I have worked as a research assistant in two labs in different areas of medical biology. Much of what I do is act as a helper and interface for the PhD students

I have worked as a research assistant in two labs in different areas of medical biology. Much of what I do is act as a helper and interface for the PhD students and PostDocs. There is a lot of diversity in PhD students! They also face some incredible challenges, especially the ones who are studying internationally and have to worry about getting kicked out of the country when they finish. I had an unsuccessful PhD due to poor project planning. It led to pretty severe burnout which I am lucky to have recovered well from. But it is good to share that there is life to be lived after quitting a PhD. I still encourage PhD students to pursue science, but I do so with a word of caution and a note that there are alternatives to the sick system that is academia.