Some things to do now that you’re getting ready for the grad school interview … Part 3
In the previous post , I mentioned some aspects to take into consideration when you start looking for, narrowing down and applying to grad school. I’m not sure how similar is this process in your country (if you’re not form the US) to the process in the States (where I went to school), but if you want to share info on how it is in your country, please drop a line in the comment section, or if you have a blog, feel free to do trackback (if you’re on wordpress).
Anyways, so say that you’ve completed the application process, you asked for really kick-butt letters of recommendation, you’ve gone online and submitted everything you need, asked for transfers at school, taken the GRE … in other words, everything you needed do is done, and all there is now is to hope (and pray if you feel so inclined .. I did .. every-single-day) in order for all the documents, information, forms, you name it, to reach the grad school(s) of your dreams.
The waiting period starts.
Depending on when you apply (usually the earlier you do the sonner the offers for interview or even acceptance start to come) you may get a response within a few days (like for the school I went to, which invited me for an interview within 14 days or so of getting my complete app. packet) or my other option, a lovely state school in which I did a summer internship (the recruiting officer called me at home, and talked to my mom and my (then) boyfriend). Other schools might take their time. And yet others may not reply until you think the time is up (I had this friend who went to an Ivy League school and she got the call about 2 weeks after the due date for answering was past … the school invited her for an interview and didn’t give an answer (positive or negative) until the second week of May of that year ….. she’d already replied to another school to which she had to go through the process of telling them she’d been accepted at her dream school and was not going after all to her 1st response school … those details are unknown to me, but this DOES happen more ofter than you think). So, usually the sooner you send in all your materials, the better (in my opinion) the chances of being called for an interview. Here are a few things to take into account:
- Be courteous at all times. You may think some “low-level” secretary is contacting you, when in fact the recruiting officers are very likely to first get in touch with you, then “pass” you on to the personnel in charge of making hotel and transportation arrangements. That said, be nice and courteous to every single person you come in contact with, say your good mornings, thanks, etc … be patient and polite above all. This will earn you cookie points, and might even help you get noticed form the rest of the crowd.
- You might need to pay for a few things beforehand (I bought my ticket and other transport thingies) … so KEEP ALL the receipts (and make sure there’s enough money left in your credit card). While I was told some things would not be refunded, in the end I was refunded for everything, from the plane ticket, to the shuttle service, meals, etc … Hotel arrangements were made by the grad school, thus my pennies were not spent there. Make sure to keep all your receipts, whether in hard copies, or electronically.
- Be sure to read beforehand and be well versed about your past research experiences. I did 2 summer internships prior to starting in grad school. I thought I remembered everything, since I was only 21 at the time and I thought my mind would not fail like those of “ancient” grad students …. thank goodness I read abstracts and other materials to freshen up my head …. the interviewers will more than likely ask you about your prior research experience(s) .. thus you earn points if you can intelligently and succinctly talk about previous projects, accomplishments, experiences. If you are interviewing with a collegue of one of your (soon to be former) mentor(s) be sure to acknowledge that opportunity by being as ready as you can. All these things can make a small but tangible difference, and might help you to get a position in the school/department of your dreams.
- Do not bad mouth people … especially PI’s …. you never know who or how others get to know and interact with each other, so badmouthing is a definite no-no. This is not grade school, this is a step forward into adulthood. Having that sort of attitude (even if the PI or personnel at the previous school are a-holes) will take points off quickly. Remember that above all, the results from the interview will impact whether you get an offer from just your safety school, or from your safety school AND your dream school.
- Do your research in terms of getting to know your interviewers. This is something I didn’t do. I didn’t know you could ask who would be interviewing you so you could get that info beforehand and have ammo to ask potential PI’s what their projects or interests were …. This is particularly important if you are interviewing with someone who is very high profile in your field(s) of interest and has open positions for grad students. Luckily I have a bit of charm, so I quicky picked up on what the group of students in my interview section was dicussing about the interviewers and I phrased my questions so that it would not appear as if I was completely ignorant about what their research was about (though I was).
