Stimulated and Supported or Coddled and Cramped?

After three months as a postdoc in a "small lab," having landed there fresh out of her PhD program at a medium-sized one, the blogger at More than Science says there are both plusses and minuses to having additional one-on-one time with her PI — who is not only involved in nearly all of the lab's goings-on, but also spends time alongside trainees at the bench. Only three months into her position, she already has a manuscript in preparation based on work she initiated independently at the start of her training. Another benefit of her current, smaller lab, she adds, is that she has already been acknowledged for her contributions to the group's success. Plus, "I've made connections with people who will be able to help me with my career goals," she adds. However, smaller research settings can feel cramped from time to time. For example, she says, "some members can be very possessive of the work" and sometimes, "PIs can be a little bit too involved." Often, when several people in a small setting are working toward a common goal, "everyone is responsible for the same things, which leads to nothing but chaos," she says. Though it's not all bad being part of a smaller group, she says. After all, she adds, "I'm already going to two conferences and presenting at one."