Tag: editorial pick

You’re the Surgeon?

Dr. Qaali Hussein: "Despite my academic standing and extracurricular activities, my pursuit of surgery has always been received as an improbable endeavor. A hijab wearing Muslim girl was nobody’s idea of what a surgeon should be. And when I did...

/ June 8, 2018

Debugging The Girl Code: My Journey in Computer Science and Confidence

Anagha Krishnan: Days later, my mind was reeling. How could she say something like that? My mother, who couldn’t attend the conference with me, was very angry when she heard the story. “That’ is absolutely ridiculous,” she said, “You can...

/ June 2, 2018

The PhD Delusion

My parents were still on cloud nine about their daughter having finished a PhD at a highly-ranked university, doing ground-breaking research on cystic fibrosis. They were talking about it as if I had been on a wonderful, noble mission which...

/ May 28, 2018

The Humbug Scientist

Camille McIntyre: No research, animal care, education, or science anything occupation seemed to want me. Internships didn’t want me, not even for free.  Retail stores didn’t seem to want me either. My period of unemployment made me question everything about...

/ April 1, 2018

A PhD in a Pageant Gown: On Fear, Growth & Defining Success

Dr. Vania Cao is the Commercial Programs Lead at Inscopix Inc. She is a neuroscientist, writer, business consultant and Founder of Free the PhD, a career transition platform supporting fellow PhDs to land a job and life they'll love outside...

/ March 31, 2018

A New Beginning: From Bench to Boardroom

When I began my PhD, I was quite certain that I would pursue a research career. But unlike most of my classmates, I was set on going into industry rather than academia.

/ February 4, 2018

Moments: My Daughter’s Journey in Science as a Father

People always ask me how my daughter Amoy got into science.  My first thought typically: "Is there an actual event that I can pinpoint?" Was there one particular thing I could isolate and say, "this was the moment." There were definitely several defining moments I can think back to.  Moments like...

/ January 3, 2018

When your greatest weakness becomes your greatest strength

I have a language disability and a fine motor skill deficit. As a child, I would try not to speak up in class or speak too loudly because I was afraid I would misspeak. I knew what I wanted to...

/ November 26, 2017

Me Versus Me

It was around 8th grade that my own personal video game boss blocked my progression. I was struggling in an earth science class and failing to reach the high standards I had set for myself. It wasn’t long before I...

/ November 16, 2017

Breaking Through My Glass Ceiling…Twice

I was not born a scientist nor was I born with the knowledge that I would one day be a L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Laureate in France. However, I attained these achievements through maintaining curiosity, making difficult choices, sustaining...

/ October 22, 2017

The Anxiety Fights Back

– Erica Hawkins –  – The story below originally appeared on Erica’s Phd Freaking Out Blog on August 9, 2017 – Anxiety ebbs and flows. One week you can feel super chilled, and the next feel on the edge all...

/ August 27, 2017