Posted on by sipokazinyeleka

That’s my line

Since I began my postgraduate research — trials at Mariendahl and ultimately lab analysis — I have found a new appreciation for the weekend, a sincere one. Like most aspiring academics, I use weekends to catch up on work, yes. But Chido (my roommate who happens to love the weekend) always says, “God

Chido and I when we are not movie watching

was not a fool when he created the weekend.” What do I do at the farm on the weekend? I watch movies. Well… only sometimes when work is slow — ok… most of the time. So I thought I should share movie lines that have become so significant to me that I sometimes use them to express how I feel. Therefore, behold, my borrowed wisdom:

1. “Petition the courts if you must, but do something about it and stop complaining” (Hidden Figures)
The excitement I had about my analysis died a sudden death on

My best friend , EXY

the first day of fat analysis. On this day I mixed up my samples, spent the whole day weighing and shaking the wrong samples (I died inside upon this realization). Anyway, by the end of the first day I remember calling Sesetu (Twin) and Xatyiswa (BFF) and sharing with them my not-so-pleasant experience and they, being such go-getters, referred me to the movie where I head this revolutionary line. You see the thing about these two people is that they don’t allow themselves and me to wallow in self-pity for more than a minute. To them an entire day of self-pity is equivalent to suicide. Self-pity and complaining is the death of action. The line caught my attention like a hook on the right cheek — so much that I paused the movie and started packing my bag for round two of the match against lab work.

Sethu and I
Spot the difference…

2. Sometimes the place you’re in is not where you belong (Queen of Katwe)
Three weeks in the lab and my arms were painful, the milling machine was broken and the horror of all horrors was that the fiber analysis results were not making sense (another death). So during that weekend I did what I do to get back in the game; I gave myself another movie fix. Ironically when I heard this one I was reassured that I should just walk away from it all (Laughs), and my tired self was quick to conclude, “It’s so true, I don’t belong in that lab anymore” (Laughing very hard). Eventually I came to my senses, I mean it’s not every day the machine will just breakdown and analysis results will have to be re-done. So then I reminded myself that for the duration of the analysis, I belonged in the lab in fact it was home, well for the most part of the day.

3. This is war gentleman, there are no rules (Think like a man, act like a lady)
It is strange how much a chicken trial is like war! No, not the blood, guns, and screaming. But in both there are rules of engagement and believe you me they ought to be mastered if one is to succeed. And in both you will still have disasters striking even when you do stick to the rules! I sometimes think about this line and I am reminded that in war, there are times to regroup and refocus because maybe the original plan isn’t working…. War definitely sounds like my experiments and lab work but I’m enjoying every bit of it.
4. You sir, you’re the boss, you just have to act like it ( Hidden figures)
This one is my absolute favorite and I’ll tell you why. It is spoken by a woman who in her work place had identified her obstacle (some guy who won’t acknowledge her work to her boss thus hindering her progress). To her it felt like her very existence and ultimately her purpose was being undermined and so she did what had to be done, or in this case said what should have been said. I also like it because it reminds me to decide I’m in control of my life — you know like I’m the boss and I should act like one. Standing up for yourself is never really easy but when it’s the only thing between you and what you really want then one must do it. So every now and then I always remind myself “Sipokazi, you’re the boss, you just have to act like it.”
There’s a quite a number of them I can quote and share but these ones are the most significant at this moment in my life. I hope the next time you face a weekend of work you will be reminded that sometimes it’s more constructive to watch an inspiring movie 😉

Posted on by Itumeleng · 3 Comments

So, you are doing a Ph.D in biology?

If you’re a life science Ph.D student, you’ve had this question before. Usually followed by raised eyebrows and confused looks, which signal the second question – What will you do with that? The reasons and motivations for pursuing a Ph.D depend on the individual, but let me just try to explain what a Ph.D in biology means to me.

Firstly, it would be remiss of me to not mention that currently there is no Nobel Prize in Biology! But, as an aspiring Nobel laureate, you can take solace in the fact that in recent years the Noble Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to biologist. Studying biology today has changed drastically since the days of Darwin and Mendel. The multi-disciplinary nature of modern biology is the reason why three biologists won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2015 for their work on “Mechanistic studies of DNA repair”. Naturally, this caused some uproar from the Chemistry community, but the argument was laid to rest here. Now – to you, the aspiring Ph.D biology student – I say do NOT be deterred by the “haters”  🙂 . The path you have chosen has many twists and turns, but the rewards far outweigh the immediate costs.

Now, if knowing that there is a (veeeery slim) chance that a biologist could win a Nobel Prize is not motivation enough, a recent publication by by American Society of Cell Biology highlighted where recent Biology graduates are now: not even 10% of those starting their PhD end up in tenure-track faculty positions…

Despite all the challenges and frustrations experienced by Biology PhD students, I could not see myself doing something else. I have ALWAYS loved biology, and  it was the only subject that made sense to me in school. I grew up with a medical background (with my mum being a healthcare professional) and being exposed to it made me love it.  I must admit at that point I wasn’t sure what “IT” was, and I thought I wanted to be a medical doctor. . . Please reader, do not judge me too harshly for what I am about to tell you –  Upon completion of high school, I promptly began studying for my medical degree at UCT’s medical school. Those were the WORST two weeks of my life! I simply could not see myself playing the role of Dr. . . Even when my friends and I played Dr-Patient, I always preferred being the patient (I may have been influenced by the rule that patients ALWAYS got a piece a candy after the Dr’s ‘exam’). So, you see, although Biology was in my blood, medicine was not my calling. It seems that life is not without a sense of irony: although I cannot see myself being a human doctor, I see myself being a Dr of Biology 🙂

To go back to the core of this blog – Yes, I am doing a PhD in biology and unlike my friends in other fields or accounting (a career choice I can’t understand!) I’ve NEVER have a ‘bad’ day at work. Sure, my experiments have some ‘kinks’, but I don’t have a 9-5 work schedule, and I have the freedom to answer the questions that matter most to me. My work (where, remember, you spend most of your waking hours) is VERY rewarding! I ask this of my fellow PhDs: reclaim your pride and shatter the glass ceilings. That Nobel Prize in Chemistry is now attainable! There is no reason to be riddled with anxiety when asked if you do a PhD in biology. Be proud! There are bigger question to ask yourself: what legacy will you leave? What kind of mentor do you want to be? What contributions is your work making to the field of biology?

[1] American society of cell biology infograph of status of PhD (biology) holders