Currently I work in a lab at Duke University that researches prostate cancer. My boss (PI or primary investigator) is an MD, so some of our work involves clinical trials. I have a MS in biotechnology, and I have worked in several different areas of biological science.
Because of my back, I'm not able to do the actual experimental work any more, so I am doing lab management. Unfortunately my boss really needs me to be able to do more than I am currently doing. Another lab member is leaving in July (hopefully for med school), and when he leaves someone will have to take over his duties. He has been doing most of the tissue collection (biopsies for the clinical trials), and the follow-up processing of the tissues. In one of the trials, the tissue processing is going to have to be done immediately, because patient treatment is going to depend on the results. Which means several days of intense, full days of work.
This is a big dilemma for me. If I don't have surgery, physically I can't do the work. If I do have surgery, will I be back in time to take over.
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