Wednesday, January 25, 2006

<---- is definately least qualified to give "life-coach"ish advice, but I'll throw my 1/2 cent in for ya dude.

What you've accomplished is a pretty goddamned amazing thing becoming a doctor. I'm positive there's a way out there to spin all that work into something that will make you both happy and satisfied. I really have no clue what your options are (don't know much about the field, cept all the Docta Jones stuff) but what you've given yourself is a tool. You can use that tool in the safe, predictable, FDA-Approved manner and go the teaching route (or whatever you've picked up through all that schooling) or you can put all those 'gaming-genes' to work, and really dig into your imagination. Figure out something exciting and interesting to do with your hard-earned skill. Would mean you'd have to HUSTLE, but hustling is unavoidable if you ever wanna escape the confines of this system.

In the meantime? Get a job that gives you money and time. Money to survive off of, and time to use that doctor's brain to figure out yer next move. I know job-hunting sucks, and I imagine there's prolly all kinds of additional levels of crappyness associated with jobs in the academic field (sure there's plenty of politics to deal with) but you've gotta clear your head going into this dude.

Re: your lectures. LOOSEN UP. They're listening to YOU, because you've got something interesting to say. I have limited collegiate xp, (barely made it to 3rd lvl) but the proffesors and lecturers that stood out to me were the ones who KNEW their subject, and lectured as if they'd thrown out the notes. The gave the information out like they were sitting around a camp fire telling everyone an interesting story (even if the subject matter was god-awful.) You're being a performer up there on the lecturn; give em a damn good performance. They throw you some screwball question, be youself and be honest. What if me and Johnny had asked you that question? Would you stress about it? Nah, you'd continue the conversation even if you're having to completely go "off-notes" to come up with the answer.

Guess my main advice for you is to recognize the incredible accomplishment you've achieved, and embrace it. Don't let it use you, use IT. Have fun. Give the people a good show up their on stage! ;) You're just starting out with all this, so you're gonna still be figuring out how the hell to do it. But make sure you figuring it out in the way that makes YOU happy. Throw out the instruction book on post-doctorate existence, and write you're own.

You're a good guy Mike, and I know you (and all of us for that matter) have got what it takes to use whatever the fuck tools you have to YOUR advantage.

Be stoaked!