Comments on: how to ruin a brilliant scientific career http://www.mylifemypace.com/2006/05/30/how-to-ruin-a-brilliant-scientific-career/ an MD/PhD student's take on school, lab, LIFE Sat, 12 Sep 2009 05:44:24 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: The Medical Blog Network http://www.mylifemypace.com/2006/05/30/how-to-ruin-a-brilliant-scientific-career/comment-page-1/#comment-32 The Medical Blog Network Tue, 06 Jun 2006 11:42:15 +0000 http://www.mylifemypace.com/2006/05/30/how-to-ruin-a-brilliant-scientific-career/#comment-32 <strong>Grand Rounds 2.37...</strong> Not until the last moment did I realize that my Grand Rounds falls on a day of apocalyptic significance, celebrated by some. My hope is that TMBN's new ideas will not cause the end of the world and instead bring us "Hell of a Grand Rounds"! ... Grand Rounds 2.37…

Not until the last moment did I realize that my Grand Rounds falls on a day of apocalyptic significance, celebrated by some. My hope is that TMBN’s new ideas will not cause the end of the world and instead bring us "Hell of a Grand Rounds"!
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]]> By: mylifemypace http://www.mylifemypace.com/2006/05/30/how-to-ruin-a-brilliant-scientific-career/comment-page-1/#comment-27 mylifemypace Thu, 01 Jun 2006 03:44:55 +0000 http://www.mylifemypace.com/2006/05/30/how-to-ruin-a-brilliant-scientific-career/#comment-27 I guess I wouldn't really call where I live a large metropolitan city. :P I doubt my program is any more generous than others... So maybe the stipend was enough for me because I just didn't eat quite as much (or well) as I do now. ;) As for my comment on IMing--that was just my take on it. I'm sure it works just fine for some people, but it's just not for me (or my husband). My husband and I IM each other all day while I'm at lab and he's at work, which is great because we're able to talk to each other throughout the day. But we can't imagine sitting right next to each other and IMing instead of talking, especially after having already spent the whole day IMing. I also don't find talking to be any more disruptive to my workflow than IMing, which is probably another reason why I find the whole IMing each other while sitting next to each other thing so weird. But, hey, whatever works! :) I guess I wouldn’t really call where I live a large metropolitan city. :P I doubt my program is any more generous than others… So maybe the stipend was enough for me because I just didn’t eat quite as much (or well) as I do now. ;)

As for my comment on IMing–that was just my take on it. I’m sure it works just fine for some people, but it’s just not for me (or my husband). My husband and I IM each other all day while I’m at lab and he’s at work, which is great because we’re able to talk to each other throughout the day. But we can’t imagine sitting right next to each other and IMing instead of talking, especially after having already spent the whole day IMing. I also don’t find talking to be any more disruptive to my workflow than IMing, which is probably another reason why I find the whole IMing each other while sitting next to each other thing so weird. But, hey, whatever works! :)

]]> By: Carlos http://www.mylifemypace.com/2006/05/30/how-to-ruin-a-brilliant-scientific-career/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Carlos Wed, 31 May 2006 20:08:25 +0000 http://www.mylifemypace.com/2006/05/30/how-to-ruin-a-brilliant-scientific-career/#comment-26 Nice summary, mlmp. For us it has always been about finding the right balance. You can be very dedicated and work hard, but it is the rare person who can find fulfillment from their work alone. I also find that the study clearly has a sampling bias, having chosen only the top scientists and not necessarily a "representative" sample of scientists. Could it be that scientists with fulfilling marriages and social lives are more productive than they would be without that support? I also find this quote interesting (from the article): "In a perfect world, you could have it all, never sacrificing anything for either marriage or career," Yeah, and in a perfect world all chocolate would be calorie free. The thing about marriage is that it is hard work. There are numerous and constant compromises, but the gains from the relationship are what make it worthwhile. BTW, mlmp, you must not be living in a large met city, or else have a particularly generous MD/PhD program, because my wife's stipend was never enough to quite get by when we were in school! Oh, and as to the IM communication - I can totally see how that would happen. This year in particular my wife has had truly hellish working hours (the 80-hour work week doesn't seem to apply to fellows) and it is many a night that I have been working on the computer, next to my love, and wished for a well-received way to share the small niceties that allow you to reconnect at the end of a hard day. Talking is great, but it really interrupts your workflow, and we're getting by on dangerously low hours of sleep as it is. IM at least you can get you when you finish a thought, without as significant an interruption in workflow. We used to do post-it communication earlier this year, when I really didn't see her for long stretches of time. We already to text-paging throughout the day, which is doubly good: you get to say I love you, and you get to give her a page that she doesn't have to respond to! Maybe I'll bring up the IM idea... Nice summary, mlmp. For us it has always been about finding the right balance. You can be very dedicated and work hard, but it is the rare person who can find fulfillment from their work alone. I also find that the study clearly has a sampling bias, having chosen only the top scientists and not necessarily a “representative” sample of scientists. Could it be that scientists with fulfilling marriages and social lives are more productive than they would be without that support?

I also find this quote interesting (from the article): “In a perfect world, you could have it all, never sacrificing anything for either marriage or career,” Yeah, and in a perfect world all chocolate would be calorie free. The thing about marriage is that it is hard work. There are numerous and constant compromises, but the gains from the relationship are what make it worthwhile.

BTW, mlmp, you must not be living in a large met city, or else have a particularly generous MD/PhD program, because my wife’s stipend was never enough to quite get by when we were in school! Oh, and as to the IM communication – I can totally see how that would happen. This year in particular my wife has had truly hellish working hours (the 80-hour work week doesn’t seem to apply to fellows) and it is many a night that I have been working on the computer, next to my love, and wished for a well-received way to share the small niceties that allow you to reconnect at the end of a hard day. Talking is great, but it really interrupts your workflow, and we’re getting by on dangerously low hours of sleep as it is. IM at least you can get you when you finish a thought, without as significant an interruption in workflow. We used to do post-it communication earlier this year, when I really didn’t see her for long stretches of time. We already to text-paging throughout the day, which is doubly good: you get to say I love you, and you get to give her a page that she doesn’t have to respond to! Maybe I’ll bring up the IM idea…

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