The highs and lows of a real post doc experience
So, it’s been a while… about 3 years actually. A lot has changed. I left my post-doc to try something different. I started to worry that the only reason I was “doing science” was that science was all I knew. I had been working in a lab since I was 18 years old, with an … Read more
Conferences are a great way to meet a ton of people with interests directly relevant to your own. It can also be terribly overwhelming and scary. Here are some tricks that have worked for me, a tried and true introvert: Find the person who knows everyone. Some people actually enjoy meeting new people. They make … Read more
We hear it all the time: network, network, network. Meeting people and making connections is essential in today’s workplace. However, not everyone is great at meeting new people. I am quite shy. When people question this trait of mine I tell them about my first day in 6th grade at a new school. Instead of … Read more
Within this packet of papers is your mission, should you choose to accept. Read the enclosed materials, find the necessary resources, and then report back to me. The experiment is top secret. This message is scheduled to self-destruct in 3… 2… 1- BOOM! While I was a student, my mentor often gave my lab … Read more
I’ll post the final conclusion to my tribute to Edith Schoenrich (Pt. 1 and Pt. 2) soon, but I wanted to talk about my obvious absence lately. Maybe you’ve noticed I haven’t blogged in a couple of weeks. Maybe you’ve given up on “The Experience”. Maybe you thought, “Well, that had potential, she just didn’t … Read more
{Part 1} Edyth (Hull) Schoenrich was born during a tumultuous time, on September 9, 1919. Nations were recovering from the end of WWI and the loss of so many of its young men, either from war or Spanish Flu. After decades of lobbying, women’s right to vote was gaining momentum and would be granted on … Read more
The other day, as I walked through the hospital to my building in an effort to avoid the sub-freezing temperatures outside, I was “stuck” behind a slower moving elderly woman. Having no way around, I slowed down and started to wonder about who she was. She was well dressed and walked with a manner that … Read more
As part of being a post-doc in a new institution, I need to undergo training for equipment, procedures, etc. that I am already quite familiar with. But, because of historical issues, my new department has put in place training modules that require assessment and approval before I can use their facilities. One such area that … Read more
As a post-doc, wife, and a mother of two (2.5 years old and 9 months old), I’m often asked “How do you do it?”. The truthful answer is – barely. I’m certainly not excelling in any area of my life, whether as a post-doc, wife, or mother. I’m really just getting by in each area. … Read more
I’ve spent the last two weeks packing up a lab and then unpacking into our newly renovated space. It is beautiful. We have windows now. Windows! Work has been on hold until all the wrinkles associated with moving are ironed out, which translates nicely into our holiday break. Working in academia definitely has its perks. … Read more
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