Almost there!

Let's do this! I've already moved out of my home in Phoenix. I'm writing this from San Diego as I slowly inch my way up the coast. For anyone that doesn't know (I guess I haven't publicized this much), I'll be attending graduate school at the University of California - Davis. It's the Ph.D program in Biomedical Engineering so I'll be there for a while, unless for some reason I decide that it's not right for me. Or, I suppose, if I fail the first year prelim exam. I'm extremely excited for this next step in my life as it's been a long year off. I've discovered new aspects of myself and grown up by leaps and bounds (even though that may be hard to believe for some of you). The clean slate I have will be so refreshing. I'm strangely looking forward to studying and sitting in on lectures. One of the good things about this past year is that I've renewed a curiosity for learning, not only about science but about everything there is to know to improve on myself as an individual. I'll have to credit my Kindle and Reddit for that one. I'd like to expand upon that a little more if I'm able to keep up my reading habits in school, so look for some brief posts later on about what's on my Kindle.

My first priority when I arrive on campus is to talk to a few professors about working in their labs. I won't get into any specifics yet, but I have 3 or 4 professors that I'm potentially interested in working with, so hopefully I can find a fit that is mutually beneficial. A few things are important to me, in no particular order:

• Research interest: This is obvious. I wouldn't be at UC-Davis if alignment of research interests wasn't one of the most crucial factors. Fit is difficult to ascertain, since any field I delve into will be new grounds for me. Generally, the fields I'm interested in are tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, cartilage and bone mechanobiology, and biomechanics.
• Lab relationships: Perhaps an underrated aspect, I wouldn't want to be in a lab where I didn't get along with other members, or more importantly, my advisor. This has to be an environment that I enjoy working in. Now I'm not saying that we have to have dinner dates and play squash every Sunday, but it would be nice to be able to relax and look forward to coming into the lab. 
• Publications: I'm not exactly sure what the magic number is, but a consistent flow of publications is a big deal. I'll just say 3 first-author publications would be incredible, considering I'm just starting out fresh right now.
• Involved PI: Or to re-phrase it, a PI that cares about his students and makes sure that they are prepared well for the rigors of professional life beyond graduate school. I expect constructive criticism and advice to make me a better scientist/engineer. I also want an advisor who I can communicate with effectively and who provides me with every opportunity to succeed. Which brings me to...
• Opportunities: I'd like chances to improve on everything through exposure and practice. This means teaching, poster/oral presentations, talks, conferences, journal clubs, mentoring, whatever it may be. I think being proficient at communication is essential to scientific success.

Those are the main things that I focus on. It also may be more beneficial to work with an established and well-known professor since they act effectively as a launch pad into your post-doctorate pursuits. Someone with a record of success and accomplishment will also reflect positively on me. From what I understand, a recently graduated Ph.D student will be seen not as a graduate of a particular university, but as Dr. X's student. If that's truly the case, then the weight of your advisor's name carries a lot of heft. It's definitely something that I will consider.

It's going to be a tough decision for me (assuming that I have my options open). I'm not sure if I'll truly enjoy the research, even though papers that I've been reading on my own have been interesting. The topics seem fantastic to me, but I suppose reading about them and conducting the actual research are two different animals. The good thing is that if I really don't enjoy my experience in a lab, I am allowed 3 different lab rotations in order to determine where I would fit best. I would prefer to choose a lab in the first quarter to get an early start but it's comforting to have that insurance policy in my back pocket.

Well that was a decent start to this blog reboot. Any suggestions, criticisms, requests, etc would be appreciated. Also, I hope the new layout looks okay. I didn't want anything too flashy (although I'm not sure I'd even be capable of designing something impressive) so I stuck with the white backdrop and simple banner. It's clean. Maybe if I can think of a cool design I'll try it out, but my mind hasn't been too imaginative lately. Also, please note that you can follow my blog by email by inputting your address in the designated box on the right-hand sidebar. This way, you can receive an email notification when I update, which I believe contains the contents of the post along with a link to the page. I don't know how often I'll post, so it may save you time from checking the blog all the time.