Post-Docs and the quest for the free upgrade

YoungFemaleScientist has published a very convincing summary of all that is bad with being a postdoc and why most arguments that it is good are wrong. Very concisely put.

But, I am going to have to do one anyway. What you can get away with sometimes is getting a position as an MD, which can count as tenure or tenure track to the funding agencies. Then you can apply directly for project funding, but otherwise you need a PI to hold your hand. What you can hope for is a good PI with the decency to give you a reasonable salary (or a PI in a richer country). A PI who won't have you run his whole lab, and who thinks your ideas are hot enough to let you run with them.


Then you create a small space in his lab shaped exactly like you, and re-create your post-doc into a junior PI position. Get your name on the grants, get to advice PhD-students (not just practically, but on paper), and then get converted to tenure track/tenure. From there you stand much stronger to apply elsewhere (or stay).

It's like a computer game, more specifically like The Starship Titanic, and you are out to get the free upgrade.

Good luck to us all,

Michael

Saturday mix

Madicken going for the ball.

In Sweden it's very much a tradition that you're only allowed candy on Saturdays. There's a (or several probably) special bag of assorted sweets called Saturday mix. In honour of this staple of my childhood I'm going to post all sorts of shit here today.

Friday provided some really exciting new science. I was writing my abstract for ESH 2010 (to which you should go, deadline on Jan. 15th). When my pathologist (who I keep in a box) sent me a message on facebook and said that she had a surprise for me. Just then the abstract went from being a good abstract to being an exciting abstract. If you come to Oslo, I'll tell you (or show you on the poster).


My desk at home as it looks when I am analysing data and writing abstracts all at once. It always looks like that but that just an ugly truth.

Then I had a really good chat with a post-doc from a lab where I would like to work. With some encouragement I sent an e-mail off, and lo and behold, got a swift and guardedly postitive answer from the PI.

So, today I'm in a good mood and fixed the first batch of pictures. They're not as good as I would like them, and I already missed two days, but they do make the blog prettier. I'm all for pretty blogs.


Madicken welcoming my fiancee back home.

Have a nice week end, don't eat too much candy, and remember to register for ESH2010.

Michael