dissertating

simple words of a mentor can stop you in your tracks sometimes and make you see the world or yourself through a different lens. i had the opportunity to speak at the biomedical engineering society meeting last friday. the professor for whom i am ta-ing this semester and who is the former head of our department came to listen. he came over to sit near me before my talk and handed me a piece of paper. it was a job posting for a tenure-track faculty position in biomedical engineering (bme). he told me that he thought i should apply, that he had just talked to the head of the department at that university who said that they were looking for people like me.

the vote of confidence in my abilities stopped me in my tracks. eric and i have been trying to figure out what we're doing when we graduate. we've been looking at schools and cities where we are both interested in living. i have been keeping my eyes peeled for postdocs and was considering getting a clinical certification. i had not even thought to look at faculty positions assuming that i wouldn't have enough experience to be considered for anything. my mentor opened my eyes. i have since found another faculty position in mechanical engineering for which i would like to apply as well.

i don't know that any of these will work out, but the possibilities have changed my attitude about the job search and writing my dissertation. i have to prepare statements of research and teaching interests and while these are not long essays (1 - 2 pages each), they are giving me an opportunity to reflect on what scientific questions i want to be asking and what my teaching philosophy is. as i have written thoughts down i have discovered that i have definite interests i want to pursue and definite opinions about how to teach. i have also found myself more enthused than ever to write. i have drafts of almost two chapters of my dissertation written. i still have to collect more data, but i am ready for that.

two and a half weeks left before two faculty applications will be submitted and before cactus rose 50-miler. life is exciting!