Research Reference

[koreanboy123]

What should I do guys? Going into 4th year in the fall for my biomedical degree. Got into research a bit late since I was working other summers. This is my first year of research and when I met my supervisor he was impressed with my GPA. Said a bunch of stuff about how many of his students got to med school and seemed really chill.

 

As a health sci student I get guaranteed funding so it was about me choosing the lab to work in. I decided to go in his lab but as I work with him more he seems to have bipolar disorder. Some days really nice and other days criticizes me for everything (things that the grad students know and he expects me to know even though he hasn't taught it to me).

 

I wanted to ask him for a reference but now not so sure. And I am a bit limited in terms of references so I will need a reference from research. Should I stick with him during school year/once I graduate and hope he writes a nice reference or give up on this summer of work and try to find a new prof that could write me a reference? I've heard of quite a few professors that just let you write your own med school reference and then they submit it....

[Lancia Stratos]

This is one of those things that I think there isn't really a correct answer/solution to...

 

The impression I got from your post is that you seem to think that you need a professor to write one of your references. Dr. Walker was talking about this during the information session and he really emphasized that he would much rather see a reference from somebody that knows you well than from a professor. Status doesn't mean anything to them. Apparently, the file reviewers who look at your application don't actually see who its from they just see what they wrote.

 

You mentioned grad students. Get one of them to write a reference, because chances are that you actually worked with them more closely than the professor.