graduate researcher

graduate assistant

research assistant

assistant professor

administrative assistant

University of Oklahoma


Working at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center (OUHSC) can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Here are some good points to consider:

Academic Excellence: OUHSC is a renowned institution known for its commitment to academic excellence. It offers a wide range of programs and disciplines, including medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, and biomedical sciences. Working in such an esteemed academic environment can provide you with opportunities to collaborate with leading experts and contribute to cutting-edge research.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: OUHSC fosters interdisciplinary collaboration among its various health science disciplines. This collaborative environment allows you to work with professionals from different fields, fostering innovation and encouraging a comprehensive approach to healthcare and research.

Research Opportunities: OUHSC is a hub for research and innovation. It offers state-of-the-art research facilities and resources, providing you with ample opportunities to engage in groundbreaking research projects. Whether you are interested in basic science research, clinical trials, or translational research, OUHSC provides a supportive environment to explore your scientific interests.

Clinical Practice: OUHSC operates several clinical facilities, including hospitals and clinics, where you can gain practical experience and provide patient care. Working in a clinical setting can enhance your skills and provide a deeper understanding of patient needs and healthcare delivery.

Community Engagement: OUHSC is deeply rooted in the community and actively involved in addressing healthcare challenges and improving public health outcomes. By working at OUHSC, you have the chance to contribute to community service initiatives, outreach programs, and partnerships that positively impact the lives of individuals and communities.

Professional Development: OUHSC is committed to the professional development of its employees. It offers training programs, workshops, and continuing education opportunities to support your growth and advancement. Whether you are a researcher, clinician, or educator, OUHSC provides resources to enhance your skills and knowledge.

Work-Life Balance: OUHSC recognizes the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. It provides comprehensive benefits packages, flexible work arrangements, and employee support programs to help you achieve a fulfilling personal and professional life.

Collaborative Network: Being part of OUHSC means gaining access to a vast network of professionals, researchers, and healthcare providers. This network can open doors for collaboration, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities within and beyond the institution.

A typical day of being an athletics marketing intern begins with going into the office and checking the intern to-do list. Most of the time the to-do list includes writing scripts, putting together boxes to send to fans and planning in-game promotions. After office hours I go to class, and after class I usually work a game. I have been able to work football, volleyball, soccer, women's basketball, men's basketball and wresting this semester. At these games, I set up promotional tools, work with fans for in-game promotions and do everything possible to make sure the event runs smoothly. 

I've learned how to plan and manage events. But as much planning as you do, something can always go wrong. With events, you always need to think of the "what ifs". I've learned to think more strategically. I have also learned how to work with many different personalities. That would probably be the most valuable thing I have learned from this internship.

The management is so much fun! At games they always have the best attitudes and I am so thankful for that. I love the marketing staff and they have taught me a lot. The graduate assistant that works with undergraduate interns is a former OU gymnast and she hasn't just helped me learn about athletic marketing, she has taught me a lot about life. We have become friends and when she graduates I'll miss her!

My co-workers have become some of my best friends. We spend so much time together and have really gotten to know each other. They never slack on their jobs and it's been fun to work with them! We all have different personalities and working 

The hardest part of my job is actually resisting the urge to ask for a picture when celebrities attend OU games. There were always Oklahoma celebrities on the sideline at football games, and it was a task to remain neutral towards them. The whole season I stayed professional and didn't talk to them unless I was talked to first.

The most enjoyable part of this internship is having a "behind the scenes" view of all OU sports. From working on the football field to being in the press box for soccer games, I have loved this experience.

Overall, working for OUHSC is not a terrible choice. Department culture, however, will play a large role in job satisfaction (i.e., schedule flexibility, dress code, workspace, office politics, team cohesiveness). During the interview process it would be wise to ask a lot of questions about the team culture. Ideally staff and faculty would recognize the importance of each others' role, however, in some departments the distinction becomes more of an "us and them" situation. For this reason, academia, particularly research, is most certainly not for everyone. Faculty are not typically trained in management and leadership. They earn their positions of authority with their funding accomplishments, not because they know how to effectively lead a team. The hope would be the opportunity to work with faculty who recognize this limitation and subsequently hire those who can help fill the gap. Again, the interview process and opportunity to ask thoughtful questions can help to uncover any red flags. In my opinion, and with around 15 years of experience in academia, entry level research assistant and tech positions provide the best opportunity for those who plan to move on. Those who are in the later years of their career and who have a drive to continue moving upward may not be as well-served. However, it must be reiterated: this often is determined by the department culture and leadership. Do your homework, ask the hard questions, and pay close attention to the way your interview is handled. Also, if not offered, ask for a peer interview.

xIn my experience, the University of Oklahoma operates in a highly hierarchical way where “shared governance” feels more symbolic than real. Decision-making power is concentrated, and the faculty senate’s influence often seemed limited in practice.

The culture I encountered was clique-driven and risk-averse. Expectations and “rules” felt like they could shift depending on who you are and whether you challenge decisions. Speaking up—especially when advocating for rights, fairness, or new/innovative approaches—felt risky and was often met with pushback rather than constructive engagement. Over time, I felt pressured to “fall in line” rather than collaborate in good faith.

