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 to wash the glassware.

So why do academic institutions allow such bad behavior to continue year in, and year out?  Why aren’t bad PIs accountable?

The fact is, they ARE accountable for things like getting grants, publishing papers, and participating in scientific discourse.  But it seems no one is measuring mentorship and that leaves students and postdocs with nowhere to turn when things go wrong.

Nurture vs. Torture

In this episode, we explore the broken system of academic mentorship, and how it can turn the wide-eyed excitement of a first-year grad student into depression, anxiety, and a vow never to work at the bench again.

We’ll tell you how to identify, and avoid, toxic research advisors before you commit to 5+ years.  We also discuss alternatives if you should find yourself locked into a bad PI relationship.

And if none of that works, at least we can have some fun finding HOT research advisors on RateMyProfessor.com!

 

Turn on, tune in, drop out

Though you are unlikely to hallucinate, this week’s Citradelic IPA from New Belgium will certainly expand your senses.  With a solid hoppy bitterness and a hint of citrus, it’s like a tangerine wrapped in a hop wrapped in an enigma.  Groovy.

 

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 to wash the glassware.

So why do academic institutions allow such bad behavior to continue year in, and year out?  Why aren’t bad PIs accountable?

The fact is, they ARE accountable for things like getting grants, publishing papers, and participating in scientific discourse.  But it seems no one is measuring mentorship and that leaves students and postdocs with nowhere to turn when things go wrong.

Nurture vs. Torture

In this episode, we explore the broken system of academic mentorship, and how it can turn the wide-eyed excitement of a first-year grad student into depression, anxiety, and a vow never to work at the bench again.

We’ll tell you how to identify, and avoid, toxic research advisors before you commit to 5+ years.  We also discuss alternatives if you should find yourself locked into a bad PI relationship.

And if none of that works, at least we can have some fun finding HOT research advisors on RateMyProfessor.com!

 

Turn on, tune in, drop out

Though you are unlikely to hallucinate, this week’s Citradelic IPA from New Belgium will certainly expand your senses.  With a solid hoppy bitterness and a hint of citrus, it’s like a tangerine wrapped in a hop wrapped in an enigma.  Groovy.

 

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 such a competitive field.

Listen to your undergrads

This week on the show, we wrap up our interview with Laura Terry, PhD.  Last week, she told us about what it’s like to work in management consulting day to day, and this week, we find out how she got there.

From the start, Laura’s scientific career looked promising.  She completed her PhD at Vanderbilt and found a postdoc position at Princeton.  She seemed destined for the tenure track.

But part-way through her postdoc, she started teaching and began to notice all of the organizational dynamics of a modern university.  Who decides on how to spend the budget?  What are the best ways to select and hire new faculty?  How can we structure degree programs to maximize student success?

These weren’t questions about biology or human health, but they were questions with complex answers and profound importance.  And as a trained scientist, Laura knew how to explore complex questions.

That’s when she received some advice from a helpful undergrad: management consulting firms, like McKinsey and Company, were hiring scientists like her to answer questions just like these.

This week on the podcast, we get the rest of Laura’s story, including the reactions of her colleagues when she stepped out of the ivory tower. To prepare, Laura talks about using a combination of practice interviews and books like Case In Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation.

There’s a tear in my beer

Josh brings down the mood with the tragic tale of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that sank in Lake Superior in 1975.  The entire crew was lost, but not forgotten, because the Great Lakes Brewing Company now produces Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.  Too soon?  

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 such a competitive field.

Listen to your undergrads

This week on the show, we wrap up our interview with Laura Terry, PhD.  Last week, she told us about what it’s like to work in management consulting day to day, and this week, we find out how she got there.

From the start, Laura’s scientific career looked promising.  She completed her PhD at Vanderbilt and found a postdoc position at Princeton.  She seemed destined for the tenure track.

But part-way through her postdoc, she started teaching and began to notice all of the organizational dynamics of a modern university.  Who decides on how to spend the budget?  What are the best ways to select and hire new faculty?  How can we structure degree programs to maximize student success?

These weren’t questions about biology or human health, but they were questions with complex answers and profound importance.  And as a trained scientist, Laura knew how to explore complex questions.

That’s when she received some advice from a helpful undergrad: management consulting firms, like McKinsey and Company, were hiring scientists like her to answer questions just like these.

This week on the podcast, we get the rest of Laura’s story, including the reactions of her colleagues when she stepped out of the ivory tower. To prepare, Laura talks about using a combination of practice interviews and books like Case In Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation.

