Research Assistant
(Female, Age 24) from washington, DC
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 24 who works as a Research Assistant in washington, DC. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Research Assistant |
|---|---|
| Salary | $40,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | washington, DC |
| Years Experience | 9 months |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for the National Institutes of Health, doing research, clinical trials and data collection on acute stroke patients in a hospital.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Collecting data on all patients, responding to acute stroke codes, consenting patients to trials and research studies, managing research protocols.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
1 week vacation, 1 week personal leave, 401k, health insurance (PPO), life insurance
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I work with researchers, doctors, patients, and hospital staff on a daily basis. I enjoy it, but it can be frustrating when communication breaks down, or when people have different priorities than yours.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 4
Benefits: 6
Hours: 8
Co-Workers: 2
Supervisors: 7
Job Title: 5
Level of Responsibility: 3
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | 7:40 arrive to work and set up computer |
| 8am to 9am | Printout signout (overnight record of any new patients seen or that need to be seen) and update spreadsheet and forms with relevant patient data; make notes about things that I need to coordinate that day (putting in order for research MRIs, approaching patients to consent to research trials, getting missing data for database) |
| 9am to 10am | neurimaging rounds from 9:00-9:45- conferance call with other hospital and research office at the National Institutes of Health to review all MRIs of patients seen the previous day and discuss them- I make notes of data like stroke location in brain and other features of the stroke to add to patient database |
| 10am to 11am | in-hospital rounds on patients with team (about 10 people), we visit each patient, check their status, and make recommendations towards their care; i record any relevent data on their status and tests received |
| 11am to 12pm | seeing consult patients: three new patients were called overnight that we have to see for the first time and make recommendations on; i go along one of them (all seen at same time by different people) to record data on them and see if eligible for trials |
| 12pm to 1pm | get organized again with paperwork, make copies of forms and restock them, figure out which data i am missing and research it in medical records system, ask team members to place orders for scans and scale (exam) particular research patients as part of research protocols |
| 1pm to 2pm | acute stroke code is called, we respond by seeing the patient in the emergency room and doing an emergent MRI to assess their stroke. i follow the team to record data |
| 2pm to 3pm | stroke code continues and patient is found to have stroke, so is eligible for trials. after the code is completed and patient returns to emergency room, i approach and consent them to research trial. |
| 3pm to 4pm | i work on all follow up for that patient needed for their research protocol, such as ordering research scans, letting the other team members who perform various research protocols know so that they can get their parts started, etc.; continue to catch up on paperwork of consults seen earlier that morning and followup with team members (doctors) about specific data I need |
| 4pm to 5pm | another stroke code is called, we again respond by going to the emergency room and taking patient for MRI; i follow and record such things as their exam, vital signs, bloodwork, times of MRI, past medical history, and diagnosis |
| 5pm to 6pm | stroke code continues, however patient does not have stroke, so not eligible for trials. I finish collecting data and return to office to organize all paperwork and make sure all research protocols for that day are taken care of and no major data is missing. I leave work by 5:45. |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
internet posting
What was the application process?
email application and resume with cover letter
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I had two interviews in person and one phone interview, one with the staff i would work with daily, and the other two with supervisors
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
They asked about my previous experiences, why I wanted this job, and what my future plans were
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
yes, although it is always changing
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, learning about medical records and how a hospital runs, learning about the intriciacies of data collection, training to consent patients to trials
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
yes, i felt confident with the medical knowledge and knowledge of the administration of hopsitals and research to move forward in my job
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
yes
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Take as many science and public health courses in college as possible, think about the skills you will need to have (either the obvious ones, or the not so obvious ones that can give you an advantage) and try to get experience in them.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Communication skills with diverse populations and education levels, writing skills, organization skills, multi-tasking skills, knowledge of research (how it can work, important components and issues with it)
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
at least a college degree
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
be prepared to change often and reprioritize your responsibilities, be adaptable, but also know what YOU want to get out of this position and continue to look for ways to achieve that every day
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
yes, it offers great experience and knowledge that I will take on to future careers and studies
What are your current career goals?
graduate school in health education and working to improve healthcare for disadvantaged populations
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Research assistant | 9 months | 39000 | data collection and research trials on acute stroke patients |
| Prior Job 2 | Resource Development Coordinator | 2 years | 40000 | public education campaigns for Hispanics |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.8
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.7 | George Washington University | Public Health |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
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