wracking, so I want to get them talking about things in their comfort zone, then work up to tougher questions.
Projects It can be hard to define a suitable project for a new research assistant. The goal is to strike a balance between ownership and importance. You want the student to feel like they have ownership/control over their project. This is empowering and motivating. People want to feel like their work is important. However, you want to make sure that if things don't go well, or go more slowly than expected (which they always do), you're not stuck in making your own progress. In other words, make sure that you are not dependent on your student's progress. Finally, make sure that the scope of the project is suitable for the student's training, experience, interests, availability, etc. On-Boarding You want to make sure that the student gets started on the right foot. Here's a list of things that I do to on-board a new hire:
* Extra note on availability: Even if already discussed in the interview, re-establish expected min hours per week (e.g. 10 hrs/week). That being said, I tell my students that courses come first, so if they're in a crunch with exams, for instance, and can only put in 5 hours instead of 12 that week, just let me know. I always ask each student if they'd prefer a weekly set meeting time (standing meeting) or check in as needed. I generally find that starting with a standing meeting is helpful; you can always drop it later if it seems unnecessary. Also, maybe for the sake of your own schedule and work flow, you would prefer to have a standing meeting so that the student is not asking you questions at random times. Lastly, make sure that the student has a sense of the big picture of the project. Why is this project awesome/important? Motivate their work, even if they're doing more repetitive tasks. Research Mentoring So now you have a student, you've assigned her/him a project, and you've gotten them on-boarded. How do you best guide their research progress? One thing to consider (even before hiring) is your goals for your student: learning vs research progress. Hopefully, you can do both. But for instance, if progress is slower than you expected, it can be good to think back about that balance of goals; if you feel that they're learning a lot, then that's just a different kind of progress In no particular order, some ways in which you might interact with your student: - I really get excited (with them) at their successes, big or small. High fives, 'awesome work', whatever. Positive feedback wherever it makes sense. - I let them know that they should tell me if there's anything I can help them with...whether they need more feedback, set meeting time, papers... - When going through updates with them, I make sure I understand all of their steps, and interrupt with questions wherever I need. Often that helps them clarify their thinking too. - For next steps at the end of a meeting, ask the student what they think should be done next, or what the options are. That way, you're not just telling them your vision; they'll be more engaged, will learn more, and may surprise you with new ideas. Further, it takes pressure off you to feel like you should always have the answers. - More generally, it's totally fine to defer answering a question if you have to go digging and get back to them later. And tell them as much - it's a sign of a good question and good research mindset! - Make sure that next steps/action items are clear. I often send an action item recap in writing via Slack or email after meeting, especially if there were many tasks discussed...but depends on the student. Or I'll ask them to send me a meeting recap in writing. - If you feel like things aren't going well or fast enough or.... Try to think for yourself why that might be, and then ask the student about how you can help them progress at a faster pace or make sure that their quality of work is more consistent or that they work on clearer communication or that expectations are clear for both mentor and mentee... However, keep in mind that sometimes, it's just not a good fit. If things really aren't gelling, you're doing both yourself and the mentee a disservice by keeping them on. Motivation Motivation, productivity, and work satisfaction all go hand-in-hand. I want my students to be happy in their research. Science is hard, but overall, I want them to be proud of and enthusiastic about their work. This recaps some of my earlier points: - Hire someone motivated!
- Get the student on-boarded and introduced to the group so that they know that they're part of a team. - Make sure the student knows where their project fits into the big picture of the broader research goals AND where the project could go in the future if they choose to keep working on it. - Get excited about their progress. Recognize when they take initiative. Give positive feedback wherever it's deserved. - Be mindful and dynamic about how you provide help and guidance. Sometimes, you need to sit down and work through issues with them, give them some answers/directions. But don't always provide answers right away. Give them time/space to try working through things on their own. Sometimes, I do that implicitly - by just deferring til later or the next day etc. before meeting. Sometimes explicitly, by saying "try xyz" or "try working on it a bit, and we can meet Thurs". Ok, that's all for now! Again, please comment below with ideas/questions/etc.! Sources of images:
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