What is day to day life like when working in a lab?

[Cocktail4one]

Hi

Does anyone on mumsnet work in a lab? I would love to study a degree soon however I have some questions about the daily routine. Also I am unsure about what type of degree I would need, there seems to a variety of science degrees. I am interested in testing of substances, I love biology so perhaps testing in a hospital environment.

Are you inside the outfit that you have to wear and inside the lab for the whole shift? Or do you get to nip out and make a coffee/phone call/ toilet break when needed? Are you allowed to bring drinks in to the lab? Any issues that I may want to consider?

Thanks so much

[sweetkitty]

I used to work in a microbiology food testing lab. We had to tie long hair up, wear safety specs, no sandals and a lab coat. When leaving the lab we took our lab coat off and washed our hands.

It did feel like a factory in that it was repetitive work, testing lots of samples. But it was a great laugh, I was young fresh out of uni and working with loads of people the same age (we went out drinking at weekends). It got a bit a different once I was promoted to assistant manager and had to meet customers and be a bit more professional lol.

Oh and it’s not that well paid well it wasn’t when i worked there.

[sweetkitty]

Oh I did a degree in Microbiology others did Biomedical Science (good for hospital labs), biochemistry and chemistry

[gingerandsmall]

I studied Biomedical Sciences and lots of people I know through the course work in labs now (a few hospital labs, others drug development, a few in microbiological food analysis). I'm currently applying for jobs in forensics though. It's a good degree to do if you want lots of options at the end of it but know you want to do lab work.

[gingerandsmall]

Sorry that didn't answer your question about day to day life!

[Cocktail4one]

Thanks guys! 😀

[SluggishSnail]

I used to be lab based, but research rather than testing samples.
You can go in and out the lab, you just take off your lab coat, lab specs and gloves and wash your hands.
Definitely no eating or drinking in the lab.
There is lots of lab work for graduates, many different kinds. A starting salary with an Honours degree in a relevant subject would be about £22-24k; a bit less if you enter via BTech/HND.