- Improvise cleverly … this relates to the previous point. Sometimes your interview might be in the office of a particular faculty person, or maybe it’s drinking coffee at a cafe ….. if it’s the first case, then quickly glance around the office or lab space, pick up a couple of words from the titles and phrase your questions in a manner that the (potential) PI can describe his/her work. This may help you stand out from the rest of the interviewees.
- Do not get drunk or high … ’nuff said.
- Select your clothes carefully and make sure everything is clean. The worst thing is when someone stinks, even if they are nice, looking and beign clean adds an extra level of respect. And it’s easy to have stinky clothes without even noticing it (when you live in a dorm with a roomate who cooks all sorts of stinky food, or forgets to take out last week’s pizza and now everything smells like last years yogurt … ewwww). So do your homework, do your laundry, get some febreeze, and iron things if needed prior to the interview. If you know you sweat extra hard when you’re nervious, maybe a super strength deodorant can help, or an extra pair of socks. For us ladies, you know that mother nature is crazy, so plan accordingly even if you had your monthly visit a week ago.
- Keep all the necessary documents (addresses, reservations, phone numbers, contact info) in a separate folder or place and carry it with you everywhere you go. Even if your luggage was lost by some incompetent idiot, having those documents at hand will save you some of the grief, a lot of time (especially if this is one of the first times your traveling all alone) and may show your interviewers that you are genuinly interested in them, and you are respectful of their time. It shows you are taking things seriously by keeping a close eye on those types of documents.
- Arrange for extra careful people to take good notes if you need to take several days off from school to go to the interview(s).
- Remember to talk to your professors and instructors to let them know when you’ll be out. Wouldn’t it be terrible if you had to go through wayyy too many hoops because you forgot to tell them in advance so they knew you weren’t just blowing off the class, or goofing off.
- Turn your cell phone off. Not only will the beeps or “pimp-y” notes will throw you off, but it may be percieved by your interviewer as you not being sufficiently interested (and respectful) to turn off all of the outside noise and pay attention to them, who could very well impact your future in more than one way.
- Carry enough money to pay for things like food, or cover tips, etc …. you never know when ATMs will be all crazy and without service, so be prepared accordingly.
Like I mentioned earlier, these are just some of the aspects to consider while preparing and going for the interview(s) at your potential grad school. Be confident, be careful, be kind and above all …. be respectful. I’m sure you will do great.
Good luck!
Next up are some things to take into consideration once you’ve got offers and once it’s time to move. The final part will be on what to expect on your first weeks and some bits of wisdom I acquired through the years.
Add comment November 3, 2009
Depression, PMDD and grad school
We all know that being in grad school is not the easiest experience … ever. You cram for hours for exams, try to remember equations or theories, think of creative ways to solve a problem, TA, and do research on top of it all. If you add to this formula depression and/or PMDD …. you’ve got a great amount of disaster on your hands.
Let me elaborate. For those who may not be familiar with the term, there is a disorder (that some may call bitchiness of epic proportions) that affects women prior to having a visit of Aunt Flo. This disorder is a serious form of premenstrual syndrome known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder. It is characterized by feelings of desperation, maybe even thoughts of suicide, boobie tenderness, “bitchiness”, depression, tremendous fatigue, among others. Various pills and drugs are on the market from PMDD, from birth control ones to depression ones. Drug companies have targeted sufferers of PMDD and there are all sorts of ads on the subject.
I suffer from PMDD. I know how it feels to have it, to live with it, and how anti-depressants have helped to achieve a somewhat “peaceful” state of mind where I could continue doing my studies and have a “normal” relationship with the boyfriend, the boss and coworkers.
I got my first period when I was really … REALLY young. I was not prepared for it, I freaked out, and I thought I’d die … not really, but let’s just say it was a traumatic experience, made possible in part due to unhealthy amounts of guilt provided by a conservative set of parents who didn’t know how to talk about puberty (after many years I think that it all happened because I am the first child, thus I was more or less their guinea pig, and they had no “training” in dealing with their first-born becoming an adolescent). Anyways, after I got my pads, and things and stuff, I started reading more on the subject, and the biology of the process. I also picked up older copies of Cosmo at my doctor’s office and read about PMS and averting your period and what not. I thought PMS was just a lame excuse to be bitchy, miss work, and that only weak and overly dramatic gals got it.
