Moved over...

...to fabgrad.scienceblog.com

Russian Roulette...(aka Choosing a thesis lab)

DISCLAIMER: These opinions are strictly mine and not backed up by any scientific evidence.

As a 4th year graduate student, I don't think I'm seasoned enough to be jaded/disillusioned. I also think I still remember my trepidation on choosing the lab I was going to spend the rest of my 20's in.
So here we go...my top 5 things to consider when choosing a thesis lab

from Vamplit.com

1. Do I like my prospective labmates?
I dig science too so I can talk about scientists. We can be awkward..socially awkward creatures focused only on our research and things that interest us. Perfectly content sitting at the microscope with headphones on and shutting out the world. However, if you are not this type of scientist and you are the more social type...do not convince yourself that you are in grad school strictly for the science and would do well in a lab full of the aforementioned scientists or people you do not get along with. Sure it might work..but it probably won't.
You more than likely chose rotations based on science you were interested meaning that you could probably do "good science" in any of those labs. However, you are going to be spending a lot of time with these people, no point being unhappy.

2. Do I like my prospective P.I?
OK...like might be the wrong word here. Does anyone ever really LIKE their P.I (principal investigator)...(I actually do..great guy he is!). Depending on the school you attend, there will more than likely be a lot of big name, big time scientists (Nature/Science publishing types, Nobel Laureates, Demigods in theirfields even though no one in the real world knows them)....some with egos to boot. You want to have a healthy like/respect for your P.I. and not because of what they have published or what you think you will get out of being a member of the lab. P.I.s are people too..and if you wouldn't like/respect your P.I in "real life"...what makes you think you'd be able to work for them for 5+ years...it's a lose-lose situation.

3. Do I like the science?
I think rotations take care of this question. Unless you chose to attend grad school because your parents made you, you know you like science. You know you want to make some sort of contribution to the scientific community et al. You need to join a lab that even when you go through periods when your experiments don't work (aka 3rd year), you are still excited enough about the field in general to stick around.

4. What type of worker am I?
I feel that the only people who successfully make it through grad school with their love for science intact are the ones that treat it like a regular job.
a. Set regular work hours and stick to it for the most part
b. Set goals (monthly, quarterly, annually) just like you would in your career and work to meet them
c. Do not be afraid to talk to your boss/challenge their ideas
d. Don't let other people determine how far you go in your grad school career..take responsibility for every single aspect and take advantages inside and outside the lab to grow.

5. What do I want to accomplish during my time here? 
Set goals and timelines...talk about your goals with your P.I before you join to make sure they are on board. Be flexible...life happens. Be willing to reevaluate your project and determine if you are going in the right direction often! Don't be afraid to ask questions...Don't be that person who thought they knew everything until they woke up in year 9 realizing they just pissed away 9 years of their life and have nothing to show for it...ooooop! yep I said it!

Life as a graduate student?

...Or maybe I'm just crazy
*Rant alert!*

On the eve of the beginning of my 28th year on this earth, I was quietly reflecting the meaning of life....well not really.
Ok..so..I'm sitting here, reading a review paper for a tutorial session on mathematical modeling and apoptosis (yeah..i rolled my eyes too) and it starts off really heavy and is difficult to understand, but as I continue reading, it gets easier and almost enjoyable.

In 27 years, I've learned about myself that I enjoy learning especially about science...and I enjoy thinking about it and sometimes obsessing about it. It's like a game...trying to figure out how things work...in order to figure out how to fix it when it doesn't work as it should.

But...it's as frustrating as it is enjoyable because I feel like the more I learn, they more I realize how much more I have to learn and the prospect of being able to learn enough is really daunting.
So I'm reading the paper and I'm thinking about my particular area of interest and how it relates to apoptosis and I'm thinking about my project and I'm slowly getting frustrated and feeling like if i deviate from what I think is my focus, I'll get too distracted and I'll never be done with school...

And then I remember being at the airport yesterday watching war veterans returning from Afghanistan...most of them younger than me...some older. And I'm thinking about those that don't get to make it back....and their families. And how regardless of the reasons behind their joining the military...the only reasons why there is a war and why the need to be over there in the first place is through no direct fault of theirs.

