MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'graduate school'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:38:20 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140275&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F18%2Fthe_nih_wonders_about_the_future_of_biomedical_workers.php A reader passes along this request for comment by the NIH. The "Advisory Committee to the NIH Director Working Group on the Future Biomedical Research Workforce" is asking for thoughts on issues such as the length of time it takes to get a PhD, the balance between non-US and US workers, length of post-doctoral training, the prospects for employment after such is completed, general issues relating to whether people choose biomedical research as a career at all, and so on. These are, of course, issues that have come up here repeatedly (as well they should), so if you want to have a shot at influencing some NIH thinking on them, they're asking for anyone's thoughts by October 7. (Use this form). (Source: In the Pipeline) In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140275 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:10:59 +0100 5140275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5125808&cid=t_139662_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F12%2Fbest-of-our-blogs-august-12-2011%2F Every day can seem pretty ordinary. It can look almost identical on the surface. But if you were to take a magnify glass and zoom in on the individual moments of your day, you may be surprised by what you find. Within those 24 hours, there are mini lessons, opportunities to choose differently and open doors toward self-growth. The problem is we’re usually too busy to notice them. Take today, for example. There was the lady who blatantly and unashamedly pushed me out of the grocery line. I could have chosen to say something. But I didn’t. I was also late for an appointment. I could have carried the guilt I felt throughout the rest of my day. But I didn’t do that either. And there was that darn migraine. The headache that I’ve had since high school-the type that makes... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5125808 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:34:34 +0100 5125808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5057720&cid=t_139662_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpsychiatrist-reviews-crazy-book-finds-some-genuineness-behind-authors-bravado%2F2011.07.23 Rob Dobrenski, PhD. is a psychologist who blogs over on ShrinkTalk.net.  He’s written a book about what it’s like to be a psychology graduate student, a psychotherapy patient, and a psychologist.  Oh, we like the folks who go from Shrink blog to Shrink book — it somehow feels familiar — and so I agreed to read his book: Crazy: Tales on and Off the Couch. So bear with me while I tell you that the book rubbed me wrong at the outset.  Dr. Dobrenski begins by saying something to the effect that he describes things that all shrinks feel, and if they say they don’t, they aren’t being honest.  I really hate it when people tell me what I feel.  It’s like saying that Prozac made your depression better and if it didn’t, then you just didn’t ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5057720 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 22:00:00 +0100 5057720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051202&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F07%2F19%2Fsezen_sames_what_does_it_say_about_grad_school.php If you haven't seen it, Chembark has Part III of the series on the Sezen/Sames research scandal. And it's another good one, focusing this time on Prof. Sames and his responsibilities in the whole affair. Everyone who's interested should go over to Paul's blog to read what he has to say about things. He's not keeping things bottled up: Apparently, there is a double standard when it comes to judging students and professors. I guess that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Apparently, students should be fired for failure to replicate fictitious results, but professors are to be rewarded with tenure for being so grossly negligent as to oversee the greatest case of scientific misconduct in the history of organic chemistry. But that quote shouldn't give you the idea that his post is all invective - t... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051202 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:58:25 +0100 5051202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322681&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F07%2Fthe_phd_problem.php We've had the too-many-doctorates discussion around here a few times, from different angles. The Economist has a good overview of the problem - short on solutions, naturally, but an excellent statement of where things are: Whining PhD students are nothing new, but there seem to be genuine problems with the system that produces research doctorates (the practical “professional doctorates” in fields such as law, business and medicine have a more obvious value). There is an oversupply of PhDs. Although a doctorate is designed as training for a job in academia, the number of PhD positions is unrelated to the number of job openings. Meanwhile, business leaders complain about shortages of high-level skills, suggesting PhDs are not teaching the right things. The fiercest critics compare resea... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322681 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:54:56 +0100 4322681 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179360&cid=t_139662_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F11%2F18%2Fone-third-of-a-college-class-caught-cheating%2F I must be getting old. When I was in college, and then again in graduate school, there was a simple expectation. I was there to learn, the university was there to help me learn. They do that through centuries’ old methods — teaching in classrooms, testing on that material, and occasionally having some hands-on experiences in the laboratory or on computers. This isn’t rocket science (unless you’re studying rocket science). So why was I so surprised when I watched the video (linked to below) where a professor teaching a management class discovered a statistical anomaly while grading his classes’ midterm exams. His startling findings? Rampant cheating. Because a kind of amnesty was offered to the class of 530 students, over 200 students eventually admitted to ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179360 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:49:27 +0100 4179360 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929446&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F02%2Fposters_and_pickiness.php Blogging time is short today, since I'm on a deadline to produce a couple of posters for presentation. These are for an internal hoe-down, unfortunately, so I won't be able to share the fruits of my labors with everyone out there in the readership. With any luck, though, they'll turn into public presentations/publications eventually, though. As far as I'm concerned, posters are quite a bit harder to work up than a talk. They really should stand by themselves, for one thing, so you can't fill in any holes verbally. And narrative flow is harder: there's no chance to go back and re-emphasize or contrast with later slides, because the whole thing is sitting out there, with no guarantee of what order people will use to see its parts. (I find that narrative is one of my main weapons in a presen... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929446 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:27:09 +0100 3929446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3925075&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F01%2Fhow_long_would_it_take_if_everything_worked.php Over at BoingBoing, they're investigating the question: "How long would your PhD have taken if everything worked the first time?" I have to admit, it took me a few minutes to adjust my head to that idea, since God knows, nothing in my PhD ever looked like working the first time. And it's a hard one to answer, because I had to do some backtracking, as so often happens in total synthesis. This was of the "Dang it all, turns out I can't install that carbon at that step, so I'm going to have to go back, put it in earlier, and hope the downstream stuff still works" variety. (Not all of it did, of course). So how do you account for tactical moves like that? There are several layers. How long would it have taken if I'd chosen the right move each time, and each reaction worked on the first shot?... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3925075 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:48:38 +0100 3925075 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3849082&cid=t_139662_180_f&fid=38610&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.productivity501.com%2Fgraduate-school-options%2F8044%2F Graduate school is the next academic step after getting a bachelor’s degree.  Graduate schools award masters and doctorate and several other types of recognition.  In this post, we are going to look at some of the different types of graduate school options and talk about what each one entails and how it benefits you in the job market. Graduate Citation A graduate citation isn’t a degree, but it recognizes the completion of a collection of classes on a particular topic. A graduate citation is similar to a certificate (see below), but smaller in scope. It is the smallest unit of work you can do beyond a single class that is formally recognized. It generally requires three or four classes tightly focused on a specific topic.  The citation classes can be used toward other gradu... Productivity501 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3849082 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:00:04 +0100 3849082 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599492&cid=t_139662_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F05%2F25%2Fdoc-am-i-normal-yes%2F In conclusion, if you are experiencing any of these things, hang in there, it is a normal part of the human experience. If these things become more severe or difficult to cope with, or you want to learn how to master your individual experience with them, then counseling can be a great help. PS: I am back! - Will Meek, PhD (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599492 Tue, 25 May 2010 23:14:31 +0100 3599492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235897&cid=t_139662_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F02%2Fmeeting-with-my-first-therapy-client%2F I just finished a 40-day winter break from graduate school. After a quick but intense first semester, I was a bit crispy around the edges and welcomed the vacation. But now it is back to school and the next chapter in my journey towards becoming a clinical therapist. In less than two weeks, I will be contacting my very first clients to set up appointments. Bless these people for actually volunteering to share their stories with me, someone who has been told she is a “good listener,” but isn’t really sure at this point what else she can offer another person therapeutically. We’ve been told silence is golden. I’m hoping it isn’t also awkward. Yes, I did read my theory textbook last semester, and have my “favorite,” although by no means am I an expert in any of them! I was in... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235897 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:15:33 +0100 3235897 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004081&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F11%2F18%2Fill_get_right_on_that_for_you_professor.php I was going over some thermodynamics the other day, and it hit me that this was just the sort of thing I always tried to avoid when I was actually taking chemistry courses in college and grad school. And here I was, looking it up voluntarily and even reading it with some pleasure. A couple of professors of mine would have been rather pleasantly surprised at the sight, though, since physical chemistry (especially) tended to exacerbate my often lazy approach to my course work. When I look back on it, it's a very good thing that my graduate school curriculum only featured classes during the first year. Because I was trying to get away with more and more by doing less and less, and those two trend lines were heading toward an intersection. (Another example of that from my grad-school past can... