Hello PhD
A podcast for scientists, and the people who love them.
I feel a little disheartened because I’ve been rejected from many of the places I applied to and haven’t heard back from a number of others. Is it worth it to hold out hope for the ones that haven’t sent out updates? I have been rejected from 5 schools and am expecting 3 more rejections […]
The post 129. Grad School Rejection: Why it Happens and How to Get Accepted appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s 6 AM and you wake up as the crickets grow quiet and dawn illuminates your tent. After cooking breakfast over a campfire, you load a backpack and hike seven miles into a canyon. That’s when the science begins… Camp, Sample… When people think of science, they often conjure images of lab coats, chalk boards, […]
The post 128. Field Work: Science in the Great Outdoors appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s a well worn analogy, but an apt one: grad school is a mental and emotional marathon, not a sprint. This week, we answer listener mail from ‘runners’ at different stages of the race! This episode is Part 2 of our conversation with Susanna Harris of PhDBalance.com. You can listen to the first episode here: […]
The post 127. Listener Mailbag: How Do You Stay Motivated in Grad School? appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s that time again – the virtual mail bag is overflowing, so we invited Susanna Harris of PhDBalance.com to help us answer YOUR emails, Tweets, and messages. Bringing the Heat We start with a few burning questions about applications and interviews. The first question comes from a listener who was promised a strong letter of […]
The post 126. Listener Mailbag – Ghost PIs, Dress Codes, and Mental Health with Susanna Harris appeared first on Hello PhD.
See our previous episodes in this series: 101: HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Knowing When, and Where, to Apply with Dr. Beth Bowman 102: HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Crafting the Perfect Personal Statement with Dr. Brian Rybarczyk With most jobs, you’ll need to submit a polished resume along with a […]
The post 106. HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Acing Your Interview with Dr. Beth Bowman (R) appeared first on Hello PhD.
Most PhD students attend traditional academic institutions of higher educations. It’s the world of classes, campuses, and mortarboards you probably think of when you think about a University. But there’s a less-traveled path to a PhD that may actually hold some benefits for certain students, including those coming back to school after working for awhile, […]
The post 125. Demystifying the Research Institute appeared first on Hello PhD.
We’re bringing you this bonus episode to encourage our listeners to submit their artwork to the Promega Art Contest for Creative Scientists. This isn’t for everyone – it’s just for listeners of Hello PhD! The deadline is nearly here (December 1st, 2019), but you can still visit the contest page to submit a digital image […]
The post 124. An Art Contest JUST For Hello PhD Listeners appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s time to open the mailbag once again to answer YOUR questions. First, we read a couple of emails from listeners who have put Hello PhD advice to work in their training, and they’re already starting to see the benefits. Nadia writes: Thank you so much for your podcast. I discovered Hello PhD at the […]
The post 152. How Do I Explain the Bad Grades On My Transcript? appeared first on Hello PhD.
The Peer Review villain, alternatively known as ‘Reviewer 2’ or ‘Reviewer 3’, has gained meme status. This is the person who takes your submitted journal article, drenches it in red ink, shreds it, burns it, and feeds the ashes to feral pigs. And unfortunately, it has happened to all of us. There always seems to […]
The post 151. Avoid These Phrases in Your Peer Review appeared first on Hello PhD.
Nadia wanted to help patients. She had considered going to medical school, but found biomedical research to be an exciting opportunity to develop new knowledge and therapies. After graduate school, she continued her training as a postdoc. She was on the faculty-track, making plans for her project and her next career advancement. Then, COVID hit. […]
The post 150. Rediscover Your Scientific Passion appeared first on Hello PhD.
If you’re a graduate student thinking about a career that lies off the tenure track, you’re probably vaguely nervous that your skills at the bench won’t take you very far in the business world. Career experts always ask you to highlight your ‘transferable skills,’ but what does that actually mean? Is it true that you’re […]
The post 149. Yes, Grad Students, You DO Have Transferable Skills appeared first on Hello PhD.
Happy New Year to all our Hello PhD listeners! 2021 has already been… a lot. But we’re here to help. This week, we open the mailbag to answer your questions about graduate training and life in the lab. You Asked for It! Our first note came from Vibhatha, who found that a Science Writing Checklist […]
The post 148. Listener Mailbag: Contacting Prospective PIs, Supporting Friends, et al! appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s no stretch to say that 2020 was a hard year for almost everyone. It was marked by a global pandemic, social upheaval, and loss. The word ‘unprecedented’ lost all meaning around March, and we navigated uncharted waters for the remainder of the year. 2020 was rough, but now that it’s over, it’s time to […]
The post 147. 2020: A Year in Review appeared first on Hello PhD.
Choosing a lab for your graduate or postdoc research is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Most people read papers and abstracts to find the coolest science. Or they favor the big labs with lots of people and solid funding. But those features can distract you from the real secret of scientific success. Your Mentor Matters This […]
The post 029. Tenure Tracker: Choose a Mentor, Not a Lab w/ Natasha Snider, PhD (R) appeared first on Hello PhD.
The letters of recommendation have been submitted, and review committees have assembled. But while this graduate school application season may seem familiar, the next steps will be wildly different from past years. How will Universities conduct graduate school interviews during a pandemic? And what can applicants do to prepare for these unprecedented times? Virtual Interview […]
The post 146. Ace Your Virtual Graduate School Interview w/ Dr. Beth Bowman appeared first on Hello PhD.
How many times have you said “I wish I had known!” or “Why didn’t they teach us this in school?” If you’re a graduate student, you’ve probably said it a lot. For some reason, from the moment you write your first application to the moment you get your hood and mortarboard, you’ll be re-learning what […]
The post 145. Ten Tips from Hindsight: A PhD’s guide to a PhD appeared first on Hello PhD.
Sarah had achieved her dream. With a PhD in Physics, she had accepted a new position as a Theoretical Physicist. But as the months wore on, she started to feel overwhelmed and depressed. She’d done well in school and enjoyed her classes – why couldn’t she focus on her work? Sean graduated with honors from […]
The post 144. Finding a Career that Fits with Marlys Hanson appeared first on Hello PhD.
This week, we dig into the mailbag to answer your questions! What’s in a Name? We start with an email from Tegner about what happens when your department changes its name before you even begin your trainining: I have recently been admitted and have accepted admission to a PhD program in “Immunology and Infectious Disease.” […]
The post 143. Mailbag: Clinical Experience, Fighting Impostor Syndrome, et al! appeared first on Hello PhD.
When Dr. Kenneth Gibbs talks about diversity and inclusion in the sciences, it’s not just a cause célèbre. It’s personal. “For those of you who don’t know me, I am a Black man. A descendent from enslaved Africans here in America, so my family has been here for hundreds of years. That’s part of my […]
The post 142. Advancing Racial Equity in Science w/ Dr. Kenneth Gibbs appeared first on Hello PhD.
