Comments on - Welcome to The Reza Ghadiri Project http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/ The Reza Ghadiri Project Thu, 03 May 2012 13:00:26 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: diordmehc http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-17379 diordmehc Sun, 26 Feb 2012 04:19:20 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-17379 disclaimer: I was able to deal with the severe personality problems of my PI. It was difficult, emotionally, and, it probably tanked any chance of a "traditional career path" but I don't care, I like marching to a different beat anyway. disclaimer: I was able to deal with the severe personality problems of my PI. It was difficult, emotionally, and, it probably tanked any chance of a "traditional career path" but I don't care, I like marching to a different beat anyway.

]]> By: diordmehc http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-17378 diordmehc Sun, 26 Feb 2012 04:18:00 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-17378 as much as I disliked it there, my experience there was good because I got to be around some of the smartest kids in the world. From a comparative standpoint, it's not necessarily so bad there. There are crappy PIs everywhere, not just at scripps. There are decent PIs at scripps, maybe just less (say, 20% instead of 40%), so you just have to do more legwork to find them. You get a lot of freedom at scripps to do what you want, and their benefits and compensation are comparatively good. Contrast this to a mill like MIT (which offered me 30% less pay), or Berkeley (where in bio, your future may be determined by which few PIs you get to rotate in at the start), or mid-range schools where your classmates may be idiots and employment prospectives are iffy, or places with a billion undergrads - so you burn your first few years doing class-scut-work for the professor/get turned out by not passing quals (protip: if you think that research institutes care about "teaching experience" you're dead wrong)... It's not such a raw deal. The problem is that very few people in general, in academia, are warned about what to look for. as much as I disliked it there, my experience there was good because I got to be around some of the smartest kids in the world. From a comparative standpoint, it's not necessarily so bad there. There are crappy PIs everywhere, not just at scripps. There are decent PIs at scripps, maybe just less (say, 20% instead of 40%), so you just have to do more legwork to find them. You get a lot of freedom at scripps to do what you want, and their benefits and compensation are comparatively good.

Contrast this to a mill like MIT (which offered me 30% less pay), or Berkeley (where in bio, your future may be determined by which few PIs you get to rotate in at the start), or mid-range schools where your classmates may be idiots and employment prospectives are iffy, or places with a billion undergrads - so you burn your first few years doing class-scut-work for the professor/get turned out by not passing quals (protip: if you think that research institutes care about "teaching experience" you're dead wrong)... It's not such a raw deal.

The problem is that very few people in general, in academia, are warned about what to look for.

]]> By: Anonymous f354 http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-17244 Anonymous f354 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:43:38 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-17244 He said everything you told me when I interviewed there.....looking at this website in retrospect makes me SO glad I didn't go to scripps. He said everything you told me when I interviewed there.....looking at this website in retrospect makes me SO glad I didn't go to scripps.

]]> By: Yusei_Fudo http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-5247 Yusei_Fudo Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:56:05 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-5247 Ha ha... taxpayers want cheaper research so it is in their best interest to have researchers as lowly compensated as possible. of course, maybe there is an argument that other highly intelligent groups should have lower compensation such as those in high finance. on average, i would argue that they contribute less to the common good than an average, medium-impact scientist. Ha ha...

taxpayers want cheaper research so it is in their best interest to have researchers as lowly compensated as possible.

of course, maybe there is an argument that other highly intelligent groups should have lower compensation such as those in high finance. on average, i would argue that they contribute less to the common good than an average, medium-impact scientist.

]]> By: Anonymous b36b http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-5172 Anonymous b36b Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:32:19 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-5172 Hahaha, are you kidding me. Expose largely blue-state intelligentsia for hyprocrisy? With a low interest value and therefore very little potential for $$? This is not what Michael Moore's MO. Hahaha, are you kidding me. Expose largely blue-state intelligentsia for hyprocrisy? With a low interest value and therefore very little potential for $$? This is not what Michael Moore's MO.

