A subject that’s been on my mind quite a bit this week, and coincidentally, several related things have popped up on my radar. First, a video from SciVee, intended for high school girls who might be considering a career in science.
The best advice? Just do it. If that’s what your passion is, go for it.
When I was a very little girl, I remember my father coming to pick me up from daycare one day. I was in tears, and when he asked me what was wrong, I told him that my teacher had asked all of us to tell what we wanted to be when we grew up. When I said that I wanted to be an astronaut, my teacher said I couldn’t because I was a girl (this was pre-Sally Ride). My father confronted the teacher, and informed her that his daughter could be anything she wanted to be. Knowing that a trusted adult believed in me gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams. Just one of the reasons I adore my dad.
Sally Ride - First American Woman in Space
My high school biology class turned my attention from outer space to DNA. After those Punnett squares, I never looked back. But that confidence in my abilities never wavered.
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Also, the National Postdoctoral Association posted their 6 Core Competencies for postdocs:
to offer guidance to individual postdoctoral scholars who must seek out relevant training experiences, in collaboration with mentors, institutions, and other advisors who provide this training…These competencies are meant to serve primarily as: (1) a basis for self-evaluation by postdoctoral scholars and (2) a basis for developing training opportunities that can be evaluated by mentors, institutions, and other advisors.
Postdocs can use the checklist to identify areas for future development, and as a springboard for discussion with their mentors.
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Finally, an article from Science Careers – Reaching gender equity in science: The importance of role models and mentors.
One of the factors that has inspired more women to pursue scientific careers has been having examples of successful women who have done the same.
I feel very fortunate to have a team of mentors, one of whom is a very prolific and successful scientist, woman, and mother. When I started graduate school, my concern was mostly with the academics. Completing my courses, making sure I had enough time in the lab to get my research done, writing. I hadn’t really considered the importance of mentoring in establishing my career. I can see now that it is essential, and especially beneficial to have a group of senior researchers interested in your professional development, even if their advice seems sometimes contradictory. And while this may not be the case for some postdocs, I know that they all genuinely have my best interests in mind. I’m beginning to see my graduate training, and by extension my postdoc, as an apprenticeship. A position where I learn how to be a scientist, with all the core competencies that entails.
Tags: mentoring, Women in Science
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RT @LeMondefr_Sport: Coupe de France : Quevilly fait chuter Rennes http://tinyurl.com/yzad6fq
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
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New blog post: The Necessity of Mentors http://freethinkersasylum.com/2010/02/the-necessity-of-mentors/
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
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