What makes two PhDs who escaped from grad school years ago want to revisit all the highs and lows of their training? Short answer: Beer! But the long answer: Grad school is no cakewalk – classes are challenging, experiments fail, and sometimes, PIs seem like they’re from another planet. We made it through one day at […]
The post 141. Why We (Still) Podcast appeared first on Hello PhD.
You keep sending questions, we keep answering them! Take My Advice In our last mailbag episode, we noted that ‘comprehensive exams’ or ‘prelims’ varied not only by University but even department to department in one school. We asked you for your experience, and wanted to share just one of those repsonses: My department (Computer Science […]
The post 140. Mailbag: Do I need more experience? Biology vs. biomedical. Et al! appeared first on Hello PhD.
In March 2020, the world shut down. International borders were sealed. Businesses shuttered. Schools locked their doors and students were sent home to learn ‘remotely.’ At the same time, many universities and research labs also closed down for the summer of COVID-19. While a few labs remained open as essential research continued, many scientists froze […]
The post 139. Back to School During a Pandemic appeared first on Hello PhD.
The mailbag is overflowing, and it’s time to answer YOUR questions. First up is Leslie, whose summer internship was cancelled by COVID. Now it’s not clear whether a fall application to grad school will be successful. Dear Josh and Dan, I am an undergrad at a small liberal arts college looking to apply to biomedical […]
The post 138. Listener Mail: Changing Fields, Comprehensive Exams, et al! appeared first on Hello PhD.
There are two conflicting truths for many early-career graduate students: The mentor you choose is vitally important, and can impact your ability to complete a PhD and your career trajectory years into the future. Many students choose a mentor based on feelings, hunches, and hearsay. Truth 1 should be self-evident by now. A mentor trains […]
The post 137. Tools for Finding a Research Mentor appeared first on Hello PhD.
As protesters march in the streets, you’ll hear calls to “Defund” or “Disband the Police.” These advocates argue that tweaks and training programs will never be enough to meaningfully alter the course of modern police departments, some of which can trace their origins to slave patrols in the South. You simply can’t get there, from […]
The post 136. Rebuilding an Inclusive Academia with Dr. Ashalla Freeman appeared first on Hello PhD.
Have you ever lamented the fact that there isn’t some kind of instruction book to help you navigate your scientific training? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone explained how to choose a mentor, or what it means to give a ‘job talk?’ And is there any advice for how to deal with that negative peer-reviewer, […]
The post 135. The Science Training Toolbox with Dr. Andres De Los Reyes. Plus, Antiracism for Academia appeared first on Hello PhD.
COVID-19 is a wildfire burning its way around the planet. Its impacts are devastating to nearly every aspect of our modern lives: loved ones lost, economies destroyed, and plans put on hold indefinitely. But like a fire, it’s also shedding light, illuminating the hidden corners of our society and our routines that we may not […]
The post 134. Lessons from the Quarantine appeared first on Hello PhD.
Four hundred years ago, Galileo Galilei knelt before a group of Cardinals of the Catholic Church and was forced to recant his heretical belief that the Earth revolves around the sun. “This must have been horrific for him,” says Dr. Mario Livio, author of a new biography titled Galileo and the Science Deniers. “To basically […]
The post 133. Galileo and the Science Deniers – with Dr. Mario Livio appeared first on Hello PhD.
First, the good news: you’re not alone! About 1/3 of adults under age 30 carry some level of student loan debt. Unfortunately, if you’re earning a post-graduate degree, you may owe nearly twice as much as your friends who stopped with a Bachelor’s degree. This week on the show, we take a 360º look at […]
The post 132. Make a Plan to Repay Your Student Loan appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s finally here! The day you’ve been preparing for for the last five years! Your experiments are finished, papers published, and your dissertation has been typed, referenced, printed, and distributed. Now, it’s time to stand proudly before your committee and a room full of peers to defend your work and be dubbed a Doctor of […]
The post 131. How to Host a Dissertation Defense On Zoom appeared first on Hello PhD.
It has quickly become a new way of life – working from home, avoiding restaurants and gyms, and ‘social distancing’ from coworkers, friends, and even family. The upending of normal routines happened so quickly, and the days have become so blurred together, that it’s hard to keep track of just how long we’ve been confined […]
The post 130. Coronavirus, and Life Outside the Lab appeared first on Hello PhD.
In a world where it’s “Publish or Perish,” you’d expect “publish” to be the more favorable option. But, if you’ve ever spent a year or more performing experiments, crafting figures, writing a manuscript, finding a friendly editor and arguing with reviewers, that “perish” option might just sound pretty sweet right about now…. It’s no secret […]
The post 123. Anatomy of a Micropublication feat. Nate Jacobs of Flashpub appeared first on Hello PhD.
Please recount your life story, all of your future plans, and why this graduate program is uniquely suited to fulfill those dreams. Limit your answer to 140 characters. Okay, okay, the typical “Personal Statement” prompt on your grad school application is probably not that outrageous, but they CAN feel both cryptic and overwhelming. Here’s a […]
The post 102. HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Crafting the Perfect Personal Statement (R) appeared first on Hello PhD.
Dr. Jimena Giudice has all the traits of a promising new faculty member. Through her training and early career, she has earned more than a dozen grants and awards. She’s co-authored two dozen papers. And she has trained students and postdocs, gaining a reputation as a highly effective mentor. You’d expect that Dr. Giudice’s undeniable […]
The post 122. Tenure Tracker – The Life Non-Linear with Dr. Jimena Giudice appeared first on Hello PhD.
You’ve gotten this far, which means you have probably read the episode title by now. And that means you have questions. So… many… questions…. Let’s answer a few of them right up front. First, if you want to enter graduate school at age seventeen, you should probably start college around age eleven. That’s what this […]
The post 121. A Teenager Goes to Grad School feat. Julia Nepper, PhD appeared first on Hello PhD.
As a researcher, you may brag about the open, collegial way that scientists share their findings in lab meetings, poster sessions, and journal articles. But if you dig beneath the surface, you’ll find a darker tendency built into our habits and institutions that actually cover up a lot of what we learn. For example, you […]
The post 120. Advancing Open Science with Dr. Jon Tennant appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s that time of year again – summer days are growing shorter, your friends are trying to fit in one last trip to the beach, and the backpack aisle at Target is about to be cleared out to make way for the Halloween costumes. Yes, it’s back-to-school time. From toddlers to teenagers, this time of […]
The post 119. Ten Tips to Crush Your First Semester appeared first on Hello PhD.
Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a crystal ball that could reveal your grad-school future? You might look forward to see if that next experiment will work out, or if your research will eventually make the cover of Nature. What you should do with the power of foresight is to take a deep look […]
The post 118. Find a Better Mentor with GradPI appeared first on Hello PhD.
In some jobs, one day at the office looks a lot like the next. You could look through your calendar and optimize your meeting schedule and to-do list without much thought. But working in a lab is different: your projects are in constant flux, experiments lead to other experiments, and you need to balance bench […]
The post 059: Simple Tricks for Time Management – The Focus Funnel (R) appeared first on Hello PhD.
