While I was waiting for my experiments to run today I had a chance to sit down with one of our interns and ask them how they were doing. Not just the in the small talk way but in the “no really, let’s talk” and she was gracious enough to open up. /1
We talked about everything. From the transition to a new place without any friends and family, to the humdrum of intern life, to the transitioning seasons. I remembered going through a lot of those same feelings as an intern and wishing someone had stopped to talk to me. /2
So this is me assuming that role for any intern that may be experiencing the “intern blues.” It’s going to get better, I promise you. Intern year is tough in a lot of ways. You are thrown into the deep end of a pool with what feels like no floaties and are told to “doctor”. /3
You have received an invite to a program so it means they are prepared to invest their time and energy into getting you to the next level of your career, so embrace this opportunity to evaluate the program as a fit for yourself. /1
Just as much as we are evaluating you, evaluate us. Be thorough, if you see red flags, honor those! If you feel warm and fuzzies, honor those! You (in theory) only train once, so this decision is very important - take that leap of faith. /2
In my own process, I took a massive leap of faith to get to where I am now and I have no regrets and would do it again. But in that process, I did some massive soul searching because, honestly, you couldn't have told me I was going to leave CA. /3
Alright Everyone, Black people collectively have had enough, especially those of us in academia. And honestly, we're TIRED of the "apologies" and the promises to "do better." It has been TOO DAMN LONG for us to still be placated by these lies. So I'm going to spell it out: /1
Disclaimer: this is Twitter, so there will be a certain amount of depth and nuance that I can't reach in 280 characters, and I honestly probably won't try to because more importantly like I said - Black people are tired of explaining this for the umteenth time /2
SO since everyone wants to "talk about race" now and "be better" how about we stop making the same mistakes - when we say "center Black voices" that means - there are Black people that have been doing the work for DECADES, have spent entire careers doing this work /3
When I was in middle school, one of the white girls in my class decided we had beef. One week she decided she wanted to fight me so she told half the class who then told me. That day at lunch I watched as she shadowboxed with at one end of the yard. /1
As I finished my lunch and walked to the basketball hoops, one of my classmates told me she wanted to fight me after school. I said “bet, tell me the time and place” to which they said sh told everyone she was going to “beat my ass” /2
I laughed and said “Aite, she don’t the half of what I can do to her but aite see her after school” and then I went and proceeded to play pickup the rest of lunch with the boys. I made sure to keep one eye on her though to make sure I wouldn’t get jumped at lunch. /3