Guest post by Parnaz Daneshpajouhnejad, M.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The following is not Daneshpajouhnejad's own personal experience but rather inspired by a talk by Megan Bohn, assistant director of postdoctoral affairs, during the event, “Exit Interview: How to Tell the Boss(...)
A Day in the Life
“Digame”: Communication Beyond Language Barriers
Posted by | A Day in the LifeDuring my last outpatient pediatrics clinic in residency, a patient and his mother reminded me that the therapeutic relationship can transcend language. I had been taking care of a young boy, whom I’ll refer to as “A,” since the beginning of his life. He had developmental delays and several other medical problems. His mother was(...)
Culture Shock: My Experience with Classism in Higher Education
Posted by | A Day in the LifeThis summer, I took a road trip that ran through South Carolina and decided to stop by Sumter, a little town where I had lived for a few years as a preteen. Of Sumter’s 40,000 residents, 20.6% live below the poverty line, with a median household income of $38,562. Although the poverty rate in Baltimore(...)
Water Conservation, Research and Life in Cape Town, South Africa
Posted by | A Day in the LifeI went to Cape Town, South Africa, to perform predissertation research on water management. I returned home with a transformed attitude toward personal water conservation. Soon after I landed in Cape Town in mid-June, I heard the catchy phrase: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” In case you are(...)
Do’s and Don’ts for Preparing for Your Thesis Committee Meeting: Part 2
Posted by | A Day in the LifeFrom planning the date to structuring your presentation, these tips from current and former Ph.D. students can guide you through the process and help you prepare for a productive meeting that will set you up for a successful year. This post is part two of two, focusing on how to execute a successful meeting presentation.(...)
The Great Baltimore Ice Cream Crawl: Living in the Golden Age of Frozen Dairy
Posted by | A Day in the LifeNothing spells summer in Baltimore like the smell of hot asphalt, the sulfurous haze of backyard fireworks and the sweet siren’s call of a faraway ice cream truck. But if the weather’s heating up and you’re feeling down, take a day to get outside, explore the city and experience its thriving frozen dairy dessert scene(...)
Reflections on Pride Month As a Gay Scientist
Posted by | A Day in the LifeMost days, I just think of myself as a scientist. But in honor of Pride Month, I am embracing my identity as not just any scientist but specifically a gay scientist by reflecting on the struggles I’ve faced as a gay student and the challenges LGBTQ+ scientists face today. It’s easy to minimize the difficulties(...)
Do’s and Don’ts for Preparing for Your Thesis Committee Meeting
Posted by | A Day in the LifeEvery year, after passing the dreaded preliminary oral exam, Ph.D. students are required to meet with their thesis advisory committee (TAC) to assess their progress and plan future work. These meetings can be incredibly valuable, and they provide important check-ins during the sometimes chaotic day-to-day lab work. While preparing for my last TAC meeting, I(...)
Summer Reading from the Hopkins History of Medicine Department
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAsk anyone in the Johns Hopkins history of medicine department and they will tell you that summer is the time to catch up on all the reading they can’t do during the semester. Some of us have found our favorite books in the summer. Need a jump-start on your own reading? Check out these titles(...)
The Joy Is in the Ride!
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAs I turned the knob of the water fountain, I started musing about science blogs. Why should one write for a science blog? Could I not spend my time writing a review or focusing on that manuscript that is long overdue? What difference does it make? Is it worth spending the time and energy decoding(...)