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CASE STUDY: Dealing with Disappointment

Dr. Smith turned the project over to a new student.

Dr. Smith felt angry by what she saw as John's rejection of her generous offer. "I am sorry, John, but you will not be able to repeat the experiment. The term is almost over and your funding is up at the end of the term. I am going to ask next year's new grad student to see what happens when she tries to replicate your results. I think that we can get you a teaching assistantship to keep you going while you write your thesis, but please remember that all data from this lab remains in the lab."

This is a mentor-trainee relationship gone awry. It is not common that a graduate student's research assignment would end before his thesis is complete or well underway. If John would have been reassigned at the end of the term, regardless of the outcome of his work, that information should have been communicated clearly, early and separate from the failed experiment. If John was not going to be allowed access to the lab data necessary for his thesis, he should have known about this possibility long before it was time to begin that work. The rules of the lab and what graduate students can reasonably expect should be communicated as completely as possible before students accept appointments in the lab. Dr. Smith's personal feelings in response to John's rejection of her offer should not affect her treatment of the graduate student. Dr. Smith has an ethical responsibility as John's mentor to find an alternative that keeps his scientific curiosity alive.

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