For most graduate students, the list of potential careers runs something like this: Research Faculty Teaching Faculty Industry Researcher Science Writer …. ummmm… But the truth is that there are other, less talked-about careers that can be a perfect fit for scientists who may love learning but not working at the bench. Raison d’Liaison Listener […]
The post 117: Bridging The Gap as a Medical Science Liaison appeared first on Hello PhD.
Ten weeks is not a long time. It feels even shorter when you’re tossed into the deep-end of a top-tier research lab. If you’re spending your summer as a Research Assistant between semesters, or you’ve graduated and want to get some summer experience before grad school, we have ideas to help you hit the ground […]
The post 116: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Summer Students appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s no secret that post-secondary education is a rough road to walk. Graduate students rack up debt for the privilege of working long hours for an unpredictable number of years with very little faculty support. Well, that might be true in much of the Northern hemisphere, but in a land where mammals lay eggs and […]
The post 115: PhDown Under – 4 Ways a PhD is Better in Australia appeared first on Hello PhD.
Here’s a controversial idea: what if graduate school finished on a predictable schedule the way (checks notes) every other academic training program does! Since kindergarten, your education has had fixed milestones. You knew it would take 12 years to graduate from high school, 4 for college, and 2 for a masters or an associates degree. […]
The post 114: Grad School Should Have a Time Limit appeared first on Hello PhD.
Sometimes, a graduate school education follows the strait and narrow path through dissertation, postdoc, and faculty position. And sometimes, it sprouts wings and takes you somewhere else entirely. That was the experience for Isaac Childress. Isaac began his career as a physics PhD studying high-energy particles. But “Plan A” didn’t turn out exactly as he […]
The post 113: All Work and Some Play – Isaac Childres on Following Your Passion After a PhD appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s that time again… Let’s open the mailbag and see what you, our listeners and friends, have sent in! You asked for it… We start out with a couple of questions from David, who is considering going back to grad school for computational biology after a successful career as a software developer. He wants to […]
The post 112: Listener Mailbag – Leaving Home, Avoiding the GRE, Finding Collaborators, et al! appeared first on Hello PhD.
It looks like a cross between an anteater and a hedgehog, but don’t let that description fool you into believing it’s easy to spot an echidna in the wild. These denizens of the Down Under know how to hide. “They’re really understudied in Australia because they’re hard to find in the wild,” says Tahlia Perry, […]
The post 111: Empowering the Impossible with Citizen Science appeared first on Hello PhD.
You might believe that because you’re in grad school and receiving a research stipend, you don’t really need to worry about paying an income tax. You don’t have a ‘real job’ and no one asked you to fill out any paperwork so you’re off the hook, right? Wrong. Utterly, expensively, illegally wrong. The Tax Man Cometh […]
The post 033: It’s Tax Season – Here’s What You Need to Know (R) appeared first on Hello PhD.
After a tough day of negative results and an ornery PI, it can be nice to come home to someone who thinks you’re amazing, loves you unconditionally, and wants nothing more than to cuddle with you on the couch. Of course, we’re talking about pets; dogs, cats, gerbils, rabbits, birds, horses and, I’m told, snakes […]
The post 110: The Secret Life of Pets (in Grad School) appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s been an exhausting journey, but you’re nearing the end. You slogged through reams of application forms, personal statements, and letters of reference. You gave up every weekend for two months, traveling to interview at different schools. But the blessed day has finally arrived when your inbox ‘dings’ with the sound of a grad school […]
The post 109: HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Understanding Your Offer Letter with Dr. Emily Roberts appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s Monday morning and you arrive in lab a little late. No worries, you drop your tissue culture media into the warming bath, turn on the hood, and head down the hall while things ‘warm up.’ Next stop is the -80 freezer. You dig through the drifting piles of frost and snow, around the boxes […]
The post 108: My Green Lab with Allison Paradise appeared first on Hello PhD.
When you’re a graduate student, your conception of ‘industry’ has a lot in common with your understanding of a black-hole. First, you’ve been told it’s a scary and unpredictable place. (“Did you know they can just change your project or fire you at will?”) Second, it’s a one-way trip. (“Once you step off the tenure […]
The post 107: Industry Insights – Career Evolution at 23andMe appeared first on Hello PhD.
See our previous episodes in this series: 101: HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Knowing When, and Where, to Apply with Dr. Beth Bowman 102: HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Crafting the Perfect Personal Statement with Dr. Brian Rybarczyk With most jobs, you’ll need to submit a polished resume along with a […]
The post 106: HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Acing Your Interview with Dr. Beth Bowman appeared first on Hello PhD.
Well, you’ve done it again… Our inboxes are full-to-bursting and it’s time to answer your questions in this week’s episode. We start with some feedback on episode 098: I’m in Grad School and I’m Pregnant! How to Have Kids AND a Career in Science. Listener Sara shares her experience of being pregnant while working with some dangerous […]
The post 105: Listener Mailbag – Grad School Readiness, Paper Critiques, and More! appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s a tragic fact: many jaw-dropping, eye-opening, and heart-pounding research results never makes an impact on the scientific community. And it’s partly your fault. By “your,” of course, I mean all of us. Because when we waste the opportunity to share our results in their best light at a scientific conference or poster session, our […]
The post 104: How to Give a Perfect Poster Presentation appeared first on Hello PhD.
Life in grad school may not have many horror-movie freak-outs, but there are plenty of harrowing and traumatic experiences to thrill even the most stoic scientist. In celebration of Halloween, we asked our listeners about their lab and grad school horror stories!
The post 103: Laboratory of Horrors! appeared first on Hello PhD.
Please recount your life story, all of your future plans, and why this graduate program is uniquely suited to fulfill those dreams. Limit your answer to 140 characters. Okay, okay, the typical “Personal Statement” prompt on your grad school application is probably not that outrageous, but they CAN feel both cryptic and overwhelming. Here’s a […]
The post 102: HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Crafting the Perfect Personal Statement with Dr. Brian Rybarczyk appeared first on Hello PhD.
You’ve studied hard, gotten good grades, and spent the last two years working in research labs on campus. You’re feeling ready for that next, inevitable step: applying to graduate school. In a perfect world, the next step would be easy. You’d simply fill out an application, and submit it to every Genetics or Microbiology department […]
The post 101: HelloPhD Guide to Grad School Applications – Knowing When, and Where, to Apply with Dr. Beth Bowman appeared first on Hello PhD.
It's important to recognize each major milestone in grad school and beyond. That's why we've invited a few friends to help us celebrate our 100th episode!
The post 100: The One Where We Celebrate appeared first on Hello PhD.
