Oregon Health & Science University Research Interview Questions
& Process

I had an awful hiring experience that felt like a complete waste of my time. After a month of waiting, I interviewed with the Principal Investigator, toured the lab, and even got a verbal offer. I was really excited because I liked the lab and the research aligned with my background in biomedical engineering. Then, HR called to discuss the offer details. They briefly mentioned a very low hourly wage, less than $20, and then tried to quickly move on to other benefits. I was shocked because the OHSU website lists salaries yearly, making them seem like salaried positions. The HR person said the wage was actually too low to be legally considered salaried in Oregon. The salary wasn't posted in the job description, but this offer was way below what I found from external sources. When I asked if this was the typical offer for this role, they said it was 'less than what most researchers make' and even brought up current researcher unionization efforts, trying to convince me. Honestly, I wasn't focused on the money. I was prepared to accept less pay because I heard OHSU is a great place to work and I'm passionate about the research. However, with a Biomedical Engineering degree and significant student loan debt, I asked if we could negotiate the salary higher. $20/hr in Portland just wouldn't cover my living expenses or my student loans. I professionally explained my experience and education and tried to negotiate again, but was shut down with a single sentence: 'I'm sorry, but due to equity I cannot raise the salary.' This explanation made no sense, as qualifications, education, and experience typically influence salary. They followed up with a condescending, 'If I raise the salary for you, I'd have to raise it for everyone...' which honestly sounds better than paying engineers poverty wages. I'm heartbroken. The professors aren't to blame; they have no control over the offer and can't even petition for salary increases anymore, according to the PI. This organization seems to exploit students and recent grads who are desperate enough to accept lowball offers. After a month-long interview process for several positions, I'm back to square one. I would share this experience publicly, but I feel I can't due to potential repercussions from the university and the risk of losing future offers. Sorry for the long rant, I'm still incredibly angry. I strongly advise against applying here. It's not worth your time, and you deserve much better than their lowball offers.

The whole thing took about 5 weeks from the initial phone screen to getting a rejection. I interviewed for a clinical research analyst position with 5 people in the room. Honestly, their backgrounds didn't really suggest they had direct clinical experience, and they didn't ask about mine either. The team seemed really focused on hiring someone with Epic certifications, but it didn't seem like anyone in the room had one before they started. It also felt like they wouldn't sponsor the certification, meaning you'd have to have one already. One interviewer seemed really nervous and kept questioning my data handling skills, but her questions actually made me think she wasn't that great with programming herself. They seemed to care more about just remembering things than actual problem-solving. I was initially drawn to this job because it sounded like an interesting, well-funded role supporting clinical research, but the interview felt like a typical tech job experience. I got the impression they expected me to walk in with very specific skills, and there probably wouldn't be much opportunity for training or growth once I was hired.

The interview process was really fast, like scheduling, reference checks, and the offer all happened within a few days. The panel was great and explained the project goals well. Sadly, the job title and pay range were listed wrong. I got an offer but couldn't take it because the salary was too low. Next time, I'll make sure to ask about the title and salary upfront. The panel felt bad about it and said they'd talk to HR about making salary info clearer in the future.