]]> By: Anonymous 688d http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-5144 Anonymous 688d Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:10:59 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-5144 thank you for sharing your story... from what i have seen so far, academia is kind of a losers(pi) version of "the law of the jungle". came back to academia for a phd and i greatly regret the decision. thank you for sharing your story... from what i have seen so far, academia is kind of a losers(pi) version of "the law of the jungle". came back to academia for a phd and i greatly regret the decision.

]]> By: Anonymous 66c2 http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-5130 Anonymous 66c2 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:13:12 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-5130 I think Michael Moore might be interested in the miserable living condition of graduate students and postdocs. Of course the audience would be too small if he only film this. But putting this into the background of the corrupted research system would attract tax payers who want to know where their money went. And maybe it will attract even more attention if the topic is about the current situation of work place abuse. This would be on the same track as his recent documentary "Capitalism: A love story". Just a thought. I think Michael Moore might be interested in the miserable living condition of graduate students and postdocs. Of course the audience would be too small if he only film this. But putting this into the background of the corrupted research system would attract tax payers who want to know where their money went. And maybe it will attract even more attention if the topic is about the current situation of work place abuse. This would be on the same track as his recent documentary "Capitalism: A love story". Just a thought.

]]> By: Anonymous 66c2 http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-4929 Anonymous 66c2 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:17:01 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-4929 This is a great site. Have you thought about building a scientific boss rating system that lets graduate students and postdocs to comment and rate their bosses? Or are there such sites already? Another suggestion: You may be able to team up with Ph.D. comics (http://www.phdcomics.com/) to get more attention. This is a great site. Have you thought about building a scientific boss rating system that lets graduate students and postdocs to comment and rate their bosses? Or are there such sites already? Another suggestion: You may be able to team up with Ph.D. comics (http://www.phdcomics.com/) to get more attention.

]]> By: Yusei Fudo http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-1057 Yusei Fudo Sun, 04 Jul 2010 14:18:15 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-1057 Derek Lowe, who has a PhD in organic chemistry from Duke, now makes $15 million a year thanks to the negotiations of his agent, Scott Boras, because he did not pursue an academic career and became a Major League Baseball starter pitcher known for his sinker. Derek Lowe, who has a PhD in organic chemistry from Duke, now makes $15 million a year thanks to the negotiations of his agent, Scott Boras, because he did not pursue an academic career and became a Major League Baseball starter pitcher known for his sinker.

]]> By: Andrei http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-1054 Andrei Sun, 04 Jul 2010 09:43:09 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-1054 I've had the <a href="http://rezaghadiri.net/whats-next-for-rezaghadiri-net/#2" rel="nofollow">same kind of thought</a>. (Except for the part of me being brave, as I'm in a situation where I've got nothing to lose by talking.) But yeah, if there were a few gutsy people to get the ball rolling, I think it could really do some good. I've had the same kind of thought. (Except for the part of me being brave, as I'm in a situation where I've got nothing to lose by talking.) But yeah, if there were a few gutsy people to get the ball rolling, I think it could really do some good.

]]> By: Andrei http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-1053 Andrei Sun, 04 Jul 2010 09:31:31 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-1053 Thanks, glad to be of help, and good luck with the postdoc search. Tell Reza I said 'hi' if you see him. )) As for universities, you're right, they should. But I don't think they would want to. Thanks, glad to be of help, and good luck with the postdoc search. Tell Reza I said 'hi' if you see him. ))
As for universities, you're right, they should. But I don't think they would want to.

]]> By: Anonymous e6fe http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-1050 Anonymous e6fe Sun, 04 Jul 2010 08:14:39 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-1050 The biggest shame is that there aren't more people like you, exposing labs like this. I know it is so common. If there were 10 or 20 more brave souls like you, profs would have incentive to not let people's lives idle away. The biggest shame is that there aren't more people like you, exposing labs like this. I know it is so common. If there were 10 or 20 more brave souls like you, profs would have incentive to not let people's lives idle away.

