On Becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess

Those of you who have been with me from the beginning are already familiar with the subtle writing style of the domestic and laboratory goddess.  For those of you who are new to this humble little blog, there are a few things we should clarify.  First, Dr. Isis is totally amazing and also very hot.  Second, Dr. Isis is always going to tell you what you need to hear.  But it's not necessarily going to be what you want to hear -- keep that in mind as you continue to read, little muffins.

Figure 1: An artist's rendition of the domestic and laboratory goddess laying it down for her worshipers readers.

The domestic and laboratory deity has been thrilled to read some of your recent comments on her post describing the differences in writing between the sciences and liberal arts, and the degree to which that writing allows for a connection between the educator and student.   Dr. Isis knows that many of her readers are undergraduate and graduate students and is touched (and not in a dirty way) that so many of you chose to share personal stories.  New blog commenter JLK wrote:

I think it's very difficult for professors to remember how important they are to us "little" guys. Your careers involve so much more than undergrad teaching, and heaven knows if you're seeking tenure, your undergrad students are essentially irrelevant. I have no doubt that Dr. Isis is an exceptional mentor, and if I wasn't so dedicated to the social sciences I would switch to physiology and try to figure out where she is so I could work with her.

JLK has already learned the lesson that  unabashed worship will get you everywhere with Dr. Isis.  The rest of you should take note.

Still, a few of you left comments that made Dr. Isis realize that some of  her undergraduate (and maybe graduate?) student readers may need a little talking to.  After all, Dr. Isis is here not only to help you become a domestic goddess, but a laboratory goddess as well.   So, cuddle up to Mama, little chickens, because Dr. Isis is about to teach you something that's gonna get you far someday...

You can't be told "yes"  if you never bother to ask (after having done adequate preparation)

This is not going to be a post about the quality of mentoring.  Dr. Isis does not deny that there are probably some less-than-competent PI mentors out there.  But, Dr. Isis has some very specific ideas about the role of the PI in the lab and she will share those for another day and another time.  Rather, this post was inspired by the following comments:

At the end of the day, I think it's all about availability. Community college professors make themselves available outside of class, through email, over the phone. MRU professors state their office hours and don't want to hear from you outside of that. I have been directed to speak to graduate students to discuss the grad admissions process. It's incredibly frustrating.

 and

I'm an undergrad at a very large university and after almost 3 years the only prof I've talked to outside of class has been one that is an advisor for a student organization I'm involved with.

and

As a student, what is the likelihood that I am going to walk in to a professor's office hours or make an appointment with them, doing so for no other reason than, "I just want you to get to know me better?" It would take a special and rare kind of confidence for an undergrad to do that, and even then it would more than likely be construed as arrogance. Sure, I could pretend I'm having problems in the course, but then I might appear needy. I have tried the approach of asking questions that probe much deeper than the class lecture went, but then I find myself on the receiving end of another lecture instead of a discussion.

 Figure 2: There's an awful lot of text in this post, so here's some adorable shoes to break it up.  Marching Orders by Naughty Monkey.  $79.00 at like.com.

 Dr. Isis is saddened that some undergraduate readers have the idea that there are not opportunities to interact with more senior scientists at the university level.  Still, this is not a sentiment she is hearing for the first time here.  She has also heard it from students she has taught.  The God's honest truth of it is that there are often an array of opportunities to interact with faculty, if you are willing to take the initiative.  Before you hit the comment button, little lambs, I want you to read the end of that sentence again -- if you are willing to take the initiative.  I think that the demands of academic life make it difficult to reach out to every undergraduate student one comes in contact with and there is no way to look at a non-descript student sitting quietly in a class and know that they are "the one" you should offer a research opportunity or mentoring to.  But most people find themselves in academia because they enjoy science, they enjoy talking about science, and they enjoy sharing their ideas collaboratively with others.  The limiting factor is always time and, thus, the onus is upon you to convince a more senior scientist to take the time to mentor you.  Is this right?  It doesn't matter.  It simply is the way it is.

 And, the reality of the situation is, if you're not willing to engage scientists more senior than you and ask for mentorship, it will severe limit your career advancement.  Dr. Isis is only Dr. Isis because she interacted with individuals who saw promise in here and were willing to teach her.  These personal interactions are important. 

 So, how do you become total bff with your favorite prof?

1. You show up to office hours so much the professor starts reserving a chair for you. Scicurious over at Neurotopia offers a well-written first hand account of the benefit of this. When Dr. Isis taught last Spring she had her office hours at 6:30 am on Friday mornings.  Dr. Isis is a morning person and likes to get her day started promptly.  Every Friday morning, when Dr. Isis arrived with her coffee in hand, she found one student sitting outside of her office door, waiting.  This student asked thoughtful questions and, over the semester, I grew to know him quite well.  When he mentioned at the end of the semester that he was interested in trying his hand at research, I called my colleague in the department (a highly accomplished scientist in her field) and asked her to take him into her lab.  I have no doubt that she accepted him, in part, as a favor to me and he is now thriving in her lab.  I am quite proud of him.
2. If you approach a professor for a research opportunity, write a well-planned, polite, and professional letter asking for the opportunity to meet and discuss your interest.  Drugmonkey has a great post here on the difference between the way he responds to a form letter and a personalized letter.   An email is acceptable, but you should never forget that an email is still a mode of formal communication when you are writing to someone you don't know.  I have an older post on using email to communicate with those more senior  here.
3. When you score yourself a meeting with Professor Hot Shot, there is no substitute for good preparation and sincere enthusiasm for their work.  Whenever Dr. Isis meets with someone more senior than her, she reads their last five publications first.  She has a discussion about this here.  It doesn't matter if you completely understand the work (although you should try to understand as much as you can).   Your effort is going to score you a huge amount of cred.
4. Finally, after you meet with Professor Huge Name, always send a formal, hand-written thank you note.  You can read more about Dr. Isis's belief in the power of the "thank you" here.

When I began this post I thought I would address the concern about being "pawned off" on a grad student, but I think I am going to save that for another day when I discuss my thoughts on lab structure. It's late, I'm tired, and Baby Isis will probaby be up soon demanding nourishment. It's my blog, so I can totally pull that crap.

So there it is, darling readers.  Everything you need to know to contact your favorite professor and become their new protegee  When you win your Nobels, I expect you to remember to thank Dr. Isis.