At first I would not feel when the “P” day arrived. I started carrying pads and period-paraphernalia to cover my bases in case Aunt Flo’ appeared while I was at school. As the years went on, painful “P” days started appearing, and high doses of acetaminophen and heating pads came to my rescue. College was fine, boobie tenderness and such happened, but it wasn’t until I got into grad school that things took a really bad turn.
I started cramping pretty bad during my second year of grad school. I could not touch my chest because it felt like the boobs were about to explode (I seriously thought of not drinking anything so liquid would not retained by my body and take diuretics to help me eliminate whatever liquid was left … but I’m too chicken for that). I also started noticing that 1-2 weeks before “P” day, I was extremely tired (sometimes even sick, like my immune system was all down or something because I was getting my period), I could not stay awake in the lab (even if I’d gone to bed at 10pm the previous night and had woken up at 9:30am the next day) and my mood was pretty bad (like Lucifer himself had possessed my brain for a few days, it was like lakes of sulfur were flowing through my veins). I would cry for no reason, but most of the time I’d be in a really foul mood. I couldn’t understand what was happening. Suddenly “P” days started to become as “happy days” because I’d be happy, not bloated and the world would return to its normal order one the first 2 “P” days were over. It was as if 2 weeks prior to the “P” day a catastrophe switch turned on inside and everything was screwed up until my period.
Before the BF and I started dating I remember going to the student health clinic at my school to see if they had a non-NSAID that would help me during “P” days. I described to the doctors and nurses my symptoms, and they suggested I try taking birth control pills. I had a bit of acne, so I though, “cool, 2 for 1, now both acne and nasty PMS will suck it!” But because I’m so special and awesome, and mother nature likes to remind me that biology is complicated, the birth control pills were a nightmare. Not only did I gain weight, but though my periods were shortened, they were still UBER painful and the PMS was still as nasty.
When I started dating the BF we had various nasty fights. Add to that the fact that my parents were not the sort of people who believed in psychiatrists or psychologists, thus it never occurred to me to approach one at my old school and see what was happening. When the foul mood and increase in tardiness at my lab started getting out of control (and the time of the qualifying exam was approaching), I knew I HAD to do something. I thought I was going crazy!!!!!!!! I was on the verge of losing the boyfriend, losing myself in this emotional roller coaster, and maybe even stop my grad studies.
I started getting therapy at school with a really nice postdoctoral psych. fellow, and she recommended I go and see at psychiatrist at school. I was all like “whoa, am I crazy?” I told her that to me medication seemed too drastic, and that it meant that I was weak, that I was not strong enough to pull through this “situation.”
Reluctantly I visited the psychiatrist and I started taking a drug called Escitalopram. I started taking it, and my mood improved like 1,000%. I felt like myself again …. until I started paying the more than 70$ each month for it (that was as much as I was paying for car insurance). I stopped taking it (and getting all bitchy). It sent me into a bitchy downward spiral … so I changed doctors (the first one was more of a murse). Thank GOD I did that. They new doctor was extremely nice, took the time to really ask me questions, listen to my answers and was super willing to talk about options, side effects, etc.
I ended up trying about 3 different drugs, including one that made me contemplate committing suicide a few times a DAY (the same drug that has a movie with its name on it, and a book, and such). Finally we settled on sertraline …. and though I do not feel as fantastic as with the first (expensive) medicine, this one acts as an Ok “equivalent.”
Looking back I can see the signs and symptoms of having this syndrome, and thinking it was all normal. It seemed all normal to me, because I knew no better, because I was taught that medical or chemical intervention are reserved for extreme cases, and the chemical ways are for the weak. My guess is that the more I learned about physiology, how our bodies and brains are supposed to work and not, I was more convinced that I needed help overcoming these symptoms and this state where my mind was running at 1000 rmps at some points, while at others I was too tired to even think.
