Genomic Repairman

Your credentials sound pretty solid, I would think you have a good shot. Good luck.

No one has posted anything up new in a while so I figured I would throw out something for a little debate. I read this morning that PLoS Medicine, PLos Biology, and PLoS ONE are banning any publication of any research that is sponsored by the tobacco industry. Below is there stance on the issue and a link to the story. First, tobacco is indisputably bad for health. … Tobacco interests in research cannot have a health aim—if they did, tobacco companies would be better off shutting down business—and therefore health research sponsored by tobacco companies is essentially advertising. Second, we remain concerned about the industry’s long-standing attempts to distort the science of and deflect attention away from the harmful effects of smoking. … we do not wish to provide a forum for companies’ attempts to manipulate the science on tobacco’s harms. http://writedit.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/plos-tobacco-ban/ How do you guys feel about this?

While the fellowship gives you money, its not the end all be all as you can and should go out and secure your own funding. The fellowship would look nice on your cv if it is a competitive one. Find the place that is a best fit and then worry about writing fellowship apps, your PI should be prepared to pay your way the whole way out. That being said, if you want a good postdoc position or a boost getting a job after school wrangling in some funding is pretty important. It can be done, I secured a NRSA which was really difficult and competitive but it can be done. I'm sure the NSF equivalent is just as competitive but just having that on your resume speaks volumes as to your grantsmanship skills.

I've been working 60+ hour six day work weeks for almost a year now. I see the public safety officer more than I see my fiancee but my project is not going to move forward all by itself. Its a pain in the ass but nothing worth having comes easy.

Generally I hand write a personal thank you note to anyone who wrote me an LOR to express my gratitude for their kind gesture.

Sorry seadouche but I didn't vote my own post up but kudos on your utterly crappy rating. I was supporting Branwen's statement that how you say something may have more impact on the recipient than what the message is. If I have to explain what impact is then, you are either grasping at nuances or have less emotional self-awareness than a small child.

I sit on an Adcomm, and implore you to tell us. If you have competing offers it will push our hand to be more aggressive and quickly extend you an offer if we know you have others. Don't be ambiguous either, we might peg you as a liar trying to BS us. So your candor will really only help you. Be proud of your success and your offers.

For someone who espouses the virtues of the GRE your reading comprehension must suck as you obviously did not see that I prefaced my comments with the word sometimes. Once again flat on your face.

Sometimes the delivery is much more important than the content and by that measure seadub has fallen flat on his/her/whatever's face.

I agree with liszt, pick the school that seems to jive best with you rather than worrying if they are number 7 or 8 on the list. Where you go to school makes a difference but you make your own reputation through your work.

They make the marine Bio grad students teach intro biology lab downtown.

To answer your questions. No and No. Medievalmaniac brings up great points but also Adjuncts hold no sway and have no wait to through around like a TT or tenured professor. They might be nice as an accessory on your supervisory committee provided they have appropriate experience. And lets face it LOR's from adjuncts do not carry as much weight as those from regular professors.

Most of the candidates that have come through have been bright, articulate folks that I think would be a great fit for the department and make a great contribution but there are always some rotten eggs in the basket. They provide for much humor and great stories to tell. And PI's have been known to notify their bad behaivor other departments that the candidate is applying to as well (as was the case of the wrong hypothesis professor).

After dealing with candidates (n=15) these past two weeks here are some helpful hints of things not to say or do: 1. Do not ask me where you can buy drugs. I'm am not shitting you. I am here to get you from point A to point B and take you dinner, not here to help you find your next weed supplier. 2. Slag off on PI's that you have not yet met. Especially when their trainees are sitting across the table from you. As their trainee was fuming about your lack of brain to mouth filter, I will egg you on to say more and more dumb stuff that is going to bite you in the butt later. 3. Tell a graduate student that there research is boring and contributes nothing to field of science. This pisses the student off especially when she has a fellowship, multiple papers in C/N/S (the top dog journals), and some crazy groundbreaking research going on. 4. Get drunk at dinner. It sucks to have to make a pit stop and drop the lush off at the hotel when taking the rest of the candidates out on the town. 5. Lie to us about your GPA/accomplishments. Some of us do sit on the admissions committee and do actually look at you apps. 6. Oversleep on interview day. I will/did leave you at the hotel after waiting an extra half hour. 7. Update your Twitter while a professor is talking to you. 8. #7 also commits the heinous act of telling professor his hypothesis is wrong and that someone from her institution is doing it the right way. The professors that she speaks of works on a completely different project and have nowhere near similar research interests and do completely different things. Candidate then look strangely when the professor tells her to sit outside the door and wait for the next person to fetch her for the following interview after only interviewing with them for fifteen minutes of the hour. Just some helpful hints folks. Watch your actions and more importantly your words.

Its not easy but you can bike over the JI connector to get to the main campus downtown if you had too, but you better have a good bike and be in great shape. Have you thought about maybe investing in a scooter, cheaper than a car?

Most programs have a predefined set of courses that you must take but they usually give you some space for some electives. But depending upon your program getting the bioengineering classes may be tough, if at all possible. You might be able to take extra electives than what you need to gain the experience you want but Program directors, and your boss usually want you to get done with classes ASAP and not dilly dally around. They want you producing results and you cannot do that sitting in on extra classes. And honestly you learn a lot about subjects when you approach those subjects through your research. I've picked up more knowledge through my research than I ever got sitting through a 3 hour lecture.

Impossible to be a professor mom? I'm calling bullshit on that right away. I work in a department that has like 6 profs who are mothers. They rock at what they do and from what I have seem are great moms. I think if you are going to juggle it you must have tremendous time management skills. Is it more difficult to balance the two things, oh yeah, but it can be done. And I have 6 perfect examples down the hall from me.

Um maybe I said the east side is ghetto because I have had friends get their apartments and cars broken into multiple time and oh yeah two of the ten that I know have also been mugged. So I'm basing my judgement off of reality, not snobbery or racism. I'm also not saying that there are not nice places on the east side (which is a hell of a lot larger than just a two block stretch), it is just not as safe as other parts of Austin.

Why do you give a crap about the guy getting in? If he is as bad as you say he will probably end up getting thrown out on his ear. Just be glad for your own acceptance and work hard. Grow up and stop worrying about everyone else and focus on your work, you know the stuff that will make you successful. And yes you do come off snobby.

Pulling out a step ladder for whenever you decide to come off that high horse of yours.

My fiancee went to Baylor for undergrad and I have visited there before and can honestly say there is not crap to do in Waco. Other than the university it is really a poor town and there is some lingering resentment for Baylor students from the townies. Now if you dig small towns this might be the place for you, but if not, stay away.

Bryan makes a good point. We (I sit as a student member on admin committee) ask so we know if you have other schools you might be waiting to hear back from and time tables you have to work with. If anything else it might increase your chances of fielding an offer from us if we want you since we know about competition. Also just answer the question, don't be a slippery eel. As your lack of candor can negatively affect your current interview.

Apartments, the decent ones are around 600-800 for 1 bedrooms depending upon size, location, and how nice. A $500 apartment is probably over in the ghetto (East side). Luckily UT has buses that run around a fair amount of the city. Bars vary in cost based upon where you go, I tend to like West 6th St. because you deal with less of the undergrads but drinks might be a $1 or 2 more. Let me know if y'all have any other questions.