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Table of Contents

1. Preface

2. Main Article

3. Readers’ Favorite

Preface

Let's discuss the food situation here in Boston, shall we? 🍝

In short - junk food is everywhere 🍔 and is cheap. Healthy alternatives 🥗 are tough to come by and are expensive 💰.

This is something I haven't gotten used to, and it continues to bother me on a daily basis.

The fat and sugar contents of products are hidden on the labels and are replaced with “33% less fat”. But less than what, exactly? 🤔

Picture this: My hospital's lunch menu includes chicken tenders 🍗, wings, pizza 🍕, muffins 🧁, and French fries 🍟. Oh, and did I mention there's a Dunkin' Donuts 🍩 INSIDE the hospital?

On my 12-16 hour surgery days, I sometimes cave and go for those chicken tenders (the lesser evil, if you will). If I go home at a reasonable hour, I eat a healthy dinner.

I can hear the murmurs 😠: “Why not bring your healthy food from home?”

Well, my days are so hectic that maneuvering a fridge and a microwave, let alone finding a moment to sit and eat, is a logistical nightmare.

The result: I'm constantly craving normal food.

On the other hand, when I do get the chance to grab something wholesome, I REALLY enjoy it. I savor every bite.

That's enough self-pity 🤕.

Today, we'll touch on a topic that not many discuss in the open: Behind the scenes of being a PhD student.

Number 53, let's do this!

Main Article

Many consider pursuing a PhD.

Some hesitate because of the years they'll need to invest (usually 6-7), and some are unsure whether the extensive lab work is something they see themself doing.

So they ask around: How's it like being a PhD student?

But the answers they get will probably not reveal the actual life of a PhD student.

This is where this newsletter comes to the rescue 💪.

We'll discuss the things people usually don't feel comfortable talking about in the open 🤫.

In previous newsletters, I discussed whether physicians and dentists actually need a Master's or a PhD 👨‍⚕️. I also wrote about how you don't necessarily need a PhD to shine in research. Feel free to click the links to dive deeper.

But today, I'm going to take on a different angle.

I'll give you a peek behind the curtain of a PhD student's life 🎦.

We'll touch on the first day at the lab, the elusive feeling of freedom as a PhD student, and the unavoidable depressing moments PhD students experience throughout their journey.

😱 Your first day at the lab

Oh, the first day in the lab.

It's magical 🪄 and a bit traumatic 😩 at the same time. If you're not familiar with lab life, be prepared to feel uncomfortable.

You will be completely dependent on your lab mates to teach you the ins and outs of the lab.

Sure, manuscripts, abstracts, and groundbreaking results sound thrilling. But at the end of the day, it's all about the basic lab work of pipetting solutions, washing dishes 🍶, using kits 🧪, and sitting in front of the hood 👩‍🔬. That's your day-to-day experience.

You're the new guy / gal on the block. Your lab-mates will be watching every move you make from the start 🧐. They will want to know if you came to work hard and are willing to learn.

For those in the DMD-PhD or MD-PhD track, you will have to gain the trust of your labmates. Double-track students have clinic duties 🥼 that will make it challenging to accomplish everything during regular working hours. You will need help from your lab mates.

So start by helping your lab mates—a lot.

Proving yourself might take time. Weeks, even months.

🏡 Take home message:

Expect some challenging weeks of proving your worth to your lab mates.

Your first day (and weeks) in the lab should be devoted to learning the job while taking the workload off your lab mates. Wash the dishes, prep for experiments, arrive before they do, and leave after them.

🦋 Your freedom

“You write your own ticket.” 🎫

Being a PhD student is VERY different than being an undergrad ("first degree”), a dental student, or a medical student.

Your day is not packed with courses, didactic assignments, and tests.

Instead, your daily routine is mainly dictated by, well, you…

Of course, your mentor will guide you 🧑‍🏫. But at the end of the day, you decide what to do every single day.

It can feel wonderful, but it's actually a double-edged sword.

You can spend weeks or months wasting your time on an experiment that doesn't work or move forward every day.

In my podcast, I go into more detail (for example, of how not to be stuck in the rut. So if you want to hear more, I'll meet you there 🎧.

🏡 Take home message:

Your freedom can be misleading. The fact that you can take your time without seeing immediate consequences will require self-discipline and keeping a schedule.

😢 The depressing moments that last forever

That's a tough one.

And it's directly related to how you manage your time ⏳. It's never fun when experiments don't work, and you feel you've wasted time and lab money.

Things get trickier when you repeat the experiment, only to get the same result. That's depressing.

When it happens for the third time (or more), it can make you feel drained out. You lose motivation.

In the podcast, I talk about solutions to this kind of situations.

But in short - never repeat an experiment before you know what should be changed, and don't be embarrassed to talk about it with your mentor 😊.

Another thing I find helpful with my students is starting a side project. Even a small one. That project will produce results, boost their spirits, and reduce the stress of the more challenging projects.

🏡 Take home message

Before diving back into a failed experiment, understand it thoroughly. Always be transparent with your mentor.

These are the primary insights for today. If you would like to hear more, tune into the podcast. There, I'll dive deeper and discuss the scholarship, and the acute transition from being a PhD student to the job that will follow it.

Readers’ Favorite

In previous newsletters, I discussed whether physicians and dentists actually need a Master's or PhD. I also wrote about how you don't necessarily need a PhD to shine in research. Feel free to click the links to dive deeper.

Epilogue

That's it for this issue.

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Have a great weekend!

Shay