“The best laid schemes of mice and men…” begins the oft-quoted line by Robert Burns, with usually no need to finish with “…go often awry.” Most understand; we as humans make plans, and then life finds a way to complicate them. However, for trainees in medicine and science, planning composes a major requirement of our(...)
A Day in the Life
So You Want to Attend an Academic Conference…
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAcademic conferences are an integral part of a graduate student’s training. They are not only a window into the life of a professor but also help you to connect with colleagues across the globe. Even better, you get to spend time outside of the lab with your lab mates while still learning new things about(...)
The Hidden Joys of Medical School
Posted by | A Day in the LifeI finished my first marathon last week, a personal mental marathon that took hundreds of hours to complete—my first year of medical school. Our last lecture on that final Friday afternoon was followed by a barrage of claps, applause, cheers, celebratory pictures for Facebook and Instagram photos, and a general sense of urgency to leave(...)
Spreading Hope to Those Deemed Hopeless
Posted by | A Day in the LifeStill half-asleep, I woke up at 4 a.m. to hit the highway for a four-hour drive. I had retired from “moving weight” (selling drugs) to moving words—ones of experience and inspiration. I was headed back to prison. I had a conversation with my mom the night before about me going “back to prison.” After her initial(...)
The Selfless Act of Mentorship
Posted by | A Day in the LifeI recently lost a mentor of mine. Jeff Nye, vice president of neuroscience innovation and scientific partnership strategy at Johnson & Johnson Innovation, passed away in March, due to cancer. I’ve known Jeff since I was born, but it wasn’t until I was in college, seeking a career path, that he became my mentor. Jeff(...)
Inside a Med Student’s Mind On a Patient Visit
Posted by | A Day in the Life(Disclaimers: Although much of the following comes from my medical education, it should not be generalized to all medical students. Certain details — name, identifiers, complaints — have been modified for privacy reasons.) 7:59 p.m. I am standing outside the patient’s room in the hospital. She has just been transferred from the emergency department (ED).(...)
Stop and Smell the Pages
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAs a child, my mother would take my siblings and me to the local public library. I would check out so many books that the librarians would often ask if I was sure I could read them all. I met their challenge, however, to the point where I would sometimes get in trouble at school(...)
Bridging Basic Research and Commercialization: Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures Forges the Path
Posted by | A Day in the LifeHave you ever been working in the lab and developed a technique or an assay that you think could be marketable? Would you know what to do to bring it to market? Many scientists don’t have much business experience, making it difficult to take an idea and turn it into a product. Thankfully, this is(...)
A Medical Student Finds Beauty in Studying
Posted by | A Day in the LifeI am sitting in one of the most beautiful architectural marvels I have ever seen: the iconic Rose Main Reading Room of the New York Public Library. A thoughtless turn of the head while stretching my neck and I catch a glimpse of centuries of knowledge in their primordial form — first edition journals and(...)
5 Tips for Preparing for your Ph.D. Candidacy Exam
Posted by | A Day in the LifeThe oral exam. The candidacy exam. The comprehensive exam. There are many names for it, but all pre-doctoral graduate students come to fear it. At different universities, this pivotal exam happens at different points in your Ph.D. At Johns Hopkins, most students will take their candidacy exam after their main courses are finished, but before(...)