Grad School Gripes

[JCJD]

In keeping with the theme of the Ladies In Waiting threads (support and friendship), I''m posting this in here cause I''m in need of some soothing.

I had a meeting with my advisors this morning and found out that rather than beginning my experiment a month ago like we''d originally thought, because of computer problems and needing to get 2 other experiments up and running before mine, it''s going to be at least another 3 weeks before mine can start!!! Waaaah!!!!

I''ve been in grad school for almost 2 years now, haven''t done ANYTHING towards my dissertation (except writing a rough lit review for my first chapter), and now, because a stupid hacker got into my lab''s server and wiped our hard drive, my advisors have to get a new server up and running and get their 2 experiments back up and running before they will work on mine!!! I''ve been going bonkers these past 2 years, first waiting for my birds to be ready for the experiment, for me to learn computer programming so I can help program my experiments, for my equipment to be built and the the training and experimental programs to be written, and everything was in place until that JERK wiped our hard drive!!!!! I''m never going to finish grad school.....

 

[SJS1234]

JCJD -- that really does STINK!!! I can''t even imagine how frustrating itmust be to you -- to WANT to work hard and finish up, but not be able to!!! Heck, if I were in grad school and had a dissertation to complete I would probably LOVE the extra excuse to procrastinate -- but that''s just lazy ol me! I hope everything turns around soon and you are able to avoid further delays!! Good luck!

 

[blueroses]

OH

I didn''t realize how bad the computer hold-up was!!!! Hackers are sick, sick, sick.

It will all be ok...I''m so sorry!!

 

[goldengirl]

Oh man

that stinks hun. ((hugs))

Maybe you could use this time to start on that dissertation?

 

[blue_chica]

Aw

That sucks! I am lazy and would be excited to slack-off, but in the end that doesn''t pay off. I''m sorry you''re so frustrated.

 

[JCJD]

Thanks ladies!! I feel a bit better after my birthday-drinking last night, but it still sucks that I thought I was this close to FINALLY beginning my research, and now I have to wait even longer for it!! This is SO MUCH WORSE than waiting to get engaged!!!!!! LOL!! But on the bright side, now I know exactly where my experiment stands and where we are in the process of getting it started. Before the meeting, I didn''t know anything (second advisor is one of those computer geniuses - forever stuck in his own little world).

So, I''ll be working on my dissertation literature review, doing more reading, and trying to remember how to write computer programs. And maybe between that and schoolwork, I''ll plan my wedding too! HA!!

 

[blueroses]

JCJD, congrats on being a good girl with the white russians last night

and I''m glad it was a momentary relief from the computer STRESS!!! I know you will make the best of this icky delay--and it will seem brief in the long run!!

 

[HOUMedGal]

So, in keeping with the thread JCJD started, can I just say that being a first year medical student is HARD?

I mean, I thought I knew how to study in college...oh no. I had no idea.

So, JCJD, I can''t say I know exactly how you feel, but I can say that you''re not the only one who gets frustrated with grad school!! We can wallow in our pity together.

 

[icekid]

Date: 1/18/2005 9:57:47 PM
Author: HOUMedGal
So, in keeping with the thread JCJD started, can I just say that being a first year medical student is HARD?

I mean, I thought I knew how to study in college...oh no. I had no idea.

So, JCJD, I can''t say I know exactly how you feel, but I can say that you''re not the only one who gets frustrated with grad school!! We can wallow in our pity together.

yep, we have quite a few grad/professional school ladies around here. we''re not only good-looking, but smart too

and i definitely feel your pain JCJD!! i did research for a year after i graduated, and my PI ended up changing jobs and never being around making it nearly impossible to accomplish anything. seemed like quite a waste of time, but i hope your project gets up and running soon!!

HouMedGal- I''m a first year too! but one of the few who study muuuuuuch less than undegrad. i have so much more free time now.. it''s pretty weird, but i am not complaining. how''s first year at Baylor?

 

[HOUMedGal]

Hey, icekid! Glad to hear I''m not the only first year around! I do understand what you mean about haivng more free time....I feel like I have more free time now, because I was super involved in extracurricular stuff in college, but it''s not like it''s the kinda free time I can totally enjoy...I have that "you should be studying" cloud constantly hanging over my head, hehe. But I know I don''t study anywhere near as much as I could, hehe.

If there''s one thing med school has taught me, it''s how to establish my priorities. As it turns out, my boyfriend, my family, my friends, my health/exercise/eating habits, and my sanity all come before school! So while I fully believe I COULD "high pass" or even maybe "honor" if I wanted to, I don''t really think it''s worth it, because of all the others sacrifiices (namely the ones listed above) I would have to make!

