New York, NY
USA
R. Shane Tubbs
Seattle Science Foundation
Seattle, WA
USA
Avinash V. Turankar
Department of Pharmacology
Government Medical College
Nagpur, Maharashtra
India
Dirk T. Ubbink
Department of Surgery
Amsterdam University's Academic Medical Center
Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Paige E. Vargo
Department of Internal Medicine
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Rootstown, OH
USA
Joel A. Vilensky
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology
Indiana University School of Medicine
Fort Wayne, IN
USA
Elizabeth Wager
SideView
Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire
UK
Thomas P. Walker
Holy Spirit Library
Cabrini University
Radnor, PA
USA
Beverly C. Walters
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
USA
Peter J. Ward
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
Lewisburg, WV
USA
Koichi Watanabe
Department of Anatomy
Kurume University School of Medicine
Fukuoka
Japan
Bradley K. Weiner
Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston Methodist Hospital
The Methodist Hospital Research Institute
Houston, TX
USA
Bulent Yalcin
Department of Anatomy, Gulhane Medical Faculty
University of Health Sciences
Ankara
Turkey
Marilyn Michael Yurk
Department of Neurological Surgery
Indiana University School of Medicine
Indianapolis, IN
USA
Faizan Zaheer
School of Dentistry
The University of Manchester
Manchester
UK
Genevieve Pinto Zipp
School of Health and Medical Sciences, Department of Graduate Programs in Health Sciences
Seton Hall University
South Orange, NJ
USA
Preface
“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” Friedrich Nietzsche
Too often in academia, students and professionals are expected to be knowledgeable of the various practical nuances of research that are not readily available or are only learned by experience. Herein, we strive to present a well‐defined and comprehensive textbook that provides the academician with the most commonly encountered topics in higher education and research.
This textbook is an easy‐to‐read source of essential tips and skills for a scientific career. The topics have been chosen to be pragmatic and to enhance a career in academia, whether focused on didactics, basic science, or clinical research. There has seldom been any effort in the past to comprehensively and systematically address the academic lifestyle. A Guide to the Scientific Career fills a gap in this arena. It inspires and motivates research activity among a new generation of researchers all around the world.
1 Defining and Re‐Defining Success
Mohammadali M. Shoja 1, R. Shane Tubbs 2, and Dan O'Brien 3
1Division of General Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago Metropolitan Group Hospitals, Chicago, IL, USA
2Seattle Science Foundation, Seattle, USA
3Rhazes Publishing, Birmingham, AL, USA
1.1 Introduction
The life of a human being in the modern era is centered on a struggle to succeed and attain whatever is initially thought near‐impossible or very difficult. Each and every day we are moving farther apart from our traditional striving for personal fulfillment and peaceful content. For some, these are two sides of a same coin, labeled as prosperity or fortune. I do not intend to ignite a philosophical debate here. My intention is to encourage you to rethink success in all meaningful dimensions at different stages of your life, as it needs continual redefinition or refinement. The potential impact of this rethinking is profound, as it will naturally influence your decision‐making.
Success and failure are not dichotomous, black and white, yes or no phenomena. They are two ends of a spectrum; we are born and live somewhere in between them. Success is a state of feeling content with who we are, and perceiving that the images of our self and past, current or future status correspond to what we long to be.
In this chapter, we identify five core elements that determine one's success: mindsets, prerequisites, methods, enhancers, and inhibitors. Mindsets are the sets of attitudes or core beliefs necessary for envisioning and establishing a successful career. Prerequisites are internal factors or personal qualities required to become successful. Methods are conscious actions or a plan of actions one should take to pave the road to success. Enhancers are external factors that increase one's chance of success. Inhibitors are internal or external factors that diminish one's chance of success.
1.2 Success Mindsets
1.2.1 Success