Grand Opening

Welcome to The Alternative Scientist!

I guess I'll start out by introducing myself. I am non-tenure-track faculty in a biosciences department at a medical research center. I got this position about two years ago, when I decided not to apply for academic tenure-track positions and was casting about for other things I could do with my PhD. So far, I'm very happy with my choice!

The impetus to start an alternative careers blog came from both my own struggles to find the right career path for me, and the observation that open discussions about alternative career options are still relatively scarce in academia. I'm thrilled to be joined by several other excellent science bloggers who have their own experiences and ideas about alternative science careers to share. They are listed on the sidebar with links to their own blogs, so go check them out!

Pretty much any topic that is relevant to alternative science careers is fair game. However, this is not a forum for attacking or criticizing someone else's career choice--we all have the right to make the career decisions that work best for us.

So take a look around and feel free to suggest topics for us to discuss. Since we are just starting out, I'll make the first suggestion. Fellow authors, introduce yourselves!