There’s a tear in my beer

Josh brings down the mood with the tragic tale of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that sank in Lake Superior in 1975.  The entire crew was lost, but not forgotten, because the Great Lakes Brewing Company now produces Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.  Too soon?  

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 of satire?

This week, we turn the tables and ask a biomedical PhD/management consultant: “What would you say you do here?”  You’ll be surprised by her response!

Someone’s got a case of the Monday’s

Even if you do know a bit about the world of consulting, you may not know that some of the worlds largest firms are looking for people like you – PhDs from the biomedical sciences.  Consulting firms are actively recruiting scientists, and leveraging their ability to learn quickly and solve problems in a wide array of business situations.

If you want a career away from the bench, then consulting is worth a look.

But what do consultants DO?  We tracked down Laura Terry, PhD, to ask just that.  Laura did her graduate work at Vanderbilt University, and then did a postdoc at Princeton where she began teaching and exploring some career options outside the lab.

Long story short, she got a job with McKinsey & Company, one of the most prestigious management consulting firms in the world.  Over the last few years, she’s traveled to dozens of client sites to help them solve myriad scientific and business problems.

In this episode, Laura gives us a glimpse at the types of questions she faces with her team of consultants and analysts.  She also describes a typical week, and lays out the pros and cons of this line of work.

Next week we’ll return with Part 2 where we find out exactly how Laura went from working at the bench to flying around the world.  Stay tuned!

Hop Torpedo

This week, we sample the Torpedo Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada. They use a unique dry-hopping vessel they call the “torpedo” to extract the delicate flavor compounds from whole hops without all the alpha acids that add bitterness.  We love to find some science in our beer!

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 of satire?

This week, we turn the tables and ask a biomedical PhD/management consultant: “What would you say you do here?”  You’ll be surprised by her response!

Someone’s got a case of the Monday’s

Even if you do know a bit about the world of consulting, you may not know that some of the worlds largest firms are looking for people like you – PhDs from the biomedical sciences.  Consulting firms are actively recruiting scientists, and leveraging their ability to learn quickly and solve problems in a wide array of business situations.

If you want a career away from the bench, then consulting is worth a look.

But what do consultants DO?  We tracked down Laura Terry, PhD, to ask just that.  Laura did her graduate work at Vanderbilt University, and then did a postdoc at Princeton where she began teaching and exploring some career options outside the lab.

Long story short, she got a job with McKinsey & Company, one of the most prestigious management consulting firms in the world.  Over the last few years, she’s traveled to dozens of client sites to help them solve myriad scientific and business problems.

In this episode, Laura gives us a glimpse at the types of questions she faces with her team of consultants and analysts.  She also describes a typical week, and lays out the pros and cons of this line of work.

Next week we’ll return with Part 2 where we find out exactly how Laura went from working at the bench to flying around the world.  Stay tuned!

Hop Torpedo

This week, we sample the Torpedo Extra IPA from Sierra Nevada. They use a unique dry-hopping vessel they call the “torpedo” to extract the delicate flavor compounds from whole hops without all the alpha acids that add bitterness.  We love to find some science in our beer!

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 any opportunities away from the bench while you’re a grad student or postdoc.  Your PI is paying you to do research, right?

In truth, you are in training, and that training should prepare you for the work you’d like to do.  For many of us, that includes science outreach, mentorship and teaching.

How do you balance your personal growth with your PI’s research goals and schedule?  That’s exactly what Shawn wanted to know:

One of the many things I want to continue to do during grad school is to volunteer and become part of outreach programs. I acknowledge I am going to have a lot on my plate very soon , but I still want to volunteer and continue doing some form of work that likens the after-school teaching I was doing [during my undergrad]. Is it feasible to find time for outreach while in graduate school?

Escape Plan

You could try the old ‘lab-bench-Doppelgänger’ trick and hope that the boss doesn’t notice that you’re missing, or you could talk to your mentor about your long term goals.  Remind the PI that communicating our research makes it more relevant, and improves public support for science funding.  In fact, some grants actually require or reward labs when they do outreach.

At the end of the day, outreach can be a part of your training, but remember that your first goal is to hit the bench so that you can complete your departmental requirements and graduate.

There is time for outreach, but only if you take it.

 

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 any opportunities away from the bench while you’re a grad student or postdoc.  Your PI is paying you to do research, right?

In truth, you are in training, and that training should prepare you for the work you’d like to do.  For many of us, that includes science outreach, mentorship and teaching.

