Dora Farkas – BenchFly

Avoid Pouring Chemicals–and Your Reputation–Down the Drain

Dora Farkas — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:00:51 +0000

Dear Dora,

Everyone in my new lab pours all sorts of solvents down the drain and says it’s ok because they flush with a lot of water. I’m a first-year graduate student so maybe this is how all labs work, but it seems crazy. Is there a way for me to bring this issue up without being the annoying newbie?

– anonymous, first year graduate student

Dear Anonymous Graduate Student,

You are right to be concerned about others pouring solvents down the drain. Besides being an environmental hazard, your university can get fined thousands of dollars by the environmental agencies. Some labs even get shut down for improper disposal of lab waste.

It is true that some chemicals can be poured down the sink if you flush it down with plenty of water. If you know which chemicals are used, I recommend doing a quick internet search to determine if they are being disposed of properly (this will save you embarrassment when you bring up the issue). If you have a reasonable suspicion that there is improper disposal, you can bring it up politely, with the responsible person first. You can be polite such as “Are you sure this is the right way to dispose of XYZ?” If he/she dismisses your comment, then the most politically correct solution would be to bring it up with your PI (without any names). He/she might recommend a group meeting where you review proper chemical waste management, or call someone from the university to give a training (these are done on a yearly basis anyway).

Keep in mind that if you bring it up with your supervisor, he/she might give you the responsibility of being the lab safety officer. However, as a first your student this could be a good opportunity for you to learn more about the chemicals used in your field. In addition, your supervisor will view you as someone with initiative and leadership skills, and have more respect for you.

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Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to DearDora@benchfly.com and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks! In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

Submit your questions to Dora at DearDora@benchfly.com, or use the comment box below!

How to Manage Junior Labmates Who are Older than You

Dora Farkas — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:38:34 +0000

Dear Dora,

I am currently half way through my Ph.D. Recently a new Ph.D. candidate joined our group. She is 35 this year while I’m in 25. She used to be a lecturer in another private university. She always bragged and boasted about her knowledge and achievements prior to joining our team. But then again, things turned out rather differently. She doesn’t seem to have basic lab skills like using the pH meter and unable to use some common sense in doing everyday work. In our culture, the older ones want respect from the younger ones but they don’t understand respect is something to be earned. The new Ph.D. student is also very egoistic despite her lack of experience in labwork but she constantly needs us to teach her. Some of the instruments were spoilt due to her negligence and her reluctance to ask–how should we deal with her? How do we deal with “juniors” who are very much older than us, in terms of age. I have been working in the lab for 3 years so I have a few publications which clearly demonstrated my ability while she has none. In certain ways I feel she is jealous of my achievement. What can I do? How can I improve the situations without hurting her feelings?

-Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,

It is not unusual for older students to feel insecure, precisely because of their age. She might feel embarrassed that she is older than the graduate students and maybe even the postdocs. That is most likely the reason that she keeps trying to prove herself. As a former lecturer, she probably has a basic understanding of science, while being rusty on the lab skills. My recommendation is tell her clearly what she needs to know, without being condescending. For example, if she ruined an instrument because she neglected to do maintenance, let her know how important it is to do the maintenance to make sure others can do their work. Everyone likes to get along with their coworkers, and she probably needs only a few warnings to make sure she will do her work correctly. She is also more likely to respect your opinion if you build rapport with her by including her in lunches and other group activities.

Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of Grad School Net, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to DearDora@benchfly.com and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks! In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

Submit your questions to Dora at DearDora@benchfly.com, or use the comment box below!

Using Your PhD Outside of Research

Dora Farkas — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:08:38 +0000

Dear Dora,

Are there certain career paths outside of research where the PhD dramatically helps your career advancement? I’m a third-year grad student planning on leaving the bench (to do what, I’m not sure) but I feel like I’m half way there so if getting the letters is important I could tough it out.

—MM, grad student

Dear MM,

There are many alternative paths where a PhD would enhance your career advancement (see Q&A column below on administrative positions). Other careers include patent law, science writing, and regulatory jobs (e.g. working for the FDA). Many scientist positions in the pharmaceutical industry are away from the bench as well (e.g. project management, report writing). I listed several references below (including a group on LinkedIn) on alternative careers for PhDs.