They're out there fighting a war for people like our senators and representatives who feel it's their right to sit in their houses that we pay for and dictate what a woman does with her body.. whether or not I can own a house..whether or not people who work for a living can afford to save money to retire..whether or not people who lost their job due to the economic downturn that was more than likely helped by this parasitic war get to have health insurance...whether or not you have to wait until you are 70.5 to withdraw money from your 401k...those people.

They're out there fighting those people who clearly...CLEARLY are reincarnations of whatever god they believe in and perfect and pure and devoid of any wrongdoings get to decide who is immoral and who deserves to live and die...who stone little girls...who bury little girls alive...who feel like 30 years of dictatorship is too little...who are so blinded by the pursuit of absolute power that they do not see how truly powerless they are....

And when they come home, they don't get to sleep peacefully because they bring back visions of horror as souvenirs


So now I'm feeling like a whiny little crybaby and hating myself for thinking that anything I'm battling does not even begin to compare to what these soldiers and their families face (and let's not even get me started on Africa..that's its own can of worms).


And I'm feeling ashamed because being inundated with news about the war and the world has left me apathetic even to what's going on right outside my door....so i shut it all out and try and focus on one thing for now...but I can't.


So I tell myself that the only way to make a difference in the world is to start with the world I face everyday..but that seems so small and insignificant compared to what is going on out there. Still I smile and I listen and I try to be present in the moment.


This works 99% of the time...my mind is occupied with thoughts and plans and goals and projects that keep me busy...but all it takes is that 1% when I get so overwhelmed with what's going on 99% of the time that I'm forced to take a step back and question the relevance of 99% of my time.


And that leaves me here...discouraged and disillusioned, overwhelmed by problems that appear insurmountable. Problems that make me feel like..."if I could only fix this...everything else will fall into place"...but where to start?


1% definitely puts things in perspective..like who the bloody hell cares if your experiments work?or if you have a good day?or if you have something planned for your birthday?

But what comes after the 1%? and before the 99% kicks in again? sometimes it's numbness...sometimes it's the strong belief the there is something out there bigger than us...that has a grand design of how things should be and makes me believe that my existence is indeed relevant and if i do everything right will amount to something useful...but it's never both...

And today...I am numb

Fab Grad

I’ve been lucky enough to meet many interesting people in industry and academia. The idea to do brief interviews with these people was part of my motivation for this blog. I’m hoping to make it a recurring post and to include different people ranging from grad students to professors and people in industry…. My fellow graduate students were gracious enough to allow me to begin with them….Thanks guys!

Meet Sunetra…

Where are you from?

Born in Calcutta and raised in Bombay, India

What is your educational background?

I received my bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, my master’s in Neuropharmacology and am currently studying for my PhD in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology

What areas or scientific research are you most interested in?

Pharmacology and Oncology

Pharmacology seems to be a recurring trend with you; do you have any nonscientific interests?

Sports (all except Indy Car Racing), Fashion

Sports? Interesting…Do you play any sports? Or have any hobbies?

I recently took up running and I love it but I also love to read, shop, travel and hang out with friends.

You seem to have a pretty balanced lifestyle especially for a graduate student, are you involved in any activities beyond research? 
I’m a part of a program called the Incentive Mentoring program which gives me the opportunity to work with local high school kids at risk of failing/dropping out. Having mentors who have been through high school and college often gives them the added support and encouragement they need and I feel it provides them with a higher chance of academic success.

And as far as travelling goes, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

That’s a tough one; I would love to visit all of South America

Purely for the scenery I’m sure! *She’s a big Kaka fan*

So if you weren’t training to be a scientist, what other career paths would you have considered?
I would consider doing an MD – PhD training program instead or maybe advertising

As a seasoned graduate student (3 years in)…what are some things you wished you’d known before you started?

Definitely that graduate school is not just about long hours at the bench. You can have a life while in grad school.

Do you have any and advice for future graduate students?

Science doesn’t happen in one day. You have to keep at it so be patient, don’t stay with a project that doesn’t inspire you but always give it [research] your best shot.

And finally, finish this sentence …

“In 5 years I hope to be….at a high executive position in a pharmaceutical company managing people working towards drug development”