What's a scientist? I wrote about my imposter syndrome as a scientist working outside academia (link ⬇️).

This feeling is largely due to how academics made me feel when I transitioned from academia to a science editing/writing career.

And it seems I'm not alone (Thread) We're the "science dropouts". In academia we systematically hear that people "quit science" for an "alternative" career because they didn't "survive" academia.

This type of language implies scientists working outside academia aren't "real" scientists. They're failed scientists.