]]> By: Anonymous e6fe http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-1048 Anonymous e6fe Sun, 04 Jul 2010 08:07:11 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-1048 Your site is so great! I had a really agonizing time with an abusive supervisor and I reached the same conclusions you have expressed about publishing, etc. My PhD has gone much smoother and I am considering postdocs - including in Reza's lab, so it's great to hear this! I think universities should keep track and divulge how long it takes for students to get degrees in the labs and what is the completion rate - that would force departments to ensure profs are not manipulating the students. Your site is so great! I had a really agonizing time with an abusive supervisor and I reached the same conclusions you have expressed about publishing, etc. My PhD has gone much smoother and I am considering postdocs - including in Reza's lab, so it's great to hear this! I think universities should keep track and divulge how long it takes for students to get degrees in the labs and what is the completion rate - that would force departments to ensure profs are not manipulating the students.

]]> By: Dick Richards http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-987 Dick Richards Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:52:58 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-987 i received the same Erick Carriera 'To Guido' letter today from a non-chemistry friend. I thought it was written to me by my former advisor. So true and so funny. If you can do chemistry, you do not need a PhD and organic synthesis is not a piece of paper. There are many people in chemistry graduate schools who are not good chemists creating an unsafe work environment as advisors sit in their offices or at home 'cheerleading' - i like that one. Compare that to the supervised apprentice plumbers working directly with licensed master plumbers to learn the ropes, which brings me to my father's favorite joke - A phD Chemist has a plumber come over to install a sink and a toilet. After, the plumber hands the PhD Chemist the bill. PhD Chemist says: "$80 an hour! Im a PhD chemist and i dont even make $80/hr!" The plumber replies: "When i had my PhD in chemistry, I wasn't making $80/hr either". If grad school doesnt work out and you like playing with toxic shit, become a plumber. i received the same Erick Carriera 'To Guido' letter today from a non-chemistry friend. I thought it was written to me by my former advisor. So true and so funny. If you can do chemistry, you do not need a PhD and organic synthesis is not a piece of paper. There are many people in chemistry graduate schools who are not good chemists creating an unsafe work environment as advisors sit in their offices or at home 'cheerleading' - i like that one. Compare that to the supervised apprentice plumbers working directly with licensed master plumbers to learn the ropes, which brings me to my father's favorite joke - A phD Chemist has a plumber come over to install a sink and a toilet. After, the plumber hands the PhD Chemist the bill.
PhD Chemist says: "$80 an hour! Im a PhD chemist and i dont even make $80/hr!"
The plumber replies: "When i had my PhD in chemistry, I wasn't making $80/hr either".

If grad school doesnt work out and you like playing with toxic shit, become a plumber.

]]> By: Andrei http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-983 Andrei Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:00:37 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-983 I can say it again, but do use <a href="http://rezaghadiri.net/what-would-you-like-to-know/" rel="nofollow">the right post</a> from now on. Anyhow, I had those two, plus a couple other small projects I've done alongside the big and unfinished one. I passed my candidacy exam/committee meetings, I was said to be "on track" (for a PhD) at the last one, summer of 2008. After I left, I was offered to write up a Master's by a dean, Jamie Williamson, who contacted me. I didn't, because I didn't want to (time, effort, pain in the ass) and didn't need to (nobody to show the diploma to except for family and friends). Also, I already had/have an MSc. Not that I've ever needed to show it to anyone either. I can say it again, but do use the right post from now on.

Anyhow, I had those two, plus a couple other small projects I've done alongside the big and unfinished one. I passed my candidacy exam/committee meetings, I was said to be "on track" (for a PhD) at the last one, summer of 2008. After I left, I was offered to write up a Master's by a dean, Jamie Williamson, who contacted me. I didn't, because I didn't want to (time, effort, pain in the ass) and didn't need to (nobody to show the diploma to except for family and friends). Also, I already had/have an MSc. Not that I've ever needed to show it to anyone either.

]]> By: Yusei Fudo http://rezaghadiri.net/welcome-to-the-reza-ghadiri-project/#comment-982 Yusei Fudo Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:08:18 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=52#comment-982 Because it wasn't worth his time... and he already said that. Because it wasn't worth his time... and he already said that.

]]>