And so, when grades come out, I take my "Pass" and I''m happy with it!

 

[HOUMedGal]

I guess I didn''t really answer your question, lol. First year at Baylor is good! It''s pretty intense, since we cram all our pre-clinicals into 1.5 years instead of 2, but it''s definitely do-able. We''re in Block 4 now, studying immunology, basic pathology, and introductory pathology, along with head and neck anatomy (we''ll be done with gross anat. at the end of this block....no more smelly scrub days! yipee!!!) Where do you go to school?

 

[icekid]

HOUMedGal-

ohhhh i didn''t know that Baylor did all of the basic science in a year and a half too! that must be crazy... this stuff goes fast enough as it is! i go to jefferson in philadelphia; i''m pretty happy with it overall. we''re just about finishing up our second block- which is molecular bio/biochem type stuff (final in a week... clearly i should be studying right now). first block was anatomy. we did anatomy and embryo all at once- block schedule deal. i was SO excited when we got to throw out those nasty scrubs; and i feel for you on head/neck- it is the absolute worst!! next up is physiology. school is going by so fast... we''re like what, 1/8 MD now haha.

but i am definitely with you- i have not been studying like i could. but i''m not all that sure i care. i was sooo burned out from going to a really crazy/intense premed school and i''m not sure i have it in me anymore to study like that. i think i study about 1/4 as much as my friends.. whoooooops! i HATE that "always feel like i should be studying" feeling. but i had it in college too, so i think i''ve learned to put it out of my mind

i am doing well, but like you said- do i want to get honors? that has become the big question lately b/c i am contemplating going into ophthalmology, and if that''s what i want then my grades do become a lot more important.

what are you planning to do with your summer? i really don''t know what to do with myself... research by default probably, b/c i can''t come up with anything else! i know someone in the 2nd year class (though not well) at baylor, from undergrad... at least i think he goes there! you never quite know what happens with waitlists in the summer and all, and i haven''t seen him since we graduated haha. any ideas about what field you want to go into yet?

 

[JCJD]

Yay!! Thanks HOUMedGal for continuing this thread. Grad school and med school are quite different in some ways, but very similar too. I think this is a great place for us all to vent our frustrations with school, grad school, med school, etc.

So, surprisingly, my second advisor (I have 2, unofficially. Primary advisor is my research advisor, second is our resident genius - VERY talented programmer AND bio PhD) came to my office on Thurs and told me that my equipment is ready to go, and he just has to make some finishing touches on the training program Friday and debug it on Monday (maybe Tues too), and I can actually start training my birds next week, if all goes well!!!!! Ooooooooooooh!!!!!!!! I hope I hope I hope I hope I hope!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[blueroses]

Hooray JCJD!! What a relief!

 

[HOUMedGal]

Yay JCJD! I''m glad to hear things are looking up! Good luck!!

Icekid: As of now, I''m thinking Emergency Med. First of all, I''m an EMT and I worked for an EMS service for the last 2 years I was in college, and I loved it! So ER is something I have experienced in one capacity already, and I really liked it. I''m comfortable there, and I must admit, I''m somewhat of an adrenaline junkie.

Another thing that''s nice about ER is that, unless you plan to go into academic medicine (which I don''t), there is no need for a 4 year residency. So I could do a 3 year residency then start working as a REAL doctor, with a REAL doctor paycheck. hehe. Also, I appreciate the fact that ER is shift work; when you''re on you''re on, when you''re off you''re off. I''d much rather be working hard the whole time I''m at work and yet be able to totally be off work when I''m at home.

I know I don''t want to do anything that requires me to be busting my tail right now. Like I said, I don''t think it''s worth it. And being an involved mother and wife is definitely part of my life plan, so I don''t want to feel like I''ve invested so much blood, sweat, and tears into my career that I can''t step back into a part time position or even take a few years off when my kids are little. If I did something that required a ton of work now and a ton of work later, I think I might feel obligated to be more permanently and deeply involved in the career I worked so hard to achieve (and thus less able to be a mom).

As far as my summer goes, because of our 1.5 year preclinical program, we don''t get much time off in the summer. We only get the month of July...so, my plan is to go on a vacation with my boyfriend (we are planning a roadtrip tour of the central/western US national parks!!) and hopefully (OK, definitely if things go as planned) get proposed to on the trip!!! Since I only have a month, I think I''m just going to forsake all work and enjoy it.

 

[snow_happy]

Hi!
I have a long research story too in wihch I can''t dedicate 100% of my time to my dissertation research for at least another year. It totally sucks. Good luck with your lit. review and think of it this way... the more you know going into your research the less you have to figure out when you get results

The good thing about grad school vs. undergrad is you don''t have to say what year you are (fresh, soph, etc.)