I guess I also was mildly depressed, thus the medicine helped that too. I have never taken more than 2 months off from school for vacation. In fact, since I finished college I haven’t had more than 3 weeks of continuous vacay time. The pressure to excel at times seemed too much and what you think is “normal” or just due to stress might be somthing more serious. My only piece of advice is that if something does not feel right, go and see a specialist. Look for opinions, don’t just talk to one doctor, or one friend. Read, think, contemplate and decide which route you want to take.
I hope that once I get my second medical insurance (Oh Canada, how much I love you) I can find the generic form of that other medicine I took first and maybe try it again … but I have to be careful, I don’t want to mess up my system by changing medicines all crazy, all of a sudden. My symptoms are still there, but attenuated …. so I can manage now.
Add comment October 16, 2009
Crazy things to do after finishing your phd
Since I get a laugh or two when I find out how people have landed in my blog …. I’ve decided to write a few posts inspired by such search terms. The first of such posts was on my salary, which I have no trouble talking about as you can see.
The newest search term that caused me to laugh (in a funny ha-ha, that’s cool kinda way) is the one that serves as title for this post. Thus, let me indulge the random, the curious, the ever funny peeps of the Internetz that visit my site, be it via Nature Blogs, or random search terms. Ha!
Ok, I will start by telling you about what I did after finishing my defense. I went with my mom and the BF to the school’s cafeteria and got myself a slice of pizza. My defense was at 10am, and right after I met with my thesis committee who grilled tested me about my thesis, both the written and oral parts. I was so hungry! My mom and the BF had all my belonging, thus I couldn’t get a coke or something sugary to get my glucose back to normal after so much stress. I don’t even remember if I had something for breakfast.
After the reception to celebrate moi, my mom, BF and I headed home to rest. I think I slept better than any other time because I was done, there were corrections to add, but I was DONE! No more experiments, nothing.
I have to recognize that I did a couple of “crazy” things while in grad school. I dated a postdoc, had a one night stand, got a tattoo, survived a horrific crash, got a piercing, got into debt, got drunk in 30 minutes, drove at more than 100 mph after a nasty breakup, got into a long distance relationship (that worked) even though I swore I’d never do it again. All those things and more I did while in grad school. Some I regret, others made my life a lot more fun.
If I could got back maybe I’d get the tattoo after finishing the whole thing, but it’s ok. My point is, sometimes we want to wait up to something big to say “hey, once I achieve this goal or point, I’ll do it.” Other than the part of getting in debt, I’d probably do all those things again, some of them sooner. But I don’t think you should wait to get off the beaten path and do something that you’ve always wanted to do, just because you want to have your degree and postpone whatever that goal is.
Even if you decide to do your “crazy” thing or things after, just take a moment to reflect, to breath the freash air that comes with adventure. Always be cautious, you don’t want to get yourself in trouble. So, here are a couple of things I would have done after finishing my degree:
- If you’re nerd like me, you’ve probably had the same haircut for a long, loooong time (try 10 years in my case). Go get a different haircut. I think it’s a liberating experience if you can let go of your hair. I remember that a few months after my break up, I got bangs. I hated them at first because I looked even nerdier, but I decided to go with it because my ex hated them. Well, not hated, hated, but he said he couldn’t imagine me having bangs. With a big smile and a HUGE desire to say “f*ck YOU” I got them. Once they started growing and getting longer I looked so cool. I love them … and still have them.
- Get a tattoo. If you’ve always dreamed of getting one, finishing your PhD is a great reason to go for it. I got it as sort of a survival thing 3 years after my accident. I love it. I may regret it when I’m 60, old and saggy, but for now, I’m enjoying being a nerdy badass.
- Go backpacking. Gosh, I wish I’d done this one. I have traveled … a LOT, especially with the BF. But I would have loved to just go with the flow, pack a few things, get a couple of bucks and lose myself in Spain or Italy. I guess I got inspired by a movie (and a college classmate who did it). Top me it’s more of a follow your heart kinda thing, so if you feel like taking some “risk”, parasailing, walking butt naked somewhere (or going to a nude beach). Whatever it it, go for it.
