postdoctoral fellow

security officer

student intern

security specialist

logistics coordinator

Van Andel Institute

Most mornings involve prepping solutions and materials which are dependent on the nature of the experimental analysis and data collection. The experiments are somewhat time-sensitive since they typically involve live animal models that are on a reverse day/night cycle - fidelity of data hinges on the replication of experimental details during the time course of the study. Afternoons are generally when most of the technical execution of the experiments occur.

Through this internship I enhanced my laboratory capabilities since it was the first time I have had to work with animals. I have also added several techniques to my skill set, primarily related to animal handling, behavior testing, surgery prep, perfusions, neuronal cell culture and various histological techniques. 

Management is straight-forward with each intern answering to a single lab supervisor and primary investigator. 

Co-workers were a pleasure to be around and always willing to help, while learning on the job is necessary... co-workers are always willing to lend a hand to make the process smoother. 

Hardest part of the job is keeping up with the simultaneous experiments and sheer volume of data that is collected. Staying organized is key. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is the satisfaction that comes with constant development and improvement of one's skills within the laboratory.

The SMC hospital serves the whole country, so it receives a lot of specimens every day which makes it stressful especially when the lab is short of staff. However, the learning experience is priceless. We learn how to use the software, many staining procedures, attending Fine Needle Aspiration procedures and evaluating the adequacy of each aspirated sample. 
The management is highly organized that we get the job done on time and the co-workers are very co-operative making the work environment less stressful and more encouraging.
The hardest part of the job is doing multiple tasks at a time, which makes it hard to complete all of the tasks at once.
The most enjoyable part of this job is that we deal with real patients and the more we do for them the happier we feel. We find it very rewarding every time we make a diagnosis.

The good... 

- Good work/life balance with flexible schedule availability and parental leave policy.
- Good compensation and benefits.
- Professional development opportunities (seminars/conferences) and educational reimbursement.
- Fun organizational events and weekly on-site happy hour.

The bad...

- Lack of transparency and engagement from leadership.
- A chasm exists between organizational culture messaging and culture in practice.
- "West Michigan Nice" culture: avoidance of conflict and inability to engage in productive, healthy debate in decision making.
- High tolerance for under performers.
- Poor performance evaluation system with little to no attention to professional development goals and career growth. Promotions and pay raises are disconnected from the annual review process and are rarely based on performance or competency.

A typical day at Van Andel institute: every morning, the caretakers do daily health checks for the mice. These must be done first thing in the morning. After checks, the rooms must be swept and mopped to sanitize. The caretakers set up in their respective rooms and change the dirty mouse cages that are due to be changed for that particular week. At the end of every week, all the caretakers feed every cage so the mice have sufficient food supply for the weekend.

I developed a close relationship with most of my co-workers. Being an animal caretaker requires being part of a team, and I very much enjoyed that aspect of my job. We all got along most of the time and were able to settle disputes fairly easily.

Marketing and Development department is a mess, as every single person there warned me from day one. There is so much dysfunction, in fact, I was told I probably should leave as soon as possible, literally from every manager and associate in the department. I was told it is impossible to please the Director of Development there, and the constant turn-over says it all.

The politics are just so unfortunate- unfortunately, every single manager talks poorly of the director and no one understands why he still has a job. 

Beware.

A day at vai is always good because I get o work on my own, people here are mostly very nice and treat you with respect. I have learned a lot about customer service and also had improve my English.I  learned to use a scrubber too.
My supervisor is the nicest ,kind I ever had.
My coworkers are also nice and respectful.
l  don't know if there is hardest part, I guess if there is I would say everyday are almost the same  wish could make it a little bored.
The most enjoyable part is the flexibility, I can always go to my kid meeting or appoint and just pay my time later.

It's a great organization filled with professional, dedicated, talented people. Compensation is good. Advancement could be better. They offer good benefits and perks. Culture is improving and there is a real sense of mission within the team. If you love science, innovation and want to work in a research-oriented environment, this is a wonderful place to work.

Great place to do a summer internship. I worked with a very helpful group of people who made the experience fun and exciting. The pay isn't top notch but if you're looking for a stress free work environment, Van Andel is a great option. Most enjoyable part of the job was the extra curricular activites and events that were offered to all of the interns within the facility. The hardest part of the job was performing the duties of my job without interfering with other departments or intruding on their space.

Overall the institute as a whole is good. Most managers are great at what they do. There are however a few managers that are quite toxic.
The institute provides a lot of support I day to day operations, all equipment is kept up well and no washing of dishes is necessary (which saves a lot of time, oh and interns don't have to be doing it all the time either).

The brain trust only include long -term management team members who are all “yes” men and women. No significant improvements to the culture come from upper management. Any improvement to my position has come from my own desire to improve, not encouragement from my supervisor/manager. For my position there is no growth at VAI.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Postdoctoral fellow 7 salaries reported	$65,977 per year
Security officer 1 salary reported	$20.00 per hour
Student intern 1 salary reported	$16.00 per hour
Security specialist 1 salary reported	$18.50 per hour
Logistics coordinator 3 salaries reported	$18.00 per hour

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