http://naturallyobsessed.com/blog Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:58:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://naturallyobsessed.com/blog/career-pathways/comment-page-1/#comment-594 Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist | Biotech Blog Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:30:05 +0000 http://naturallyobsessed.com/blog/career-pathways/#comment-594 [...] We documented the time, patience and support that the mentor offered his students, while keeping his own research at a highly competitive pitch. Our camera observed the students absorb the values inherent to the culture of science — persistence, critical thinking, collaboration, and commitment to produce new knowledge. We also caught the students dealing with personal problems — uncertainty, frustration, impatience, and gripes with their mentor. They were under a lot of pressure, because X-ray crystallography requires sophisticated skill in protein chemistry and genetic engineering before a protein molecule can be produced in crystal form and yield usable data at the x-ray beam. They faced the constant threats of either not getting any usable result at all – or of finding that the competition had beat them to it. We also observed some self-destructive tendencies that stood in the way of attaining the PhD — rebelliousness, hastiness, timidity. [link to: science careers] Carole and I began to worry seriously if we’d ever find an ending to the film. But we just kept shooting, and ultimately glimpsed each student find the career path that seemed right for them — one in academia, another in industry and the third as a biotech consultant. See the Apprentice video and Career Pathways video [...] [...] We documented the time, patience and support that the mentor offered his students, while keeping his own research at a highly competitive pitch. Our camera observed the students absorb the values inherent to the culture of science — persistence, critical thinking, collaboration, and commitment to produce new knowledge. We also caught the students dealing with personal problems — uncertainty, frustration, impatience, and gripes with their mentor. They were under a lot of pressure, because X-ray crystallography requires sophisticated skill in protein chemistry and genetic engineering before a protein molecule can be produced in crystal form and yield usable data at the x-ray beam. They faced the constant threats of either not getting any usable result at all – or of finding that the competition had beat them to it. We also observed some self-destructive tendencies that stood in the way of attaining the PhD — rebelliousness, hastiness, timidity. [link to: science careers] Carole and I began to worry seriously if we’d ever find an ending to the film. But we just kept shooting, and ultimately glimpsed each student find the career path that seemed right for them — one in academia, another in industry and the third as a biotech consultant. See the Apprentice video and Career Pathways video [...]

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