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"GEE, I WISH I COULD GET BACK IN THE LAB" ROGER THIES* The refrain quoted in the title of this article is familiar to faculty of medical schools and science departments of universities. The speaker is typically a department chairman or administrator who waxes eloquently about how many commitments he has unwillingly accepted and how little time he has for his own interests. Nowadays the speaker could also be a competent scientist whose teaching responsibilities have expanded as budgets have been reduced. It would take another article to consider the teacher, so I will compare only the fantasy expressed in the title with the reality of the administrator's position. The dilemma of the scientist who becomes an administrator is delightfully narrated by Dragstedt [1] in his article entitled, "Who Killed Cock Robin?" Dragstedt attributes the scientific "death" of Dr. Cockrell Robinson to his ambitious wife, eager students, jealous colleagues, and demanding dean. I suggest that Cock Robin was responsible for his own "death," that is, he committed scientific "suicide ," perhaps even euthanasia. If Cock Robin were unaware of the consequences of his choices, he still made the choices for himself. Upon being appointed to the editorial board of a journal, Cock Robin "naively thought that this would require no extra time on his part, since he would merely read in advance of their publication the same manuscripts he usually read when published. What a disillusionment !" [1] Furthermore, Dragstedt suggests that Cock Robin accepted many responsibilities because they recognized his ability, as well as enhancing his position and salary within the university. I will not shed a tear for Cock Robin; he did it to himself. What are the expectations of young students in choosing a scientific career? The academic life is often a sequence of apprenticeship, then independence or collaborations, and finally responsible master- * Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Oklahoma Medical Center, 800 N.E. 13th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104. 380 J Roger Thies ยท "Back to the Lab" ship. The peak of scientific productivity comes at an early age. Lehman [2] has documented the ages of thirty to thirty-four as the most creative years for outstanding chemists, with about half the maximum rate of discoveries at ages twenty-seven and forty-two. The scientist who has passed his peak may be nostalgic for an earlier time when he had more independence and less responsibility, as adults are nostalgic for their teen-age years. He may also have come to science with unrealistic expectations. Dethier [3] describes the expectations of a biologist and his real needs as follows: It is. generally believed that to become a successful modern biologist one must first acquire a college education, to acquire the grant, to acquire the secretary, the research associate, the laboratory assistants, the permanent equipment, the consumable supplies, etc., etc. But this need not be so. Anyone with a genuine love of nature, an insatiable curiosity about life, a soaring imagination, a devilish ingenuity, the patience of Job, and the ability to read has the basic ingredients and most of the necessary accoutrements to become a first-class biologist. The expectations are dependent upon approval from others, whereas the real needs are gratified by internal activities and personal satisfaction . After many years of investigation the scientist who has the basic ingredients and accoutrements of Dethier may suffer from what Wilson [4] called "Alexander's Syndrome." Like Alexander the Great, he may have no more worlds to conquer. Although this may result from personal limitations in his ability to learn new techniques and new knowledge, commonly known as "staying on top of the field," it is nevertheless quite real and frequent. This sincere scientist may also realize, as stated by Hyman [5], that "it is the chase rather than the final capture that is the most exciting part of the scientist's work." He may also be unable to afford the luxury of following his curiosity, since financial support is so dependent now upon hard results. In addition, he may find, as suggested by Klaw [6], that "it is only at long intervals that the researcher enjoys the feeling (or illusion) of solid accomplishment that the administrator can enjoy...

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