If you are interested in these careers I recommend researching job postings, since some of these positions only require a Master’s Degree. In fact, I have a patent lawyer friend who left graduate school after five years (!) with a Masters Degree to go to law school. It is important to evaluate whether staying in graduate school is worth your time (for example, will you school give you a Masters degree if you leave early). My friend had a few publications already, so he had something to show for the time he spent in graduate school. Another friend of mine left graduate school after 2 years, but he already had a job offer for a position that only required a Bachelors.

Whether you decide to stay or leave it important to have a plan both for your finances and your career advancement. Employers will understand if you change your mind about earning a PhD, as long as you have the right skills, enthusiasm and commitment to your new career path.

If you have any doubts whether it is worth getting a PhD, visit our latest blog at:

http://gradschoolnet.org/2013/04/is-it-worth-getting-a-phd/

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References

Articles on job search and alternative careers:

http://www.phds.org/jobs/

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/tools_tips/outreach/events/2010_06_17

http://acswebinars.org/carlo

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Alternative-PHD-Careers-3404777/about

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2012/08/what_is_the_value_of_a_science_phd_is_graduate_school_worth_the_effort_.html

Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks! In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

Submit your questions to Dora at DearDora@benchfly.com, or use the comment box below!

The Conferencation: Adding Personal Time to a Scientific Meeting

Dora Farkas — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:47:46 +0000

Dear Dora,

Any tips on how to tack a vacation on to a conference without my PI getting angry? I’m traveling to a conference in a great location and I want to stay an extra week after the conference (which itself is a week long), but I’m really nervous to tell the boss.

-RJ, graduate student

Dear RJ,

Congratulations on going to a conference in an exciting location! The time that you spend at the conference does not come out of your vacation days. If you want to spend an extra week there, then you would need to take those days off. Most schools have policies regarding the number of vacation days students are allowed to take (if you do not know it, find out from your academic administrator or student handbook). Whether or not such a policy is published, most schools and workplaces allow at least two weeks vacation a year. Therefore, by all means take the extra week off. If your PI seems unhappy, let him/her know that this is just one week of vacation, and you are not doing anything against the rules. In addition, you will come back rested and more productive.

Of course the extra week of lodging will have to come out of your own budget, but the airfare to and from should be covered by the school.

Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to DearDora@benchfly.com and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks! In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

Submit your questions to Dora at DearDora@benchfly.com, or use the comment box below!

Keeping Preliminary Results Private with an Overexcited PI

Dora Farkas — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:45:37 +0000

Dear Dora,

Is there a nice way to tell your boss to “keep his trap shut”?! Every time I share preliminary results, I find out later he tells our collaborators and a few times this has backfired when I wasn’t able to validate my preliminary result. I know I could just stay quiet until the data are validated, but I value his input and don’t want to lose his insights and feedback simply because I can’t trust him to keep new results quiet.

-Angie, graduate student

Dear Angie,

Many PI’s are very excited about preliminary results, and I have received this question from other students/postdocs too. If you value your PI’s input, you can ask him to keep the results private until you have validated them:

“I know you are excited about these preliminary results, but it would be best to share the data with our collaborators only after I have validated them. I will have more confidence in my data once I have repeated the experiments.”

Your PI will actually have more respect for you if you establish rigorous standards for your data. You can also try to validate the results before you talk with him, so he is less likely to get confused if your data is not reproducible.

Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to DearDora@benchfly.com and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks! In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

Submit your questions to Dora at DearDora@benchfly.com, or use the comment box below!

How Long is Acceptable for Holiday Vacation?

Dora Farkas — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 16:16:20 +0000

Dear Dora,

I am a new PhD student and I relocated several states away from my home to attend graduate school. I am looking forward to going home for the holidays but I am unsure of how long is appropriate to be away from the office. I am not going home for Thanksgiving but I would like to take as much time as I can to enjoy my family during the Christmas season. What are the expectations/norms for graduate student time off around the holidays? Is there an ‘unspoken rule’ that even if we are home for the holidays that we should still be working?

