Postdoctoral research fellow - Postdoctoral Fellow Massachusetts General Hospital Employee Review

- Could be isolated from the rest of academia, if your PI is not well connected and actively collaborating - Although Harvard affiliates, often not considered as Harvard proper, and it is an open secret among MGH postdocs that many PIs are subpar and do not live up to "Harvard Professor" name. - The organization is too big and often feel like they do not care about the postdoc PhD researchers. Specifically: - PI will have total control over you. Unless you are lucky to have a truly caring PI, be ready to be the lab slave, and little to none consideration will be given to your career development. - No oversight from the administration for PI's behaviors. PI will be the total dictator of his/her lab. Abuse of postdocs, especially international postdocs, are rampant in this hospital. If you talk to other postdocs, every day you will hear horrific stories how they were abused, threatened, etc., just because international postdocs on temporary visa are vulnerable. I've even heard racists remarks from PIs. - No hospital guideline or education for PIs on acceptable behaviors. - It is very common for PIs to actively destroy your plans to pursue non-academic career path, despite the fact that roughly 1 in 10 or less postdocs will land an academic position. - Hospital will turn a blind eye to postdocs forced to stay over 5 years, despite policy. There are many postdocs in the hospital stuck for over 5 years, plenty up to 10 or more years. So if you want to join this hospital for a postdoc, you must either be prepared for this outcome, or be very vigilant about preventing this from happening. Summary: The environment can be very hostile to your career development. You come here to advance your career, not to come here to become permadoc. While there are still chances for you to succeed, you must actively protect your career development plans, and if you are abused, report to HR or write glassdoor reviews.