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004081 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:36:02 +0100 3004081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2695579&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F11%2Fstarting-at-the-wrong-end-of-the-process%2F No Finish Line Do your goals, hope and dreams have finish lines? Or do you fall into the trap of meandering within the distance between “Start” and “Finish”? Being driven by perfection, and the vain hope to do {it} perfectly. Waiting endlessly for the perfect start, the perfect way, the perfect time — the perfect inspiration. We all have dreamed, wished or longed for specific goals. We begin progressing in the direction of said goals, and then we stall out due to discouragement or a loss of vision and energy. After a proper mourning time — and a measure or two of self-loathing — we take our goals back to the drawing board. Once there, a certain amount of time passes as we become overwhelmed with the amount of calendar space we believe it will take to accomplis... The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2695579 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:06:27 +0100 2695579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469942&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F10%2Frandom_questions_answered_randomly.php I had some requests to answer my own "Random Questions" from the other day, so here goes: 1. Does it bother you, or by contrast make you a bit proud, when you tell someone that you're a chemist and (as happens in about seven out of ten cases) they say "Oh, that was my hardest/least favorite/most boring subject when I was in school"? Well, whether it bothers me or not, this happens all the time. Like pretty much every chemist in the world, I get to hear all about how people couldn't stand my subject in school. I take the point that mathematicians have it even worse, but it's not like we miss many of them with chemistry, either. When people ask me what I do, I tell them "drug discovery", and I mention the diseases that I'm working on. That never fails to get some interest, and only then I... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469942 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:25:56 +0100 2469942 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2090857&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F01%2F08%2Fconnect-the-dots%2F The necessity of bed-rest and sleep for the past four days has granted me a lot of time to “connect the dots” — to draw lines between the points on the page of my Life Plan. Said points (and squiggles and visual cues) include: Securing a work-from-home, part-time, paid staff position Continuing to work freelance and to [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2090857 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:15:26 +0100 2090857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2077162&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F12%2F31%2Fdealing-with-overwhelm%2F As I ponder the possibilities for 2009 — I rejoice! And, I rejoice for the first time in a very long time. I am usually kicking the “old year” out the door and urging the “new year” to come in quickly! Assuming that surely a bright, shiny new year has to be better than an [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2077162 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:26:56 +0100 2077162 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2077164&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F12%2F28%2Fpondering-my-branches%2F Seeds of inspiration fall into my pocket when I breath in the fresh country air and soak in the warmth from the sun as it shines over my gardens. These seeds — various and a sundry — take root in my heart as I tend to them with the fertilizer of commitment and sprinklings of [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2077164 Sun, 28 Dec 2008 20:16:45 +0100 2077164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2008293&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F12%2F03%2Ffirst-days%2F Today is the first day of the rest of your life. I have always liked that saying. It inspires me to consider new beginnings, letting go, moving on … New directions! What will you do with today? Pursuing one’s dreams — making little micromovements — too often begins “someday” or tomorrow. Got dreams? Why not [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2008293 Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:18:27 +0100 2008293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1857426&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F07%2Fbegin-today%2F There is something absolutely inspiring about watching clouds. A storm front moved through last evening. It came around the time for the sun to set on the horizon. This allowed for wonderful shades of orange and blue with the natural beauty of trees to frame the dramatic changes … It’s time to start living the life you’ve [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1857426 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:56:51 +0100 1857426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1849028&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F03%2Fim-not-dreaming-i-am-planning%2F Clouds in the awesome blue of an Autumn Oklahoma Sky Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning. ~Gloria Steinem If you have been convinced that you are merely a legend in your own mind … You live with your head in the clouds … [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1849028 Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:45:49 +0100 1849028 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1842049&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F10%2F01%2Fcant-walk-and-chew-gum-at-the-same-time%2F Sunflower Crop — Seiling, Oklahoma Well, I have to admit that it appears futile for me to consider blogging and “doing” at the same time. Recent “doings” include: completing the redesign and declutter of both my studio (de creativity) and my chamber (de restore); final notes regarding high school transcript for my (rejoicing to see the [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1842049 Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:36:42 +0100 1842049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1830895&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F26%2Fwatercolor-life%2F Watercolor Sky, July 2008 (the drive-home was paused to enjoy this glorious sunset…) The notion of a watercolor life comforts me. It would include canvases of delicate, muted lines and broad strokes of color on pure-fiber archival paper and canvases … gentle mingling of pigments as each flows and transitions across the page … the clarity of [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1830895 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:06:40 +0100 1830895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1827262&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F25%2Fseriously%2F The conclusion of the day when I realized … It’s time to start living the life you’ve imagined ~Henry James        (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1827262 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:03:38 +0100 1827262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1818952&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F23%2Fcome-hell-or-high-water%2F Life is the art of drawing without an eraser. ~John W. Gardner The truth is more important than the facts. ~Frank Lloyd Wright Somewhere in my personal history I came to know about this phrase. I can hear my maternal grandmother’s distinct, and rather loud, voice broadcasting these words. Perhaps this is the personal origin for [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1818952 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:33:59 +0100 1818952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1813232&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F22%2Fthe-key%2F Well I know it wasn’t you who held me downHeaven knows it wasn’t you who set me freeSo often times it happens that we live our lives in chainsAnd we never even know we have the key ~The Eagles, Already Gone Vision is not enough; it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1813232 Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:20:14 +0100 1813232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1810565&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F20%2Fin-check-as-in-chess%2F This morning as I sipped my café mocha (comfortably situated on my patio … embraced by the soothing, crisp Autumn air …) the concept of “in check” (as in Chess) popped in my head. As I am not much of a Chess player, when I came inside I googled for clues as to what this [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1810565 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:27:48 +0100 1810565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1807414&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F19%2Fassessing-in-order-to-progress%2F Apparently, I am completely unable (unwilling?) to sort my proverbial To-Do without blogging it here. I have been pondering the realities of the universe — especially my universe — for most of two hours now and … Well, I simply must blog to think sometimes! So … here we go! First of all, [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1807414 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:07:09 +0100 1807414 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1803911&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F18%2Falarm-clocks-habits-and-life-unscripted%2F Seeing “home” with new eyes can be a bit disconcerting. Because there are scenes which occur daily and yet are unscripted. They just happen because these scenes have become familiar. Said scenes are habits. Yes, habits: an acquired-over-time pattern of behavior which occurs automatically. Habits occur without even a moment of thought or consideration regarding what [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1803911 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:43:23 +0100 1803911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1761409&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F09%2F03%2Fchanges%2F The night I knew things would change … Tada! Wow! I adore this new template! And I was pondering a change to reflect the beginning of my favorite “one-third” of the year! (And my life-changes as I move into the next leg of my journey …) So, ta-da! Happy September! ♥ My blogging absence reflects the reality that [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1761409 Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:12:13 +0100 1761409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1728182&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F21%2Fmoving-day%2F Photo Credit It is moving day for me! (Figuratively not literally!) However there is some literal decluttering going on throughout my house as I walk around with large, heavy-duty garbage bags — and an attitude of raw forward thinking! I have been here before … And I hope to be here again. It is a wonderful adventure [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1728182 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:21:53 +0100 1728182 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1728185&cid=t_139662_136_f&fid=37858&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdessertyears.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F08%2F17%2Fgood-bye-yellow-brick-road%2F Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit. ~Conrad Hilton Farewell to the road of yellow bricks that merely takes me back to where I came from (and never want to return). Mentally revisiting my roots (beginnings; things familiar; experience) merely as a springboard [...] (Source: The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel)) The Dessert Years . . . (the sequel) blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1728185 Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:54:24 +0100 1728185 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1104489&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F12%2F19%2Fscrape_off_some_attitude.php There is a pecking order in chemistry. That’s because there’s one everywhere. If it’s a human endeavor, staffed by humans, you’re going to have hierarchies, real and perceived - who you did a post-doc with, what huge company you're a big wheel in. But that doesn’t mean that we have to bow down to them, and it doesn’t excuse this sort of thing, from The Chem Blog: ” Waaaaaayyy back at the ACS in San Fran at the poster session, we were walking around and introduced ourselves to this guy standing in front of his poster. Now… old boy (a graduate student) engaged us in some dialog about his poster and we were getting along famously, my friend asking most of the intelligent questions (I was still recovering from giving blood a few hours before and drinking multiple beers immedia... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1104489 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:56:37 +0100 1104489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1037876&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2F20%2Fand_it_goes_like_this.php I had a hard drive failure the other day, which naturally got me to thinking about backing up data, and about the times I’ve been more paranoid about it. I wrote my PhD dissertation back in those far-off days (1988) when you could put Mac versions of Word and Chem-Draw on one 3.5-inch disk (yes, that was possible, and I still have the disk to prove it). But I went to the disk-swapping trouble of putting my dissertation-in-progress on a separate floppy. So there I was, with a couple of week’s worth of dissertation draft on my floppy disk, when one fine day I insert the thing into the slot, and. . .it can’t be read. Hrm. I try other machines. I try them all. None of them can read the disk, under any conditions. It slowly dawns on me that my two weeks of work have evaporated, and a lit... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1037876 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 14:13:08 +0100 1037876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=980666&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2F25%2Flooking_backwards.php A colleague reminded me the other day of a project that he and I had worked on back at the Wonder Drug Factory seven years ago. "Seven years ago", I thought. . .I was the project leader on that one, trying to keep things alive as weird toxicology kept torpedoing everything. In the end, we held it together long enough to get four compounds into two-week tox testing, whereupon every one of them wiped out for yet another set of ugly reasons. Ah, yes. No one's going to have to work on that stuff again, that's for sure. Hmm, I thought. What was I doing seven years before that? Well, I was back at my first drug industry job in New Jersey. The company had just moved into a new building the year before, and the old site was on its way to becoming a Home Depot. I was spending my days cranking out ... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=980666 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 02:03:20 +0100 980666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=962698&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F10%2F18%2Funderstanding_dawns.php My graduate school lab, like most of them, had an assortment of people from different countries. That kept things at all sorts of hours, since we’d get the occasional Japanese post-doc who never really seemed to get off JST and worked the zombie schedule. It also made for some adventures in communication. English was the lingua franca of the lab, naturally, but there were a lot of varieties spoken (and attempted). And although it’s risky to generalize, I think that the ones with the biggest language gap were the aforementioned Japanese. Friends of mine from the country have blamed the problem on the traditional state of English teaching there, and the way that too many students are taught the language as if its phonics really did conform to what’s available in Katakana. That’s th... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=962698 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:36:06 +0100 962698 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=823677&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F08%2F26%2Fcheer_up.php This is the first post from the new Blogging Room of Stately Lowe Manor here in Massachusetts. The internet is hooked up, the lights are on, and I'm surrounded by boxes no matter where I turn. I had a few requests to do more posts on graduate school and what goes on there. Problem is, it's becoming an increasingly distant event for me (which in most other ways is not much of a problem at all!) There's one immediate thing I can think of to say to people who are still in the middle of it, though: Don't worry. You're not going to be stuck like this forever. I'm thinking of what a generally foul mood I was in throughout my PhD work, compared to my overall sunnier disposition since. I didn't like having to work on the exact same molecule for years, and I didn't like having to do it days, nigh... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=823677 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:59:45 +0100 823677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=798057&cid=t_139662_149_f&fid=35776&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpipeline.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F08%2F13%2Fpilferage.php One of the comments to my brief post earlier today brought back some memories. Back in graduate school, we were a comparatively well-off group. That is, we graduate students lived off grant money after our first year - no more teaching assistant duties. Compared to some of the other professors, whose students were TAing in their fourth years and beyond, this was luxury. But luxury went only so far. We still had to watch our expenditures in the lab, and ordering of reagents and supplies was kept under tight control. We didn't go as far as recycling our wash acetone (well, most of us didn't - see here for what happened to the fellow who did), but If you wanted a fresh bottle of something, you had to justify it: what's wrong with the one we've got, heh? I was pushing a big pile of material ... In the Pipeline blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=798057 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:26:18 +0100 798057