- Get out of debt, or at least build a plan to help you get out. It may seem a bit crazy for some, but getting out of debt (if you into it) should be at the top of your list. Trust me, now that I’m a postdoc and have no worries, like kids, I’d love to travel more, especially within Canada. It would be possible to do it, if I didn’t have almost 1/3 of my income going into recovering from debt.
- Move somewhere exotic. Nuff said.
- Leave science or whatever your field is. I don’t know much about you, but sometimes I dream I’m doing something completely opposite of what I currently do. Like being a singer, or an artist. I sort of feel a bit tied down by the routine, but if you ever second guess your choice, and you know you’re awesome at something other than your field of study, go for it.
Well, I could probably add many more things to the list. This is just meant to give you some sort of inspiration. Let you know that you’re not alone.
Now that you’re done, feel free to do whatever you want. Your years of being tied down to tubes and buffers are over (if only for a few weeks), so give yourself the freedom to do as you feel. And most of all, enjoy it
2 comments October 11, 2009
Postdoc salary … a very non-scientific comparison

My apologies for not writing sooner. I’ve been swamped with tasks in the lab, still getting organized, and now the BF and I are addicted to a really funny show called “Little Mosque on the Prairie.” Anyways, so while all that was happening I was logging in to check the blog, but not to write.
I noticed that some of the most common phrases typed by users (that ultimately land in the blog) are as follow: “postdoc salary”, ” 28 and a phd”, “post-doc salary”, “postdoc salary USA 2009.” As I mention in the title, this is a very unscientific comparison between my salary as a postdoc, and the one I had as a grad student. Bear in mind that I will not go into details such as comparing salaries between disciplines, geographic areas, etc. I just want to give you a clue as to where I am situated, which is probably more or less in the middle. Also, my PhD is in Biophysics, one of the fields I am currently working in.
Just yesterday I found the letter of acceptance to the graduate program I attended. I started there in the summer of 2003, and my starting compensation was 20,500 USD. My salary increased over the next 6 years to ~25K, gross amount, without taking too much money out for taxes and school fees. I went to a decent-sized school in the Bible Belt, which for undergrad education ranks pretty high and the pay seemed fair enough to live in that city. My gross monthly income was over 2,200 USD by the end of my years there, and usually between 130-150$ were taken out in taxes. My fixed expenses while in grad school were:
- Rent -660-690$ (especially during my last year) for a 2BR apartment located ~ 15-20 mins away from school. It’s pretty expensive staying close to campus, but if you want to save gas and don’t mind walking or biking, it’s no biggie, and you probably end up even in terms of overall expenses between rent and transport.
- Car – I bought a new car when I started. I was afraid I’d end up with a lemon, especially since I didn’t have my parents to help me look for a car. I had it a 2% interest with a well known brand and I paid ~290 USD/month.
- Internet and cell. By the end of my career I had given up cable, so it was ~ 100 counting both. I got a small discount from the cell phone company through school.
- Credit cards. ~600-700$ between the 3 of them … and they’re not paid off due to my laziness and irresponsibility.
- Gas – ~60-100$. I filled up once a week and tried to do the maintenance work at the appropriate times.
- Car and apartment insurance. Ended up costing ~110$.
That left me with a couple of hundred bucks to eat, dress, take care is misc. things and do groceries. I almost always eneded up short of cash. Again, due to my irresponsibility. Compared to what I remember were the salaries of some college classmates who’d gone to get their PhDs in California, Michigan, Texas or Jersey, I was being paid slightly more (except for Cali) and the quality of living was not bad.
Now as a postdoc I’m paid 37,000 CADs, split into 3100 CADs per month. In USDs that amount translates into roughly 25-28k, depending on how the loony is doing. As when I was in grad school, taxes are not taken out of my salary, therefore I *must* set aside close to 800 CADs per month, so when tax season comes, I won’t be even more choked up in debt.
My salary is roughly divided like this:
- 500$ for rent (I live with the BF thus we contribute the same amount, live in an apartment that’s gorgeous, spaceous and is very quiet).