“I was observing that there was this growing mistrust in science, and I couldn’t really understand why. I think that people just don’t trust scientists anymore, or at least not as much as they used to.” As a graduate student at the University of Connecticut, Sarah McAnulty was struck by the anti-science and pseudoscience she […]
The post 099: Skype a Scientist with Sarah McAnulty appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s no secret that graduate school and postdoctoral training are some of the most intellectually and emotionally challenging periods you will face in your career. Experiments fail, grant deadlines loom, and PIs push you to work long hours to publish or perish. That’s why many trainees wait to start a family. Time is precious, and […]
The post 098: I’m in Grad School and I’m Pregnant! How to Have Kids AND a Career in Science appeared first on Hello PhD.
Sure, scientific conferences are not a competitive sport, but the sheer volume of information, introductions, and events can leave you feeling like you just lost a round of rugby. This week, we share some sage advice for making your next conference the best one yet. Listener Matthew writes: I have a topic that I think […]
The post 097: Conference Like the Pros – How to Plan, Network, and Win appeared first on Hello PhD.
The best thing about the Hello PhD podcast is our amazing audience of grad students, postdocs, and career scientists. We get emails, tweets, and website comments full of thoughtful questions and insightful observations. And though we try to read and respond to each message, not every question makes it into the show. Sometimes, we can […]
The post 096: Listener Mailbag – Program Prestige, Changing Careers, and More! appeared first on Hello PhD.
A PhD takes years to complete, so it’s no surprise that your situation may change during that time. Your PI may move to a different University, your spouse may take a job in another town, or you may need to move back home to care for ailing parents. In these situations, you’re forced to make […]
The post 095: Should I Finish My PhD Remotely? appeared first on Hello PhD.
We got an email from a first-year student who seems to love everything about grad school… except the tests. He’s wondering: Do grades matter? Dear Josh and Daniel, I am a first year chemical engineering PhD student and am currently working through a class-filled semester. For two of my classes, my midterm grades were much less […]
The post 094: Do Grades Matter in Grad School? appeared first on Hello PhD.
Susanna was experiencing insomnia that began to interfere with her work and life. She visited the campus health clinic, and they referred her to mental health resources on campus. There, the doctor recommended medication for depression and anxiety, and therapy to work through the issues that were interfering with her sleep. “We’re actually really worried […]
The post 093: The Grad School Mental Health Crisis, and What You Can Do About It appeared first on Hello PhD.
“Things are not progressing as they should. You’re having a hard time focusing on the research, and we know that you don’t want to be in academia anyway. Do you want to quit?” The question landed like a punch, and Mónica’s committee meeting took a turn she hadn’t expected. She was in the fourth year […]
The post 092: Making Time for Science Communication with Mónica Feliú-Mójer appeared first on Hello PhD.
Think about your training as a grad student and postdoc – you spend countless hours at the bench, running experiments and reading papers to finish your personal research project. Now think about your PI or faculty advisor. Does she spend time at the bench? Or are you more likely to find her in her office, […]
The post 091: Cross-Train for the Faculty Track with the Academic Pathways Postdoctoral Fellowship appeared first on Hello PhD.
Josh and Daniel are on the road this week, so we decided to bring you some goodies from the archive. An 8-ish step plan to save science! Biomedical science is broken. Funding is unpredictable, training programs drag on indefinitely, and some of our best scientists are drawn to careers outside of the university or drowned in paperwork if […]
The post 011: The 8.5 Fixes That Will Save Biomedical Science (R) appeared first on Hello PhD.
Have you ever submitted a grant, only to have it rejected? You respond to the reviewers’ comments, addressing weaknesses and tweaking the protocol to honor their suggestions. Then, when you resubmit, the proposal is rejected again. This new group of reviewers suggest changes to the protocol. And guess what, their suggestions sound a lot like […]
The post 090: Maybe Grant Funding Feels Random and Subjective Because It Is appeared first on Hello PhD.
On a graduate student’s stipend, it’s hard to imagine having enough money left over to afford a dinner out, let alone enough to invest for retirement. But if you can scrape together a few dollars each month, you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow that investment. As a grad student, time is on your side. Compound Interest […]
The post 089: The Grad Student’s Guide to Investing for Retirement appeared first on Hello PhD.
But I have no skills! At least no skills employers would be interested in! As a career counselor, Melanie Sinche heard grad students and postdocs voice this concern nearly every day. She looked at these talented scholars and saw the ability to think critically, analyze data, and solve problems. To her eye, these were transferable […]
The post 088: 15 Transferable Skills PhDs Can Use In Any Career appeared first on Hello PhD.
Some decisions in life are simple (“Yes, I want cheese on that burger!”) and some are difficult (“Do I want to spend the rest of my life with this person?”). On that spectrum, choosing a University graduate program sits closer to marriage than it does to your lunch options. First, grad school takes a long […]
The post 087: How Do I Choose a PhD Program? appeared first on Hello PhD.
Turning over the last page of the calendar seems to naturally invite some reflection on the previous 365 days. When you look back at 2017, what went well? And what do you wish you could change in the coming year? This week, we take the opportunity to reflect back much farther – to our days […]
The post 086: Five Resolutions for Happier, Healthier Scientists appeared first on Hello PhD.
Pick up any newspaper and you’ll find an article summarizing the ‘latest research’ on the health benefits of chocolate, a new treatment for Alzheimers, or the long-term risks of screen time for your toddler. As a scientist, you probably groan before you reach the end of the title: the claims are extreme, the statistics are […]
The post 085: Scientists in the Newsroom – The AAAS Mass Media Fellowship feat. Rebekah Corlew appeared first on Hello PhD.
In every episode of Hello PhD, we explore science training and life in the lab. But for every scientist, that saga begins with a grad school application. Whether you’re ready to apply today, or would like to apply to a graduate program ‘some day,’ we share a few tips and tricks that will make the […]
The post 084: The 4 Keys to an Effective Grad School Application appeared first on Hello PhD.
Publishing your research in a peer-reviewed academic journal is an exercise in patience. You write and edit, wait for feedback from your PI, wrangle the figures into some esoteric format, and then submit. That’s when the real patience begins. From submission to publication, the peer review process can take more than a year. Meanwhile, you’re […]
The post 083: Preprint First, Peer-Review Later appeared first on Hello PhD.
Two scientists walk into a bar. One steps on stage and delivers ten minutes of raucously funny stand-up comedy. The other enjoys an evening of laughter as enterprising STEM professionals share their science. Scientists doing stand-up may sound like a joke, but it’s actually the latest innovation in science communication. Weird Al Einstein Begun in […]
The post 082: The Science of Comedy with The Peer Revue’s Niki Spahich appeared first on Hello PhD.
As a graduate student, Joel Schwartz developed an immunofluorescence assay for neurotransmitter transport. To quantify his results, he needed to circle the cells in each image so the computer could measure the intensity. By the time he graduated, Joel had circled over 10 million individual cells. Over the years, Joel discovered a better way: he […]
The post 081: Data Science Will Accelerate Your Research – with Joel Schwartz, PhD appeared first on Hello PhD.
