OT: Oh HELL no! I did what? And it's MY fault too?
is Jewels. Love her very much!
I just started dating a patent attorney for large pharma and biotech firms. I hadn't really thought about this field existing. He began his career as a PhD in molecular biology and then went to law school. I guess one would need to thoroughly understand the science behind the various drugs and technologies in order to best defend their patents.
Good luck!
Bethany
"He began his career as a PhD in molecular biology and then went to law school."
Yup yup, that's the path I took too. Always wanted to be a scientist, until I got to grad school and realized what was involved in academia - and discovered patent law meant I got to think about, talk about and write about bleeding edge science, but didn't have do DO it, grub for grants, teach ungrateful undergrads, or post-doc for 7-10 years only to end up teaching Intro to Biology at Dismal Seepage Junior College in Bumfuck, Oklahoma.
We are an uber-geeky breed. If that's what floats your boat (and I'm happy to say, we mostly don't consort with each other outside of work, but tend to be somewhat social beings who prefer OTHER people), congrats! Otherwise - well, there are other genetically engineered fish in the sea.
As for what we do, it is not just defending the patents (or really, obtaining them from the Patent Office) - it is writing the applications, which requires not just figuring out what the inventors invented, but what several years from now they might need to have SAID they invented NOW to cover the commerically important version. We often tiptoe around the edge of being inventors ourselves - which is kinda fun. If you want to read an interesting story about how a patent attorney got involved in the process, and helped bring to fruition an invention that ultimately won the Nobel Prize, read this - your b/f will be impressed if you can discuss it with him: http://j-biomed-discovery.com/content/1/1/7 (By the way, if I recall correctly, other descriptions of the drive to Mendicino during which Mullis conceived the kernel of the invention include the use of mind-altering substances ... Mullis wrote a book about it.)
I have officially burnt out. After doing two Masters, four degree modules and countless other short course in the last two years I've finally hit a brick wall. This brick wall is called Advanced Life Support. I thought it would be a cake walk based on my prior study and work experience. I was wrong in a stellar way.
Last week I swan dived into NHS professional suicide by freezing utterly during my ALS practical assessment and not being able to prioritise my airway, breathing, circulation,disability and exposure. THIS IS BASIC! I was doing fine until the Director of Medicine ripped into me about jumping from breathing to circulation too quickly. I just started jabbering, developed heart palpitations, choked and forgot every drug, every maneuver everything. The very worst part is that I was being assessed by three Cardiologists, a Medical Director, and my "team" were three senior interns. To add to the beauty of my situation I kept getting worse with nerves and hysteria until I was bawling in the toilets and unable to speak. I was the only nurse.
Based on my utterly abysmal performance the faculty had to raise concerns with my line manager as to the safety of my practice based on what they observed. My boss is off on holiday so it was passed onto the Senior nurse on call (my best mate thankfully) but he had to escalate it to the area manager when my boss isn't in, who then had to ask advice from the director of nursing. So now the entire management chain of command knows not only that I failed my practical exam but that I'm some type of savant creature that can't do basic life support.
To add even more insult to injury the woman who made bogus complaints about me (remember the situation where I was "overheard" criticising a man for being obese) was one of my assessors and watched the whole thing. She informed the faculty that I am alone on the wards for most of the day responsible for advanced clinical assessment and I'm sure this has likely snowballed from there. I can only imagine how much she savored the crisis she has caused me (and I caused myself by royally ******g up).
Incidentally I passed the written part. The day after this I treated an acute Myocardial infarct without so much as breaking a sweat....no worries. However until my boss comes back I'm on egg shells waiting to find out what comes next. All this cause I ******g bottled it in an exam. I am also not allowed to lead arrests or be the first responder until further notice.
I ******g hate my job.
RIP Mickie aka Happychick. You will be missed deeply.
Maybe you can for a do-over assessment, and claim some good reason for having fallen apart? Test-stress, complicated by the presence of an assessor who has a prior personal vendetta against you? Point out that in the many REAL-LIFE situations you have successfully managed and which others have observed, this has never happened?
I'm sorry - my error is mostly private (at least with respect to my peers). This is a potentially difficult situation, and I hope your job search yields success soon!
Well the situation has improved somewhat. The director of medicine for our hospital was disgusted with how I was being treated. He has been with me during multiple emergency situations and can see no valid basis for the complaints. I asked that he work with me to prepare me for the same evaluation so that I can show I'm more than capable of which he is happy to do. I also contacted my union who laughed and said that my record is superb and that this is the only example in two years of me not getting a credit to honor average for any assessment and it does not show a trend. They also said that if there is ANY gossip about me failing this amongst the staff they will automatically prosecute said instructor for breach of confidentiality and dignity at work. They then went to point out that a work college has also failed it as well and that there are no grounds for work to pursue this. The director of nursing has washed her hands of the situation and until to my boss gets back I'm just going to keep my head down.
I spoke to a work college and charge nurse who told me what an excellent practitioner I am and made me feel better. I still don't feel that way as my confidence has been shat on from a great height.
My course is in January and I'm hoping I can be out of there by feb 2012. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
RIP Mickie aka Happychick. You will be missed deeply.
Ugh and ugh again. I've been in that situation, minus the champion. Even though it was all hush-hush, at my level it was clear the company was on the block, and SOME in management (who were the hired guns) were going to get a big payoff when the sale went down, while those who had worked hard to build an independent company were going to get relatively hosed (stock option grants awarded at high price points being underwater) AND lose their jobs. But we had to soldier on as if nothing was amiss.
And the hired guns were not only short-timers, they were miserable dickwads. They didn't HAVE to build lasting relationships with their teams, and so they felt free to abuse their authority and take pleasure from making us dance like monkeys.
It is tough to get over being shat upon, especially from above, and you don't have the resources to say "fuck you and the horse you rode in on too!"
But eventually, it was over, and I was able to leave - and you will be soon too.
Good news is, the proposal was submitted hours before it was due, I was able to schmooze a prestigious former FDA attorney to agree to be one the panel, and my other panelists all agreed to be on the panel - and they LIKED it. Now the long wait until December to see if the organization ACCEPTS it as being part of their program in June.
Be prepared, but be forewarned!