- Credit cards – same as before, and because I’m trying to knock off some of that debt, I’m trying the debt snowball method.
- Cell and internet – a little over 100$, but I don’t have the exact numbers for the internet yet.
- Car insurance – (super expensive) ~230$ … OUCH!
- There are probably one or two more things I’m forgetting, but like I said earlier, this is a very rough estimate, meant to give you a general idea of how money is split.
As you can see, because some of these expenses are shared between the BF and I, I end up with more money in my pocket, or roughly 1/3 of my salary if left in the end. I also pay for parking at school (30$/mo.) and health insurance (90$/mo.).
At my old school, depending on what your level of experience was, the staring salary of a postdoc was ~36k USD. In CADs that’s a lot more than what I am currently being paid, but the cost of living is lower here, and I did not qualify for any fellowships that might have complemented my salary or even bumped it a little bit.
I don’t know if other universities have a policy of showing the base levels for salaries, but my guess is that if they are government funded, more that likely you can check the site(s) of those agencies and see if what you’re being offered is fair and up to standards.
Good luck and I hope this might help you to situate and compare the cost of living and salaries of your current or future postdoc position.
———-Have a great weekend!
Add comment September 18, 2009
Unloading the truth … and feeling old
In previous posts I had mentioned that the BF didn’t know about my debts, how I got into debt, how I want to get out, how much, etc. Today the BF seemed a bit cold …. honestly, he felt a bit cold at times during the last couple of days. A few years back, while I was dating a college BF I remember getting that cold feeling along my spine, and bracing for a hundred thousand tears, and for an imminent breakup. I tell you, it was NOT fun. Feeling alone, breaking up with someone who’s been your best friend, your life, your everything for a few years hurts. And I am scared of feeling and being that hurt again … of not coming back from that kind of depression. That’s why, when the BF said we needed to talk I braced myself for the worst. And in a way, the best possible thing happened.
When I started writing here, a few months back, I vowed to be very honest about debt, finishing the PhD, etc. I’ve said how much I owe (23K), and how scared I am/was of people I know and love finding out about it. I didn’t want the BF to read the blog, especially those entries. But I realized that I needed to come clean. That if we were/are to have a future together we must come clean, unload our baggage and enlist each other’s help to overcome hardships.
Well, today was the day. I don’t know the exact details of how the BF got the idea, but I had been hinting about things and ways in which he could find out the name of this blog and such. And he did. I was so scared of letting him down, of showing him how irresponsible I’ve been. Of alienating him and going down a path without a way back.
We sat down, he started talking, he asked me about it …. and if felt almost as relieving as when you get the absolution of your sins by a priest (hey y’all, I’m a catholic, so this is the best example I could come up with). We talked about how and when it started, how it spiraled down and what I can do now to avoid making it worse. My worst fear was of a breakup, not only because we’ve been together for a long time, or for my fear of disappointing him, but because I had been and have been irresponsible, and in a way, I felt like I was cheating. He could not hide the sadness, but he offered his help in any way he could. Together we are coming up with ways to funnel money into the debt, and still living a decent life together. The best is yet to come, and the start of it seems good.
On a different side of life, today the undergrads started. I cannot help but wonder if I looked that young and fresh when I started college. I look at myself in the mirror now and feel kinda old and run down (it could very well be PMS-related). But anyhow, the kids just look like that, kids. I feel like I’m from a completely different world.
Seeing those undergrads walking around, some of them scared of the new environment, some of them over-confident, made me go back 10 years in time, to 1999 when I was an undergrad. I felt so scared, but in a way I also felt powerful. I remember cramming down for projects, exams, labs, etc. It was so very fun. Sometimes I feel pain in my heart, an ache for the times by gone. But I’m glad for all of it. FOR ALL, yes, even those undesirable professors (may they rest in peace), even the bad dates, the crazy hairdo’s, and the silly projects. They all helped me in my way to get a PhD. Here I am today, 10 years after first stepping in my school. Here I am, a victor, not a victim, still wanting to learn, to grow, to experience.
1 comment September 8, 2009





