Thread by @societyforepi

Now a question from verified human epidemiologist, @l_farland, about what to do when you have a bunch of ideas and how that changes over the course of your career.
#RobinsonTwitterTakeover
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https://twitter.com/l_farland/status/1186663750939508737

Re: student life - One dark secret of being an #IdeaMachine is that it can make student life very frustrating.
So many ideas, so little time/money/resources/control/experience! #RobinsonTwitterTakeover
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When I was a grad student, I got advice to narrow my ideas and back up to the beginning, but I honesty had a hard time figuring out what the heck they were talking about. #IveNeverDoneThisBefore #RobinsonTwitterTakeover 3/n

In addition, I could not help but think, “Those fools! Can they not see how precious all my ideas are?! I need them all! ALL MY IDEAS! None will be abandoned!” #RobinsonTwitterTakeover 4/n

(BTW, now that I’m an advisor, I see my students thinking the same things when I’m giving them advice to narrow their research. Life is a beautiful circle.) #RobinsonTwitterTakeover 5/n

Now, where was I? For all the students who are #IdeaMachines, listen to your advisors: Narrow your topic. There will be more time. 6/n

For post-docs – this time will go by SO quickly (if you’re lucky). The first 6-12 months, you’ll be getting out your dissertation papers. The last 12 months, you’ll be applying for your next job...
#RobinsonTwitterTakeover 7/n

So here’s my advice for post-docs: Submit the dissertation papers and maybe pursue 1-2 new topics. There will be more time. #RobinsonTwitterTakeover 8/n

Where my new faculty at?! I see you! Now’s the time to spread your wings. I like @l_farland “gardener approach.” You just don’t know what’s going to stick or who will be good collaborators in your new environment. #RobinsonTwitterTakeover 9/n

But it’s a careful balance because you don’t want to overextend yourself and burn out. Check in with yourself and learn to communicate with collaborators when you need to let a project die or you need narrow your focus. #RobinsonTwitterTakeover 10/n

Now on to where I am: mid-career professor! When you’re an #IdeaMachine, mid-career can be fun. Wake up with an idea? Just tell a student or staff member to look into it! Oh, the power!

Game. On.
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But everyone has constraints. First, there are only so many hours in the day. #selfcare #RobinsonTwitterTakeover 12/n

Second, when you’re in authority over others, you can’t drop projects as easily because it will have repercussions for them…. 13/n

And, finally, you can’t do all the things you want to do because... funding (I’m looking at you, @NIH!)…
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And, finally, many of us profs lament that we don’t have the time to go as deep on a topic as we did when we were grad students. Life is full of ironies. #ProfChat
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