I am currently in St. Louis for the first annual National Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program Meeting (associated with predoctoral CTSA trainees across the country). Though the conference is geared to scientists in their training stage (i.e. graduate school and/or medical school) the keynote address, aptly titled How To Succeed In Science given by Dr. George Macones of Washington University offered some tips that can benefit us all.
Macones’ presentation was suppose to be light and digestible for everyone attending, so he offered many tips in comparison to either pop culture or sporting events. It really kept my attention, so I made a list of them. You can think of it as a checklist for success. Here goes…
1. Have thick skin. In science, you are sure to get rejections and poor grant reviews. From these you must persevere.
2. Work hard. In fact, work harder than everyone else. There is no replacement for this.
3. Passion equals success.
4. Be opportunistic and willing to branch out. Collaboration is key.
5. Don’t be afraid to go for it. Write those big grants and submit papers to high-tiered journals. You’ll never know if you don’t try.
6. Find successful people and listen to them. They are your best examples.
7. Know when to say no. You cannot be on every committee and write every book chapter, review, and teach if you must sacrifice your research to do so. Find a balance.
8. Be kind to others. Humility is also important. More people will be more willing to work with you.
9. Build serious research skill and focus on your particular research. Don’t be tempted to be an expert in every field. You may get lost.
10. Develop your research team. Train and (try your best to) retain key people. Treat them with respect and consider their careers too.
and finally…
11. Find time to relax. Work-life balance is critical. Though you may have to work harder than others at some points, you can’t work all the time.
On that note, if you are ever in St. Louis, be sure to go to the City Museum. It’s like a giant playland for both kids and adults with a six-story slide (plus many more slides), a monstrous adult-sized jungle gym area, a giant ball pit, and a circus room. Great for having fun!