Goals
Educational
This is my second trip through grad school, and my third master's degree. I want to graduate at the top of my class. I want to truly master every subject I touch and not just learn what I need to pass a test. As much as I am learning over the course of this program, there is no way that I will learn everything I need for my career in an 18 month block. I want to think more in terms of a five year plan of personal development in dosimetry. When I graduate, I want to work with the Jedi Masters of the field and learn as much as I can from them out in the real world. I want to earn a black belt in dosimetry through practice, practice, and practice.
Looking forward into new areas of study, everything I learn opens my eyes to something else I can learn. Medical physics is an interesting area for me, and it is conceivable that I may pursue education in that field at some point as an extension of what I am learning as a dosimetrist.
I am not only looking forward. Looking back at some of my academic foibles from the first two years of my undergraduate career, when I had not yet developed proper study skills, I am thinking about trying to go back to relearn some of the subjects where I never really felt truly grounded. At one time I had been a computer science major, but I switched out after completing enough of the curriculum to satisfy the requirements for a minor. Now that I am seeing some areas in dosimetry and physics where custom coding would be extremely useful, I am thinking about trying to brush some of the mental cobwebs off of my coding skills. I have tinkered with several small to medium sized coding projects over the years in various languages for web-related projects, but the idea of trying to do data processing on medical imaging or contouring data is intriguing to say the least. I would need to learn several newer more modern languages as well as the architectures for linking these systems together.
Looking forward into new areas of study, everything I learn opens my eyes to something else I can learn. Medical physics is an interesting area for me, and it is conceivable that I may pursue education in that field at some point as an extension of what I am learning as a dosimetrist.
I am not only looking forward. Looking back at some of my academic foibles from the first two years of my undergraduate career, when I had not yet developed proper study skills, I am thinking about trying to go back to relearn some of the subjects where I never really felt truly grounded. At one time I had been a computer science major, but I switched out after completing enough of the curriculum to satisfy the requirements for a minor. Now that I am seeing some areas in dosimetry and physics where custom coding would be extremely useful, I am thinking about trying to brush some of the mental cobwebs off of my coding skills. I have tinkered with several small to medium sized coding projects over the years in various languages for web-related projects, but the idea of trying to do data processing on medical imaging or contouring data is intriguing to say the least. I would need to learn several newer more modern languages as well as the architectures for linking these systems together.
Professional
I want to find a dosimetry position that blurs the lines between the traditional roles of dosimetrists and medical physicists. I want to be in a department where clinical work and research go hand in hand. I want to see crossover between diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy. I want to be surrounded by the industry's visionaries so I can learn from the best. In ten years, I want to BE the Jedi Master that people seek out as a teacher.
Personal
My career and education have made some interesting twists and turns along the way to where I am now. I have enjoyed every job that I've had up to this point, even though they were all in different fields. A few years ago, while I was trying to figure out whether there were some common threads that tied them together, I came across a video that crystallized the ideas that I couldn't quite articulate up until that point.
In a knowledge-based career, the prime motivators that improve performance and job satisfaction are Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. I have had the good luck to be involved in organizations that let me experience all three of these, and my goal is to find a home within an organization that shares those ideals.
Taking a step beyond what is expected can also lead to great personal satisfaction. This is where research enters the picture. When people decide to devote time and energy to doing work that isn't part of their daily routine, they can create value and push the boundaries of human knowledge a little farther along. The themes that this video pick out as motivators for taking on extra projects, which are closely related to the previously mentioned points about personal satisfaction, are a desire for Challenge, joy in developing Mastery, and having a sense of Making a Contribution.
Please take a moment to watch the video that inspired me. You might gain some perspective on your own career.
In a knowledge-based career, the prime motivators that improve performance and job satisfaction are Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. I have had the good luck to be involved in organizations that let me experience all three of these, and my goal is to find a home within an organization that shares those ideals.
Taking a step beyond what is expected can also lead to great personal satisfaction. This is where research enters the picture. When people decide to devote time and energy to doing work that isn't part of their daily routine, they can create value and push the boundaries of human knowledge a little farther along. The themes that this video pick out as motivators for taking on extra projects, which are closely related to the previously mentioned points about personal satisfaction, are a desire for Challenge, joy in developing Mastery, and having a sense of Making a Contribution.
Please take a moment to watch the video that inspired me. You might gain some perspective on your own career.
Published June 20, 2015