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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

1. Life Update
2. Tools and Tips
3. Readers’ Favorite
4. Stuff

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Life Update

I have a small phone.

It's a 4-year-old iPhone Mini.

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When I bought it, I wanted the smallest smartphone with an excellent camera.

The iPhone 12 Mini was perfect.

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But since then, Apple has stopped making the "Mini" version.

So if I want to replace my phone, I'll have to get a bigger one.

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I don't want to.

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There's something wonderful about a phone that fits in ANY pocket.

A phone you barely notice.

A phone that doesn't tempt you to stare at it.

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But this phone's battery is in bad shape— I have to charge it several times throughout the day 🔌.

And by today's standards, its camera is mediocre at best.

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I wonder how long it will last.

I miss those small phones we used to have.

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Speaking of missing, today I want to share what I learned from my PhD mentor, who recently passed away.

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This is for you, Danny.

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Number 129 🌹

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Tools and Tips

Recently, my PhD mentor passed away.

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I started my research journey in 2007, and so much has changed. I finally completed my (extremely long) training, I've mentored research students, and paved my own path in research.

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Standing at his funeral, I realized how many things he taught me— things I still do every single day.

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So today, I want to share them with you.

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🔵 Make Your Research Relatable to Everyone

I've been a teacher for almost 30 years now.

Right from the start, I knew every explanation could be simplified. But my mentor taught me something better: anything can be explained to anyone.

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And it's YOUR JOB to make everyone understand your research.

What's the best way to do it?

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Take good pictures, prepare straightforward figures, and practice your explanation over and over (and over) again.

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In research, "Figure 1" is the perfect example.

It's the first picture of your manuscript or poster. This is where you can allow yourself to be creative.

It's the perfect place for a real-life picture or an animated diagram.

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This is where even a 10-year-old can understand your work.

To this day, I apply this principle in every lecture I give, teach it to my students, and incorporate it into everything I write.

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🔵 Help Your Colleagues

Research can get tough.

Not just the science, but also the finances 💰.

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At times, you don't have enough money in your budget.

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But even when times were difficult in the lab, my mentor always went out of his way to help everyone.

As a PhD student, I found myself sharing our lab's resources, teaching methods to other labs, and allowing others to use our equipment.

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And we did it without expecting anything in return.

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To this day, I'm doing the same thing.

It's very rare that I "collect" something in return. But you do it because it's the right thing to do.

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🔵 Enjoy The Moment

I must admit, this is something I saw my mentor do, but I don't do it often enough.

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He took time off to enjoy the moment in research and life.

He would take us out for dinner after submitting a huge grant proposal.

He would take a few days after conferences to enjoy the location.

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He would see the world and take numerous pictures.

"There are 117 countries I haven't visited yet," he used to tell me.

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He knew how to enjoy both the research itself and the life surrounding it.

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Thank you, Danny.

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Readers’ Favorite

ChatGPT is a powerful tool, but it can also be a double-edged sword— especially for doctors and scientists.

​Here I shared 6 tips for using it in these settings.

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Stuff

📱Application I use - Genius Scan​

A great app for scanning documents into PDF with your phone.

It will auto-crop and auto-enhance your scan, without upgrading to the paid version.

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Epilogue

If you received this newsletter from a friend and would like to join Friday's Digest, visit https://newsletter.shaysharon.com​

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That’s it for this issue.

See you next week!

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Shay

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