Uncertainty is a defining feature of postdoctoral training: Q: Is a postdoc a student or an employee? (A: Neither. Both?) Q: Should you continue in your PhD research field, or try something new? (A: Yes) Q: How are you supposed to find a job while you’re ALSO doing research and writing papers? (A: Pray that […]
The post 080: Postdoc Straight Talk – Where Are They Now? appeared first on Hello PhD.
If you’re an academic scientist, applying for an industry job is a bit like traveling to a foreign country. First, there is paperwork. Will they accept your Curriculum Vitae as is, or do you need to crunch it down into a résumé? And how on earth do you get through the screening software that filters […]
The post 079: The Insider’s Guide to Industry – with Randall Ribaudo, PhD appeared first on Hello PhD.
Maybe you’re in love with science, but you just can’t imagine your life as a PI. And maybe you’ve had a string of experiments fail and you’re just ready to put the entire ‘lab thing’ behind you. You have a choice – you could leave academia and try to find your way in industry, publishing […]
The post 078: Knowing When to Leave Academia – Feat. The Recovering Academic Podcast appeared first on Hello PhD.
Google is data-obsessed, so it should come as no surprise that the company sought to apply its analytical expertise inside the organization. In an endeavor dubbed “Project Aristotle,” Google sought to answer a vexing question: What factors are important for a successful, productive team? Their findings may have profound impacts not just at Google, but […]
The post 077: Google Discovers Five Keys to a Productive Lab appeared first on Hello PhD.
Applying to grad school means making a series of difficult decisions: university location, reputation, lifestyle, and program. But do you need to pick out a specific research topic before filing an application? Is it better to nail down a project and lab before you apply, or is it okay to keep your options open? Listener […]
The post 076: Should I choose a research focus BEFORE I apply? appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s inevitable. At some point in your research career, you’re going to get that sinking feeling. Your experiments will all fail, your PI will get on your case about finishing that paper, and your graduation date will drift maddeningly out of reach. So what can you do when your research starts to drag you down? […]
The post 075: When Research Sucks appeared first on Hello PhD.
On May 2nd, NIH Director Francis Collins announced a plan to limit the total amount of grant funding awarded to an individual investigator or lab. According to Collins, “the distribution of NIH grant funding is highly skewed, with 10 percent of NIH-funded investigators receiving over 40 percent of NIH funding.” The funding proposal would limit an […]
The post 074: Does Science Have an Income Inequality Problem? appeared first on Hello PhD.
Is your lab is filled with compassionate, positive individuals who offer nurturing support and gentle guidance to help you achieve your full potential as a scientist? We didn’t think so. While you may encounter a handful of Positive Pollyannas throughout your career, you’re also likely to run into a few Negative Nancys. Rather than encouraging you to keep trying […]
The post 073: Stop Telling Me My Project is Going to Fail! appeared first on Hello PhD.
We weren’t sure what to expect when scientists planned a protest march on Washington, D.C. and other world capitals. Would this politicize the scientific process? Would enough scientists show up to make an impact? And what should happen after the march to continue the momentum? Ms. Frizzle Supports Science To answer these questions and others, Josh took […]
The post 072: Voices from the Front Line of the Science March appeared first on Hello PhD.
Imposter syndrome might make you feel all alone in the world, but ironically, many graduate students, postdocs, and faculty members experience the same feelings of inadequacy. This week on the show, we interview Dr. Maureen Gannon, PhD, about the sources of imposter feelings and the practical steps you can take to work through them. By every […]
The post 071: Practical Advice for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Dr. Maureen Gannon appeared first on Hello PhD.
Meeting a new cohort of graduate students on your first day of class can be intimidating. These are the brightest students from their undergraduate programs. Some of them have years of research experience, first-author publications, and a depth of knowledge that seems encyclopedic. Feeling intimidated by your new colleagues is normal, but some of the people […]
The post 070: Imposter Syndrome appeared first on Hello PhD.
Traditionally, spending time on social media was a great way to make your PI angry. Your job is to finish experiments, read papers, and present your work at conferences, not to upvote and share the latest blue-dress illusion. But there are some unexpected benefits to the Twitter network that could help your science and your career. #JustAScienceThing This […]
The post 069: Five Ways Scientists SHOULD Be Using Twitter appeared first on Hello PhD.
If the idea of saving money while in graduate school sounds laughable to you, you’re not alone. Many grad students live month to month on a stipend that places them near the poverty line. After rent, food, and clothing, there’s nothing left to save. But food, clothing and shelter don’t cover all the expenses you’ll face […]
The post 068: Use Targeted Savings Accounts for Irregular Expenses appeared first on Hello PhD.
If you read the following headline this week, you might have experienced a small thrill: AAAS Forms Partnership to Expand Access to High-Quality Scientific Publishing AAAS, or the American Association for the Advancement of Science, is the organization that publishes the flagship journal Science Magazine and related titles. You might believe from that headline that you could […]
The post 067: Science Magazine Takes a Teeny, Tiny Step Toward Open Access appeared first on Hello PhD.
Though techniques and terminology vary from one scientific discipline to another, all scientists are bound together by a set of core principles. We call this the “scientific method,” and the approach is sacrosanct. Observe the world around you, state a hypothesis to explain what you’ve seen, devise an experiment to prove yourself wrong, and report your […]
The post 066: Should Scientists March on Washington? appeared first on Hello PhD.
Though most of us have never served on a graduate program admissions committee, we can still appreciate the difficulty of their task: Given a stack qualified applicants, choose the few that you believe will succeed. Where do you start? Perhaps you check on each applicant’s GPA, or focus just on the GPA in their science […]
The post 065: Does the GRE Predict Which Students Will Succeed? appeared first on Hello PhD.
You might think internships are the domain of business students and undergrads. You’re training every day in a lab – why would you need more experiential learning? The short answer is that your laboratory training is a great internship if you want to go on to a faculty position at a major research university. But what […]
The post 064: A PhD Internship Will Help You Get a Job appeared first on Hello PhD.
Statistically speaking, Teresa Ramirez didn’t stand a chance. She was raised in Compton, California, a city south of Los Angeles and the eponymous setting of the N.W.A. album “Straight Outta Compton.” Teresa loved books. She asked questions during class. She put in extra time to help out after school. In a high school where gang violence […]
The post 063: PhD Biography – Compton to the Ivy League appeared first on Hello PhD.
The 2016 presidential election was divisive, dramatic, and distracting. That’s why you probably missed a series of rulings and regulations that could have a profound impact on your research. But fear not, Daniel and Josh are back with news on the recent legislation and how it affects your funding and focus. Fair Labor for Postdocs […]
The post 062: FLSA and 21st Century Cures are laws that impact the lab appeared first on Hello PhD.
There’s no denying it: science is hard work. After a long week of 3AM time-points, contaminated cell cultures, and the ‘simple PCR’ that failed for the fifth time, you might lose sight of why you got into this business in the first place. But, with Thanksgiving on the horizon, we decided to pause and consider all of […]
The post 061: Why We LOVE Grad School appeared first on Hello PhD.
