Do You Need a PhD When You’re Already a Doctor? Having gone through it myself, today I'll explore the scenarios where going for a PhD is a good investment. Friday’s Digest #134 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update A week ago, Daylight Saving Time began in the US. You know, when we move the clocks forward. For those of you outside the US, that's why you received the newsletter an hour earlier (the publishing time is always 7am EST—Eastern time). That...
13 days ago • 3 min read
6 Things I Learned The Hard Way These are things no one taught me— I had to learn them the hard way. You shouldn't have to go through the same hardships. So here they are. Friday’s Digest #133 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update I miss going out to good restaurants. Just a few years ago, there were plenty of options. But nowadays, you either don't enjoy the food, end up paying too much for it, or both. Lately, I've noticed a trend of "blue-collar"...
20 days ago • 2 min read
How to Choose a Job That Won’t Cause You to Sacrifice Too Much? As a surgeon, my job is extremely demanding. How can you make sure you don't sacrifice too much for your career? Friday’s Digest #132 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update My days start early Really early. Every weekday I wake up at 5:00 am, and by 5:50 am I'm already in my office. Everything is so quiet and my building is virtually empty. From 5:50 to 7:30 I try to get stuff done. More...
27 days ago • 5 min read
3 Things Worth Spending Money On (Even When Your Budget is Tight) We often spend our money only to regret it later. But some things will never let you down. Here are 3 of mine. Friday’s Digest #131 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update Pacing I've always loved pacing— walking slowly, gathering my thoughts, and making plans. My love for pacing started at university. Whenever there was an exam, I studied while walking. In the beginning, I did it simply...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
If I Could Only Give 1 Advice to My Younger Self, What Would it Be? There’s one thing I wish someone told me when I was 20. It’s the single thing that changed my life. Friday’s Digest #130 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update Tired but happy Looking at my life right now, I'm pleased with how things are going. Before coming back home, I often thought about how my friends and colleagues looked like shortly after returning from their fellowships. They...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
3 Things My PhD Mentor Taught Me (That I Still Do All The Time) Some things you learn from experience, but some things you can only learn from mentors. Today, I will share them with you. Friday’s Digest #129 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update I have a small phone. It's a 4-year-old iPhone Mini. When I bought it, I wanted the smallest smartphone with an excellent camera. The iPhone 12 Mini was perfect. But since then, Apple has stopped making the...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
How to Design Your Office to Make Research More Fun After setting up my new office at work, I was amazed at how these 3 simple items made research more fun. Here’s how. Friday’s Digest #128 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update Clutter "Clutter" is the mess that builds up in your life. It can be PHYSICAL clutter, like piles of paperwork on your desk, messy drawers, or a closet filled with clothes you never wear. It can also be EMOTIONAL clutter, like...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Should You Work at a Hospital or Private Practice? This is one of THE most important decisions you'll have to make as a doctor. This is what I learned after experiencing both worlds. Friday’s Digest #127 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update What Size TV Do You Have? As a teenager, I bought a 21-inch TV for my room. It was a fat and heavy Grundig connected to a JVC video player. Both represented my couch-potato years. When I was a first-year dental...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Asking Stupid Questions (The Doctor / Scientist Version) Everyone says there's "no such thing as a stupid question." But as doctors and scientists, we're still embarrassed to ask them. Friday’s Digest #126 Table of contents Life Update Tools and Tips Readers’ Favorite Stuff Life Update I'm all IKEA'd out. Moving into a new place involves two main phases: moving things from one apartment to another, and buying new things. We're now in the buying phase. That means lots of time in furniture...
2 months ago • 4 min read