Finding Wealth in Knowledge

Courtesy of Asma Asyyed The words rich and postdoc cannot possibly exist in the same sentence. Baggy and ripped clothes are not worn as a fashion statement, and junk food is not consumed for its nutritional value. Most postdocs are poor. After nine years of postsecondary education, I accumulated a debt that is equivalent to the price of a house. I never thought that money would be an issue; all I wanted was to choose a job that makes me happy. But, after spending a lot of money and time in university and now earning the income of a high school kid, it is hard for me to be happy. Moreover, I have friends who did only a three-year degree and who now own sports cars and houses and are starting to plan for retirement; this adds to my frustration. According to Darwin's treatise on survival of the fittest, I am at the bottom of the survival chain, since I can barely afford food to eat, clothes to keep me warm, and time to reproduce! As a postdoc, it amazes me that I can order thousands of dollars worth of laboratory equipment, yet I can barely afford a toothbrush. Sometimes, I feel like ordering the most expensive equipment to compensate for the inferior feeling I have from being poor. Please do not tell my supervisor. On a more serious note, I do work hard, and I really enjoy my work, but a low income becomes an obstacle. I love research, and I can spend days trapped in the laboratory (half of which would be spent trying to fix the computer). However, a single phone call from my parents reminding me of their financial need can occupy my mind for days. I want to help them, and I do not know how. I am too busy to take another job, and bartending school is too expensive. I used to buy a lottery ticket every day, but recently I realized that my chances of being eaten by sharks on land are probably higher than those of winning the lottery. So, I resorted to praying. When I think about how other postdocs deal with this problem, I realize that many good researchers end up in pharmaceutical or biotech companies, which limit their creativity and force them to do inflexible projects, but offer higher pay. I also realize that money and science do not always go well hand in hand. And, to become a good scientist, you must not think of being rich. I do not think that Einstein, Newton, or Edison lived in mansions or had private islands in their names. However, young and old will remember their names for eternity. In the end, I guess I am satisfied with my old used car and sharing an apartment with four other roommates, as long as my work allows me to express my ideas freely, and as long as I have my health to survive this world with a little bit of food and a few pieces of clothing. Asma Asyyed (asmaa@egcrc.net) is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco function sendData() { document.frm.pathName.value = location.pathname; result = false if (document.frm.score[0].checked) result = true; if (document.frm.score[1].checked) result = true; if (document.frm.score[2].checked) result = true; if (document.frm.score[3].checked) result = true; if (document.frm.score[4].checked) result = true; if (!result) alert("Please select") return result; } .myradio{background-color : #94bee5} Please indicate on a 1 - 5 scale how strongly you would recommend this article to your colleagues? Not recommended 1 2 3 4 5 Highly recommended Please register your vote

Finding Wealth in Knowledge

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