Dear Dr. Scientist, I’m writing to tell you how much I admire your work in the field of science that you study. Your lab has done some tremendous work researching very important topics of significance. I just loved your latest research article and I’m sure it made your university or institution proud! In any case, […]
The post 060: The Right (And Wrong) Ways to Contact Potential Postdoc Advisors appeared first on Hello PhD.
In some jobs, one day at the office looks a lot like the next. You could look through your calendar and optimize your meeting schedule and to-do list without much thought. But working in a lab is different: your projects are in constant flux, experiments lead to other experiments, and you need to balance bench […]
The post 059: Simple Tricks for Time Management – The Focus Funnel appeared first on Hello PhD.
On those days when you manage to take a break from bench-work and call home, you will almost certainly get ‘The Question:’ “So, how is your research going?” If you’re new to grad school, you might make the mistake of telling your parent or loved one exactly how your research is going. “Well, I was up […]
The post 058: How to Be Truly Unhappy in Grad School appeared first on Hello PhD.
When we imagine what life is like for people who are blind, our first reaction might be paralysis. We consider just how difficult our lives would be without sight; preparing breakfast, dressing for work, and navigating from home to the lab sound like insurmountable obstacles. And if those trivial tasks seem daunting, consider your work day. Could you […]
The post 057: “I’m a scientist. And I’m blind.” appeared first on Hello PhD.
When we think of scientists, we often think of the lone researcher plodding away at the bench late into the night. We imagine Alexander Fleming scrutinizing his penicillium molds or Einstein pondering the latest equation he’s written on the chalk board. We go a step further when training new scientists: we ask them to complete an […]
The post 056: Team Up for Speedier Science – #modernPhD Part 3 appeared first on Hello PhD.
Today, a graduate student will make a terrible mistake. He’ll blindly commit to a long-term relationship that will make him miserable. He’ll be too shy to ask his partner the painfully awkward questions that could predict their ultimate failure as a team. Does this person have time for me? Is she enthusiastic about helping me succeed? Do […]
The post 055: Four Ideas to Modernize Mentorship – #modernPhD Part 2 appeared first on Hello PhD.
Scientific training has its roots in the ancient world. From Aristotle’s natural philosophy to the modern biomedical research lab, science training has relied heavily on an apprenticeship model. Senior scientists take promising young students into their labs and train them, hands-on, in the practical activities of research. The assumption has always been that the aspiring […]
The post 054: The 5 year PhD – #modernPhD Part 1 appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s a compelling promise: take a few drops of blood, and tell the patient what hidden diseases are lurking in his body. If only we could have an early warning system for cancer, Alzheimer’s, or myriad other diseases, then we could treat them before they took hold. This is the narrative of Theranos, a company that […]
The post 053: Why more testing from Theranos won’t prevent cancer appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s official: the Hello PhD podcast is one year old!
The post 052: Hello PhD Year in Review appeared first on Hello PhD.
Jessica was finishing her third year of grad school when she finally decided she had had enough. Funding had gotten tighter, and her PI had basically checked out. Many of her lab-mates saw the writing on the wall, and left their projects behind to find other work. With no support from her advisor or peers, she […]
The post 051: Should I change labs or quit grad school? appeared first on Hello PhD.
We’ve all had bad days in the lab: you throw out the supernatant you were supposed to save, or contaminate all the cells in tissue culture. It hurts, but the next day, you can start over and try again. Today on the show, we hear the true story of a woman who dropped a tube and splashed […]
The post 050: Lab Fail – Radioactive Tritium Spill appeared first on Hello PhD.
As a second-year grad student, Craig was making progress on an exciting project in a new lab. Then, one morning, the PI called Craig into his office. “I got a really generous offer to move the lab to Sweden. Do you want to come with me?” Should I stay or should I go? You might think of […]
The post 049: My advisor is moving, but I don’t want to go. appeared first on Hello PhD.
Shhhh! There he is. Behind that rack of Eppendorf tubes…. The elusive ‘Postdoctoral Fellow’ in his native habitat! If we’re quiet, we may be able to observe him as he completes an experiment, writes a few paragraphs in a grant proposal, and nurtures his young (i.e. graduate students.) Postdocs are difficult to study in the wild, […]
The post 048: Where the (Wild) Postdocs Are appeared first on Hello PhD.
It sounds like a simple question: how many postdocs are there in the United States? Maybe you want to know because you ARE a postdoc and you’re thinking about what kind of competition you’ll face for a faculty position. Maybe you’re a program manager at the NIH, and you’d like to direct extra funding toward […]
The post 047: How many postdocs are there? The answer may surprise you! appeared first on Hello PhD.
You’ve worked hard in your biopharma job, and you really love the position. The team is passionate and dynamic, the product is starting to make an impact in the market, and you begin to imagine your long-term relationship with the company. But there’s one problem: it seems like no one with a Bachelor’s Degree can move […]
The post 046: Do I need a PhD to advance in my industry job? appeared first on Hello PhD.
Postdocs are some of the most productive scientists on the planet, but you wouldn’t know it if you looked at a pay stub. For years now, postdoc salaries have remained stagnant in the low $40,000s, causing many young scientists to find other careers in other industries. But a recently announced bill from the Department of […]
The post 045: Finally, some good news for postdoc salary! appeared first on Hello PhD.
We know that stepping from academia to industry is met with scorn for the person ‘selling out’ and leaving the university, but there’s a subtler form of bias against those scientists who actually like to teach. The moment you consider applying for a university teaching position, your advisors and peers will come out of the woodwork to […]
The post 044: 5 Myths About University Teaching Jobs That YOU Probably Believe appeared first on Hello PhD.
Every day in a research lab is spent forming hypotheses, designing experiments, and examining data. So it might surprise you to know that the scientific method is only rarely applied in the classroom. Wouldn’t it be transformative if the methods that professors use to teach science were tested and proven to be effective? Well, you’re in […]
The post 043: A Scientific Approach to Teaching Science appeared first on Hello PhD.
The good news is that your research project has gone well over the last few years, and you got your paper published. The bad news is that you published everything in that one paper, and you’re out of ideas. And you’re five years into the program. And your PI doesn’t want to help you anymore. How, […]
The post 042: I’m a Fifth Year, and I’m Stuck in a Rut appeared first on Hello PhD.
What makes two PhDs who escaped from grad school years ago want to revisit all the highs and lows of their training? Short answer: Beer! But the long answer: Grad school is no cakewalk – classes are challenging, experiments fail, and sometimes, PIs seem like they’re from another planet. We made it through one day at […]
The post 004: Why we podcast (R) appeared first on Hello PhD.
Spoiler Alert: Working in a lab is tough. Yes, there’s the academic challenge, but it can also be an emotional roller-coaster when experiments fail, colleagues conflict, and you push yourself past the normal limits. When someone in your lab has a bad day, does it sound like this? Grad Student: (despondent sigh) “I can’t believe […]
The post 041: Make a Difference in Your Lab with Peer Support appeared first on Hello PhD.
