Guide for PhD students(and post-docs)aiming for a successful career in science.pdf

Guide for PhD students (and post-docs) aiming for a successful career in science roughly in order of impor tance, and with apologies to those who have worked these things outf or themselves ! This is not an official QIMR document and does not represent the views of QIMR or its committees. It does, however, reflect the collective view of some senior QIMR researchers who manage to enjoy very productive and intellectually rewarding careers in medical research, and who wish to pass on some tips to those who are considering a similar career. Doing a PhD should be fun, rewarding and be seen as a privilege. Its the only time in your life that you can spend 100% of your working time learning to do research, finding out new things, having freedom to pursue new areas and getting paid for it, without any administrative or other responsibilities. Those who stick it out do so because, despite the relatively poor pay, long hours and lack of security, it is all we want to do because of the intellectual satisfaction it brings, the excitement of discovery, the freedom to make your own work schedule, the opportunities for travel, the pleasure of being in an international community of like-minded people and (for some people) the possibility that we might actually help the human condition! 1. Choose a supervisor whose work you admire (find out first what work they have done and are doing, and search PubMed to see how productive they are!), located in a department or institute with good infrastructure (equipment, patient samples, seminar series etc), and who has enough grant funding not to limit your project too much. 2. Get involved and take responsibility for your project. This is probably the most important transition from the Honou