What would this work-study job really entail and would it be difficult to learn ?

Question

I have never been in or worked in a bio lab but there is a workstudy position I applied for. Would this job be hard to learn or do? This is the reply I got:

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We are a research laboratory and a portion of the workstudy duties involves working with mice, both live and dead. The tissue sections which are to be cut are mouse organs (brain, spinal cord, etc.) embedded in wax from which very thin cross-sections are cut and mounted on slides. Other duties may include dissection of the mice, processing of the tissues, embedding of the tissues in the wax, and staining of the slides. Working with live mice may also occur in the future.

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I really don't mind dissecting animals as long as I don't have to kill them.

Answer 1

I don't think this job would be hard to learn for you. I have some points in favour and to support you concerning taking up your job in a bio-lab....

1. I believe you are interested in biology and certainly you have an appropriate qualification.

2. You must have wanted to work as you have applied for the job;

3.Either you don't care about the salary or you will get a satisfactory payment as a lab assistant....

4. As for such a job, you have to be prepared for dissecting too if needed,AND even if necessary you have to, not necessarily kill a specimen, but employ narcosis agents to make it sleep to work on;

So, you have to be prepared mentally and psychologically;

I hope while studying biology you have gained the stamina and got resistant to doing experiments on  animal- specimens.

5. As far as the difficulty in learning is concerned, my experience as a biologist tells that you will be alloted a single specific table at a certain place to work in the beginning and until you are taught how to do it, you would not be left alone.

So, no problem dear.

6. After a few months you may be shifted to another lab table with a another specific job (that would be an UNIT part of a ceratain experiment or test. And again you will have to get used to doing that.

As they will want you to teach all sort of "UNIT" work then come into a overall team work.

7. I have been in lab works and have seen that all new employers are given enough time to cope with new things but they are to learn basic things at various tables...thus I think you also would be given enough time to learn but changing "DESK" is possible from time to time.

I hope you will be doing better day by day and one thing is important to emphasize..

Never say" NO" and don't show your weakness "over any lab desk"

Lab works needs skills but above all resistance , as well as mental power.

THAT'S all for now.

Go ahead and wish you best luck.

IF YOU LIKE BIOLOGY and lab work and you are aware of the specificness of " Lab -WORK" boundaries as well as DUTIES.....GO AHEAD with God's blessing. And ENJOY!

GOOD LUCK. & GOD BLESS YOU.