Kenny Gibbs is a scientist who studies other scientists. After earning his PhD in Immunology from Stanford, he turned his attention to the broader topic of scientific careers and how PhDs choose and evolve in their work. Through surveys and interviews with postdocs and research scientists, Dr. Gibbs explores issues like career-interest formation and postdoc development. […]
The post 040: Three Keys to Success in Grad School appeared first on Hello PhD.
Sometimes, we use the words ‘research advisor’ and ‘research mentor’ interchangeably, but be careful – they’re not the same thing. When you join the lab of a research faculty member in your second year of grad school, you’ve chosen a research advisor. Whether that person turns out to be a ‘mentor’ remains to be seen. […]
The post 039: Two simple steps to better research mentors appeared first on Hello PhD.
You’ve either heard the stories, or worse, you’ve lived them. They’re stories of the research advisors who scream at their students in front of the whole department. The PIs who put two or three postdocs on the same project, expecting only one to succeed. The ‘mentor’ who makes you feel like you’re not even qualified […]
The post 038: Why aren’t bad research advisors held accountable? appeared first on Hello PhD.
Management consulting is an exciting field, but actually getting a consulting job at one of the top firms can be extremely difficult. Some people argue that you’ll have an easier time getting into Harvard than landing a spot at McKinsey… We talked to a postdoc-turned-consultant about how she left the bench and got a job in […]
The post 037: Consulting Jobs for PhDs appeared first on Hello PhD.
If you’ve worked at the bench for awhile, your only reference to the world of consulting is probably the two Bobs in the movie “Office Space.” They’re the hatchet men who swoop into a company, fire a bunch of people, and fly back home. But is that an accurate picture of consulting work, or a just bit […]
The post 036: What Do Consultants DO, Exactly? appeared first on Hello PhD.
Do you like to share your passion for science with others? Do you mentor undergrads or visit your local middle school to do scientific demonstrations? If so, stop it. Your PI is going to hate you. Is It Safe to Go Outside? Okay, so that’s not exactly true, but it can feel risky to explore […]
The post 035: Making Time for Outreach appeared first on Hello PhD.
Research budgets are tight, and many universities are canceling subscriptions to costly online science journals and publications. But papers are the currency of science, and it’s impossible to stay at the top of your field when you can’t find out what your field is doing. One solution sails between the rock and the hard-place, as scientists and trainees […]
The post 034: Sci-Hub and the Publication Pirates appeared first on Hello PhD.
You might believe that because you’re in grad school and receiving a research stipend, you don’t really need to worry about paying an income tax. You don’t have a ‘real job’ and no one asked you to fill out any paperwork so you’re off the hook, right? Wrong. Utterly, expensively, illegally wrong. The Tax Man Cometh […]
The post 033: It’s Tax Season – Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on Hello PhD.
Reading papers is part of the job, but keeping up with the literature can feel overwhelming sometimes. If you’re developing a sense of dread for that stack of papers on your desk, it’s time to learn some shortcuts that will get you up to speed. Paper Pushers This week, we answer a listener question about keeping up […]
The post 032: Help! I Hate Reading Papers! appeared first on Hello PhD.
Great science speaks for itself, right? So the next time you need to give a lab meeting or seminar, just drop a couple of figures into the prettiest PowerPoint template you can find. Make sure to take detailed bulleted notes so you won’t forget anything! And if you’re feeling cheeky, add one of those cool boomerang animations […]
The post 031: Making PowerPoint Presentations That Don’t Suck appeared first on Hello PhD.
If you are a scientist, then I know a little something about your personality. Almost by definition, you are curious about the world. And I’ll bet that extends beyond your particular laboratory or field of research. If there’s something intriguing and knowable, you want to know it. Well, we are scientists too, and sometimes we […]
The post 030: Baby carrots, prime numbers, and invisible planets appeared first on Hello PhD.
Choosing a lab for your graduate or postdoc research is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Most people read papers and abstracts to find the coolest science. Or they favor the big labs with lots of people and solid funding. But those features can distract you from the real secret of scientific success. Your Mentor Matters […]
The post 029: Tenure Tracker – Choose a Mentor, Not a Lab appeared first on Hello PhD.
If you have kids, you’ve experienced “the time shift.” Where you used to have hobbies, you now have a drive to soccer practice. Where you used to have dinner out, you now have dinner, dishes, bath-time, stories, and bedtime, IN. And where you used to stay late in the lab to finish an experiment, you now […]
The post 028: Making Time for Kids When Everyone Else Stays Late appeared first on Hello PhD.
In 2011, a whopping 36,000 science and technology grad students earned their PhDs. That same year, about 3,000 faculty positions were created. So why did you feel like a failure when you decided to step off the tenure track? Taking the high road Scientists aren’t always as rational as we seem. A rational person would […]
The post 027: The Road More Travelled: Stepping Off of the Tenure Track appeared first on Hello PhD.
When you’re worried about today’s experiments and tomorrow’s time points, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s really important for your career and your life. Why not start the New Year with a new perspective? Looking Back and Moving Forward In this episode, we consider the advice of Robert J. Sternberg, PhD, a self-described geezer and […]
The post 026: Career Advice from A Successful Scientist appeared first on Hello PhD.
You’re busy. Experiments, lab meeting, journal club, classes – you barely have time to sleep, let alone make it to the gym to exercise. We’ll tell you about 10 creative ways other grad students and postdocs stay physically fit, and how it’s boosting their productivity and self-confidence. You don’t have time NOT to exercise The […]
The post 025: Experiments and Exercise: 10 Creative Ways Scientists Stay Fit appeared first on Hello PhD.
Stephanie dreamed of becoming a scientist when she was a girl. She managed to maintain excellent grades while working in research labs throughout her college career. With her flawless CV, it came as no surprise when she was accepted into a top-tier pharmacology PhD program. Four years later, Stephanie walked into her PI’s office to tell him […]
The post 024: Leave with a Master’s, and your sanity appeared first on Hello PhD.
A driving test shows that you’re ready for your license. A pregnancy test shows that you’ve got a baby on the way. So what does the GRE show? More often than not, it shows whether you’re a man or a woman, and the color of your skin. You can’t spell “regret” without GRE Identifying which students are ready for graduate […]
The post 023: Seriously, can we ditch the GRE already? appeared first on Hello PhD.
Think about your first few months of graduate school. You moved into a new apartment in a new town, you met hundreds of other students and scientists, and you had to pick a rotation lab and classes for your first semester. It’s an unbelievably stressful time for most students. Now imagine doing all of that […]
The post 022: Science Overseas: Life as an International Student appeared first on Hello PhD.
Even if you’re not working on a paper or grant proposal today, you’ll probably communicate about science. You’ll send an email to a colleague, chat with your PI, or present a paper at lab meeting. In every case, you’re trying to convey an idea or change someone’s mind, and that’s why it’s so important to […]
The post 021: The 4 simple tips that will make your writing stand out appeared first on Hello PhD.
