BAD DAY AT WORK!

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Posted by portjeffbride

DO NOT TAKE THAT PERSONALLY!!! Only you know your own abilities.

Let me tell you a little story. After I got my B.S., I got an entry level research lab technician job. I worked with physicians and PhDs. Almost everyone treated me like I was a dumb@ss. 2 people were on the cusp of verbal abuse. A post-doc who was in charge of teaching me how to do a cell migration assay bluntly said
' you shouldn't go to grad school. you don't have the aptitude to become a scientist. you are much better suited to doing techie (i.e. menial) work for a living. The chair of the dept thought similarly of me.

Like you, I was depressed. I almost believed them. I applied to grad school, thinking I likely would flunk out. I only got ok grades (B's).... I met another verbally abusive faculty member, who thought I would flunk out of the program after taking the qualifying exam (our version of the boards). Somehow, I passed.... not only that, I seemed to excel in labwork. I actually managed to publish a couple really good papers, and was one of the first to graduate in my class in spring of 2003.

Now, I believe I'm the only one from my class who is a faculty member.... and yep, in the same school. I have now exceeded the woman who put me down when I was a technician, and am one level below the prof who thought I'd flunk out only 6 years ago.

I had to struggle for about 9 years before gaining respect, but now I'm where I want to be. don't let those @#$%#$% try to take success from you!!!

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