How do you balance your personal growth with your PI’s research goals and schedule?  That’s exactly what Shawn wanted to know:

One of the many things I want to continue to do during grad school is to volunteer and become part of outreach programs. I acknowledge I am going to have a lot on my plate very soon , but I still want to volunteer and continue doing some form of work that likens the after-school teaching I was doing [during my undergrad]. Is it feasible to find time for outreach while in graduate school?

Escape Plan

You could try the old ‘lab-bench-Doppelgänger’ trick and hope that the boss doesn’t notice that you’re missing, or you could talk to your mentor about your long term goals.  Remind the PI that communicating our research makes it more relevant, and improves public support for science funding.  In fact, some grants actually require or reward labs when they do outreach.

At the end of the day, outreach can be a part of your training, but remember that your first goal is to hit the bench so that you can complete your departmental requirements and graduate.

There is time for outreach, but only if you take it.

 

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 turn to ‘pirated’ articles posted online.

Avast ye scurvy dogs!

Scientists have shared their work since the beginning of scientific discourse, and until very recently, most would order extra copies of their published papers to mail to colleagues around the world.  But with the internet and PDFs, that sharing became painless.

As universities cut back on subscriptions, enterprising researchers have turned to Twitter, Reddit, and other online gathering places to “request” papers from those with access.  It’s largely illegal and fairly inefficient. But because the network is decentralized, it’s also difficult for publishers to squelch.

Enter websites like Sci-Hub and LibGen – online repositories with a searchable interface and access to tens of millions of scientific articles.  These sites navigate through journal paywalls using university .edu proxies and archive all the content they can scrape.

By all accounts, this ‘easy access’ to research is popular: Sci-Hub claimed to receive 200,000 visitors per day in January 2016.  Not surprisingly, the publishers who own the content are less than pleased.

Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!

Elsevier and other publishers have brought lawsuits against Sci-Hub and their ilk in international courts, and seized domain names in an effort to have the content removed.  In true piratical fashion, Sci-Hub’s crew have taken the site down only to have it reappear on foreign servers, peer-to-peer networks, and anywhere else the content can be hidden from the law.

The legality of the situation is clear, but the morality is more nuanced than other cases of internet piracy.  In this case, restricting access to scientific research slows the pace of discovery, which harms all of us.  Are scientists and trainees justified in breaking the law, or should they find creative ways to pay for the content they need?

This week on the show – we explore both sides of this daring, high-seas adventure!

Three sheets to the wind

For ethanol this week, we get tropical with Death By Coconut Irish Porter from Oskar Blues Brewing.  It’s surprisingly coconutty, wonderfully chocolatey, and a pretty tasty way to die if you had to pick.  Blow me down!

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 turn to ‘pirated’ articles posted online.

Avast ye scurvy dogs!

Scientists have shared their work since the beginning of scientific discourse, and until very recently, most would order extra copies of their published papers to mail to colleagues around the world.  But with the internet and PDFs, that sharing became painless.

As universities cut back on subscriptions, enterprising researchers have turned to Twitter, Reddit, and other online gathering places to “request” papers from those with access.  It’s largely illegal and fairly inefficient. But because the network is decentralized, it’s also difficult for publishers to squelch.

Enter websites like Sci-Hub and LibGen – online repositories with a searchable interface and access to tens of millions of scientific articles.  These sites navigate through journal paywalls using university .edu proxies and archive all the content they can scrape.

By all accounts, this ‘easy access’ to research is popular: Sci-Hub claimed to receive 200,000 visitors per day in January 2016.  Not surprisingly, the publishers who own the content are less than pleased.

Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!

Elsevier and other publishers have brought lawsuits against Sci-Hub and their ilk in international courts, and seized domain names in an effort to have the content removed.  In true piratical fashion, Sci-Hub’s crew have taken the site down only to have it reappear on foreign servers, peer-to-peer networks, and anywhere else the content can be hidden from the law.

The legality of the situation is clear, but the morality is more nuanced than other cases of internet piracy.  In this case, restricting access to scientific research slows the pace of discovery, which harms all of us.  Are scientists and trainees justified in breaking the law, or should they find creative ways to pay for the content they need?

This week on the show – we explore both sides of this daring, high-seas adventure!

Three sheets to the wind

For ethanol this week, we get tropical with Death By Coconut Irish Porter from Oskar Blues Brewing.  It’s surprisingly coconutty, wonderfully chocolatey, and a pretty tasty way to die if you had to pick.  Blow me down!