As you near the end of your graduate school training, you will feel defeated, worn out, and ready to take a nice, peaceful job at that bookstore down the street. But if your career goals include leaving the bookstore and returning to lab, you’re probably considering postdoctoral training. Question is: do you really need to […]
The post 020: Do I really need to do a postdoc? appeared first on Hello PhD.
The research is cutting-edge. The publications are top-tier. Funding is abundant. But this lab has a toxic secret that will make your life a living hell. Hidden in Plain Sight This week, we answered a question from a first-year grad student who found himself in a lab that felt more like the gladiator’s arena […]
The post 019: How to Avoid a Toxic Lab appeared first on Hello PhD.
If you wake up every morning excited to go to work, you’re ‘in-the-zone’ all day, and you come home refreshed and excited to start a new day, please stop reading now. Everyone else, join me in paragraph two. A story for the rest of us Oh good, they’re gone. It’s hard enough to work at a job […]
The post 018: How NOT to choose a career you’ll love appeared first on Hello PhD.
Shocking Fact No. 1: If you put a woman’s name and a man’s name on the exact same job application for lab manager, the woman is described as less competent and will be offered less money. Shocking fact No. 2: If you show the results of that experiment to faculty members in scientific fields, the men are less […]
The post 017: Does science have a gender bias? It depends on who you ask. appeared first on Hello PhD.
During his first week as a postdoc, James was excited. He stayed late to set up cultures and read a stack of papers. The second week, he was surprised to notice he was the last one in the lab at 6PM – in his undergrad lab, you could expect to see people working past 10. […]
The post 016: Working Hard, or Hardly Working? How lab culture affects your productivity. appeared first on Hello PhD.
Scientists aren’t like other workers. There’s no 9 to 5 time clock with lunch and two fifteen minute breaks. When you’re running an experiment, you have to make a plan days in advance, juggle each step and incubation period, and stay nights and weekends to hit your time points. That’s hard enough without the constant ping, […]
The post 015: Simple Tricks for Time Management: The Pomodoro Technique appeared first on Hello PhD.
The moment you finish grad school, a weight is lifted from your shoulders. You’re free to follow your scientific passion and publish your discoveries in top-tier journals. But don’t get TOO comfortable, because we’ve already started the countdown on your temporary position… Last week, we asked postdocs what they loved and hated about their jobs. This […]
The post 014: Postdoc Straight Talk Part 2: PostTalk appeared first on Hello PhD.
If you met him on the street, you’d never suspect that mild-mannered Clark Kent was actually the indomitable Superman. And there’s a chance that you’re ignoring the real superheroes walking around your lab every day. They’ve escaped from graduate school Krypton and are flourishing under the yellow sun of independent research. They’re postdocs, and churning […]
The post 013: Postdoc Straight Talk appeared first on Hello PhD.
If you believe the newspaper headlines, you’ll be ready to dismiss Jake as another statistic. After all, the odds of a soldier returning from war and getting an undergrad degree are not good, which makes his dream of earning a PhD sound like a pipe-dream. But don’t believe everything you read in the papers. The […]
The post 012: How to help veterans succeed in science, and why it’s important to all of us. appeared first on Hello PhD.
Biomedical science is broken. Funding is unpredictable, training programs drag on indefinitely, and some of our best scientists are drawn to careers outside of the university or drowned in paperwork if they stay. Can anything be done to support research staff and boost lab productivity? Saving Science These topics are regularly debated in the literature, but a recent meta-analysis […]
The post 011: The 8.5 fixes that will save biomedical science appeared first on Hello PhD.
Congratulations! You just decided that you want to be a scientist, and spend your career doing research in a biomedical lab. That would be great news, except that you’re past thirty and you have no training. As the excitement fades and reality hits, you ask: “Am I too old to go back to school?” You’re never […]
The post 010: Are you too old to go back to school? appeared first on Hello PhD.
It’s year two, and you’re just hitting your stride in the lab. You’ve finally got classes behind you, so now it’s time to drop the books and make some magic at the bench, right! Nope, now it’s time for prelims! Will Work for Fish That perennial favorite of graduate training rears its ugly head in this week’s […]
The post 009: Research and Prelims and Quals, Oh My! appeared first on Hello PhD.
Imagine waking up on a Friday morning, grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting down to check your email. What’s this? A note from your employer stating that your healthcare coverage will expire in 13 hours and it’s up to you to find insurance. Have a great day! Hope you weren’t feeling pregnant! #Mizzou #GradInsurance That scenario played […]
The post 008: Fight for Your Right to #GradInsurance appeared first on Hello PhD.
Some labs feel like a party – there’s music playing, post-docs chatting, and grad students running from bench to bench setting up experiments. But what if you land in a spot that feels more like a morgue than a living laboratory? Co-workers keep their eyes on their benches, every ear is covered by headphones, and […]
The post 007: From Quiet Lab to Super-Fab! appeared first on Hello PhD.
It has happened to all of us: you finish a solid day of work at the bench, and as you head out the door to your well-earned R&R, the PI catches you and lays on a speech about how you need to spend more time in lab. Everyone’s a critic In one instant, all that […]
The post 006: Haters Gonna Hate; Dealing with Critics appeared first on Hello PhD.
Scientists are supposed to be objective, so why is it easier to publish your paper when you’re in a big-name lab? Why do women and minorities get harsher feedback from reviewers than white men? And more importantly, what can be done to make the process fair? When Peer Review Attacks In this episode, we uncover […]
The post 005: Perfecting Peer Review appeared first on Hello PhD.
What makes two PhDs who escaped from grad school years ago want to revisit all the highs and lows of their training? Short answer: Beer! But the long answer: Grad school is no cakewalk – classes are challenging, experiments fail, and sometimes, PIs seem like they’re from another planet. We made it through one day at […]
The post 004: Why we podcast appeared first on Hello PhD.
You may like your job, your boss, and your co-workers, but what happens if a “Dream Job” lands in your lap? Should you leave the safety of your current gig to take a risk on something new? What if it’s outside of the “norm” or in a slightly different field? The answer is rarely simple, […]
The post 003: Should I take a new job or stay where I am? appeared first on Hello PhD.
The Obama administration has proposed some new rules that would give overtime pay to salaried workers making less than $50,400 per year. Who cares? Many post-docs who make the NIH recommended $42,840 seem to care! In this episode, we explore whether the new rules would apply to post-docs, and how post-doc salary has stagnated over the last […]
The post 002: Post-doc salary, absent PIs, and the secret of landing industry jobs appeared first on Hello PhD.
In this episode: Tim Hunt incited a firestorm on Twitter last month for making sexist comments about women in lab, and he eventually lost his job over the incident. We marvel at the intersection between science and social media, and examine the notion of sexism and bias for scientists committed to discovering truth. We answer questions […]
The post 001: Tim Hunt, Lab Rotations, and Teaching vs. Tenure appeared first on Hello PhD.