Thank you,

First-year PhD student

Dear First-year PhD student,

I am not aware of an unspoken rule that students are expected to work during the holidays. Since most students travel during the holidays, labs and offices are very quiet at that time (if you went to work during the Thanksgiving weekend, you might have experienced that).

Students who go to school far from home usually spend fewer but longer vacations with their families. As far as I know (and there is a chance your school or PI might be stricter) a vacation means time-off, so no work is expected. In fact, supervisors hope that you will return from your vacation rested and refreshed so you can focus on your work again in the New Year. While it is unlikely that your PI would expect work from around the holidays (especially if you are on vacation), it is always best to discuss with your PI which projects you will be wrapping up before traveling.

Have a great time with your family,

Dora

Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to DearDora@benchfly.com and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks! In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

Submit your questions to Dora at DearDora@benchfly.com, or use the comment box below!

Graduate School: How Long is Too Long?

Dora Farkas — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:48:10 +0000

Dear Dora,

How long is *too* long to be in grad school? There’s a 9th year in our department and it scares the life out of me. What do you think?

-Alexa, second-year graduate student

Hi Alexa,

Nine years is definitely a long time, but there are some fields (e.g. humanities and social sciences), where a nine year PhD is approximately average. In the life sciences the average is usually between 4-7 years (depending on the nature of the research). However, there are students who take 8, 9 or 10 years in the life sciences while their group mates graduate in 4-6 years.

If you want to decrease your chances of having a very long PhD, my recommendation is to stay on top of your research on a daily basis. Be proactive about getting projects going (sometimes multiple projects simultaneously). Many experiments or projects will fail but the sooner a bad project fails, the sooner you will learn from it and the sooner you can get started on a new project. Sometimes what sets students back is that they let projects linger for weeks or months, and then they have a tough time catching up. Weeks turn into months and years, and they have little to show for their long hours in the lab. Make every day count, and keep your eyes focused on your goals (i.e. publishing, job search, graduation)

The relationship with your PI will also impact the length of your PhD and the quality of your research. First, be sure to maintain a professional relationship your supervisor (even if he/she has a difficult personality). Second, communicate as frequently as needed to ensure that the two of you are on the same page regarding the requirements for publishing and graduation. Finally, if you get stuck, ask for help either from your PI, group mates or other professors so you can get your project back on track.

Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to DearDora@benchfly.com and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

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Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks! In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

Submit your questions to Dora at DearDora@benchfly.com, or use the comment box below!

Is A Parasitic Postdoc Trying to Steal Your Project?

Dora Farkas — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:42:25 +0000

Dear Dora,

It has been a few months since I started my first postdoc after finishing my PhD in a different field. Initially I used to discuss my experiments with a senior postdoc on the project (who works part time) to help with the interpretation of the results. However, now after a few months of catching up with the literature I seem to have a handle of the project and my experiments are working very well. I openly share my experiments and thoughts for future experiments. But during meetings and in private discussions with our PI this postdoc has labelled my work as “our work” and has been passing off my ideas as his own.

To top it all off I found out that he has started writing the manuscript for the paper whose majority of data has come from my work. I now do not know how the authorship will work especially because this project has had a high staff turnover but my PI has said that whoever contributes more gets first author. Do I confront this postdoc about the authorship or should I head straight to the PI? Other lab members have warned me that this postdoc has taken credit for work in the past. I will need to work closely with this postdoc in the future and would like to settle this is the most painless way and would rather do science than manage office politics. Please help!

-Newbie Postdoc

Dear Newbie Postdoc,

If you think you deserve to be first author, you need to make a case to your PI that you were the lead scientist on this project. For example, did you do most (or all) of the lab work? Second, did you make the most significant intellectual contributions? There are publications where the first author did very little (or none) of the lab work, but he or she came up with the ideas, directed the project and maybe generated the funding too. If you believe that your intellectual and lab work-related contributions exceed those of the other postdoc, you have a good chance of convincing your PI that you deserve to be the first author.

Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to DearDora@benchfly.com and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

.

Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks! In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

Submit your questions to Dora at DearDora@benchfly.com, or use the comment box below!

