Pros
Many of the clinical staff, from UCSF and the VA, are wonderful. They're also some of the most intelligent, talented clinicians and researchers. The view of the bay from the VA is also incredibly beautiful.
Cons
Compensation is low relative to many of the RA jobs I've seen elsewhere, and living in the most expensive city in North America makes this pay rate particularly unattractive. As someone who is passionate about the field in which I work(ed) and was genuinely trying to learn, my experience with my research group was unfulfilling. The environment felt stifling and there was very little training; I'm perfectly happy to learn independently, but more structure was needed. Because a person's experience here is so dependent on the group he/she works with, I'd strongly recommend applicants pay attention to and ask about the style of the lab, its culture, expectations, and the investigators/research staff with whom he/she will work to ensure it'll be a good mutual fit. The research groups also felt really isolated from one another. I made an effort to chat with people I'd see occasionally in the hallways or common research areas, but there were no planned events--at least to my knowledge--to facilitate networking and learning opportunities that allow for a truly collaborative academic environment. Working at the VA also has lots of its own challenges in that it's extremely bureaucratic and oftentimes frustrating to move things forward as a result. Unfortunately, I also frequently encountered VA admin staff, in particular, with pretty poor work ethic. Common things you'd expect from a medical center (e.g., routine janitorial service) were also almost non-existent in some of the buildings.