I also found the disability accommodation environment discouraging. Despite public messaging about inclusion and belonging, I experienced prolonged delays, inconsistent responses, and a general sense that accommodations were treated as inconveniences rather than legitimate supports that enable people to do their jobs.

If you thrive in transparent processes, principled shared governance, and psychologically safe workplaces where faculty can raise concerns without fear of retaliation, I would proceed with caution. In this environment, it felt like you either adapt to the prevailing culture or you’re pushed out.

Perform all duties as the OCCC Purchasing Card Program Administrator for assigned PCARD program. Process new card applications, train cardholders, evaluate/research requests for limit increases; monitor/report program metrics; Support internal requests for transactional documentation to support audit requirements. Provide backup as required for the other domestic PCARD program administrators. Assist with the maintenance of program procedural documentation, forms, etc. Maintain ongoing communications with new and existing cardholder/approver OCCC community. Conduct purchasing card monthly/quarterly self-audits per procedure. Assist with State audits as required. Document self-audit findings and recommendations and perform follow-up with cardholders and approvers as required. Support all card program projects and initiatives, system upgrades, training and testing as required.  Other tasks include, departmental website management, Vendor Management, Part-time Buyer I and Project Manager of the ImageNet Consulting, print management contract.

I started my job there as a student worker during my junior year doing mostly secretarial work, but my time was split between the Office of Outreach and Business Development and Community Partnerships. When my supervisor on the BD side learned I was an English major, they adjusted my hours to gain more proposal development experience and gave me a considerable raise! I continued working there through grad school and was met with another generous raise when I obtained my BA, and another one when I earned my MA. Built up and guided through strong female leadership, I consider myself extremely blessed to have been given an opportunity to learn the trade and bond with women in the field. Their mentorship and support enabled me to enter the proposal management industry seamlessly after graduation with the knowledge, ability, and leadership skills needed to manage the writing and review process. 

A typical day would involve screening for study eligible patients at multiple hospitals, talking with the patients about the study and the consent form, consenting and enrolling patients in research protocol.  I would also see patients for study followup visits, check INRs and dispense study medication per physician orders.  I also prepared study reports for my boss.  My workdays varied as I audited a closed study and built a database of my findings
I learned how to work effectively with the patients and physicians, I learned how to perform an audit of a study a compile findings into a report and I learned to deal with roadblocks.
The management was excellent.  My boss was brilliant, well-trained and ethical.
The workplace culture was excellent and made me want to excel in all that I did.
The hardest part of the job was the low pay.
The most enjoyable part of the job was working for a brilliant, well-trained and ethical boss.

I was very excited about beginning the Research Assistant I position with OUHSC; however, disappointment began pretty quickly with my immediate manager. If the person was present, there was very little direction or guidance through the complicated credentialing process. Frequently, promises of conducting research were extended, but never actually began. What was described as a medical research assistant position changed to a business assistant for the Pediatric Emergency Medicine section of OUHSC and Children's Hospital. Initially, I was hired to assist in the research, data collection, and development of abstracts for an arginine therapy study for children with sickle-cell disease. This never got off the ground as the lead researcher was never present. I did not want to continue to perform Accounts Payable/Receivable functions and neglect my interest in medical research.

Pros
+Very educational experience
+If your coworkers get along it can be a lot of fun
+Hands on experience with various types of skills 
+Steady, stable work with occasional overtime opportunities
+Has benefits

Cons
-Employees are not paid enough 
-Promotions are far and few between, and they hire outside employees for managers instead of promoting within
-Advancing is very much a case of who you know instead of effort put into work
-Priorities out of whack with where they put employees and funds
-Very reluctant to firing troublemaking employees, would rather transfer them to different departments and hope they don't cause problems there 
-They do not give adequate training for what's asked of new employees

Hardest part of the job: The ennui and feeling of being stuck in one spot

Best part of the job: Skills and knowledge gained, coworkers, free meal each shift

What is the best part of working at the company?
I loved working for OU until they “involuntarily terminated” me after I suffered a catastrophic fall from stairs when someone had spilled something  and I didn’t see it until it was too late, free falling down 20 concrete steps. They took my job away, one that I truly LOVED. Bye, OUMC, 👋 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Working FOR the company is very stressful, no matter where you are employed! I was at OUMC downtown ER for 7 years, OU Edmond ER/ICU/ACU and was at Stephenson Cancer Center 2years


What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic at best. HR is a joke-never answer questions, take months to on board after the hiring process.  And, not helpful at all when called to appeal

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stress! Doesn’t matter what area worked they were understaffed, underpaid, under trained.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Graduate researcher 12 salaries reported	$26,327 per year
Graduate assistant 4 salaries reported	$1,863 per month
Research assistant 3 salaries reported	$26,000 per year
Assistant professor 5 salaries reported	$82,800 per year
Administrative assistant 5 salaries reported	$17.17 per hour

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