Is the NIH Minimum Salary Binding for All?

Dora Farkas — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:47:28 +0000

Dear Dora,

Does the NIH minimum salary for postdocs only apply to people who are funded on NIH grants, or is it a general benchmark? I think I’m being paid below the NIH minimum, but I’m not on an NIH grant so I don’t know if there’s any course of action to take to increase my salary.

RO, Postdoctoral Fellow

Dear RO,

I looked up the postdoctoral salaries on the websites of reputable universities, and the minimum for one of the universities was below the NIH minimum. This suggests that universities do not have to pay you the NIH minimum.

However, you are allowed to ask for a raise, especially if you have been there more than a year. I recommend meeting with you PI when he or she is relaxed, or at least not in a rush, and asking them whether it would be possible to have an increase in salary. You can indicate that you have been there for some time and it would be nice to be compensated for your work. I would not mention the NIH minimum, only if the raise they give you is below it.

In either event, it is best to phrase the question as “Would it be possible”, rather than demanding to get a raise to match a minimal amount.

See my previous blog on asking for a raise.

Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to DearDora@benchfly.com and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!

.

Stay tuned for the next Dear Dora in two weeks! In the meantime, check a few of Dora’s recent posts:

Submit your questions to Dora at DearDora@benchfly.com, or use the comment box below!

Backing Out of a Postdoc Offer for a Better One

Dora Farkas — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 14:14:58 +0000

Dear Dora,

Some time ago I was offered a postdoc position. The conditions were very poor (1-year contract with a salary commensurable with a PhD student stipend) but I accepted the offer since there was no other reasonable choice and I had to support my family. I signed a contract and applied for a visa and a work permit, which were granted on the basis of decision of competent authorities. The job should start in September.

Somewhat later I was surprised to learn that I got a very competitive fellowship for which I applied 7 months ago and which includes funding for 2 years (excellent salary+monthly mobility allowance). I am inclined to choose the fellowship because: 1) it is based on my own project, which is devoted to my favorite research topic; 2) the term is 2 years vs. 1 year; 3) the salary is much higher; 4) it includes mobility allowance; 5) as the remuneration is higher, I will be able not only support myself but also help my mother who recently left her job due to serious health crisis. The worst aspect of this situation is that PI who offered me a postdoc position and the other PI with whom I applied for individual fellowship are from the same country.

So, I will probably need to cancel the first visa and work permit and then apply again. The aspect is that these PIs may know each other and I risk to spoil relations with both of them. In your opinion, what should I do in this situation if I clearly prefer choosing the fellowship? If I make the choice, how should I explain this situation to the 1st PI and in the Embassy of that country? Does my possible refusal from postdoc position involve ethical issues and can damage my reputation?

– In a bind, grad student

Hi In a bind,

Thank you for contacting me. I agree that this is a difficult situation. Unfortunately, it happens to many graduate students that the dream job offer comes once you have already accepted a previous offer. In general, it is not advisable to withdraw once you have accepted an offer, because it could damage your reputation. There could also be legal consequences if you have signed a contract. There are several options, and I wonder whether you have explored any of them.

1) Is there a possibility of delaying your fellowship for one year?

2) Since the two PI’s are in the same country (and presumable the same field), can you establish a collaboration? This might sound like a long-shot if the research is not similar. If it is similar, then you could potentially start a project in your first position and then transfer to the 2nd PI.

3) If neither of these options is viable, then I would recommend calling your second PI, the one you won the fellowship with. It is in his or her best interest that you win the fellowship and do research with them. He or she might be able to advise you on how to proceed so that it is in the best interest for your career and your visa situation. In either event, you will feel much better after you discuss the situation honestly, and hopefully you can come up with a creative solution.

4) If there is a chance that you can establish collaboration you can inquire at the Embassy what this would entail in terms of a work permit and visa.

Dora Farkas, Ph.D. is the author “The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.:200 Secrets from 100 Graduates,” and the founder of PhDNet, an online community for graduate students and PhDs. You will find links to her book, monthly newsletters, and discussion board on her site. Send your questions to DearDora@benchfly.com and keep an eye out for them in an upcoming issue!