Saturday, October 02, 2010

Six Zeroes

TH took HB camping for the night. HB prepared for this by donning a shirt and tie and packing his knitting. Originally I had planned for some wilding on my part, but ...

A few months ago I put in this last-minute grant proposal? That I was not at all hopeful about? That I pretty much only did because my boss told me to?

I’m now the Program Director/Principal Investigator of an educational project that got funded to the tune of 2 million dollars.

$2 MILLION, YO.*

Which is nice.

And in the next TWO WEEKS, I have to:
  1. have my usual patient hours
  2. write 19 reference letters
  3. write evaluations and submit grades for my most recent group of students
  4. put on a workshop for a national meeting in a state far, far away
  5. sit for my examination for Boards recertification (an every 10 year thing), and, oh yeah,
  6. implement this TWO MILLION DOLLAR program (it has to start immediately).
I am not whining, I’m just saying no wilding for me tonight, and I’m guessing no posting for at least the next couple of weeks. (And I’m really, really sorry if my hare-brained scheme means your taxes go up.)

Wish me luck.

I am not afraid I am not afraid I am not afraid I am not afraid ...

*I do not actually get to put my hands on any of the money—not even a tiny little slush fund—so do not expect to see me partying with Paris. I do get a new title and, eventually, 50 percent “protected” time, i.e., time I do not have to spend seeing patients. (Which may be tricky, since I already have 60 percent protected time. Perhaps the patients will have to try to fix MY problems 10 percent of the time?)

18 comments:

Jennifer said...

You can do it you can do it you can do it!

Ewan said...

Congrats!

Anonymous said...

You are so inspiring! Of course you can do all of this with style and grace (HB got his from somewhere, you know!). Huge congratulations on the grant. I wish I knew how to be you! ;)

OMDG said...

I guess it's too early on in their careers to make your students write their own reference letters..... The request that I do that came as a bit of a surprise to me when I was applying for my grant last Spring, but I guess it's standard practice?

DoctorMama said...

OMDG -- nope, it's not a matter of where you are in your career. That's "standard practice" at YOUR institution, not everywhere ... enough said.

Linda said...

Hooray for you! Nicely done, Doctor Mama! Now get out that french press and get going.

Also, I like the idea of patients working on your problems 10% of the time. I think less of them (us?) would take healthcare for granted if they/we had to do that!

~Flicka

winecat said...

COOL Dr. Mama! Of course you can do it. Just repeat I can squeeze 36 hours into every 24 hour day, over and over.

Much success with your new project.

ozma said...

GOOD LUCK.

You can actually do it. You won't know how but you will do it.

Write as soon as it is over because...well, I'll be relieved for you.

Goodluckgoodluckgoodluck.

I like the idea of your patients fixing your problems 10% of the time.

Laurel said...

Wow! I don't have anything useful to say, but congratulations! I hope that, once the next few weeks are over, you begin to have a good time implementing the grant.

Also, your asterisked postscript made me laugh. Even with my very friendly doctors, I know so little about their lives (rightly so)--it's so peculiar to think about them having problems outside of work-related logistics, even though I know they must.

Anonymous said...

"HB prepared for this by donning a shirt and tie and packing his knitting." This made me laugh out loud.

Oh, and, you totally rock my world.

Hang in there! We're pulling for you!

-victoria

E. said...

Hell yeah! Good lord, woman, congrats! And good luck.

And people writing their own letters of reference? What the...? I would find that very strange to do, for myself. And even stranger to sign my name to a letter I hadn't written.

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the grant! I work in a similar field and we had something begin the same day - we are still waiting on the actual award letter, so soon we will even know what we were supposed to be doing last week.

I like the idea of your patients being compelled to spend 10% of their time solving your problems - that is the best version of >100% protected time I have ever heard!

Kehla said...

That's a most excellent accomplishment! Congratulations!

Clover said...

Congrats Dr. Mama. And would love to hear more about it offline as we're in sorta similar fields.

Magpie said...

Holy moly! Congratulations.

Anonymous said...

If anyone can do good things with our federal tax dollars, it's you, DM. I work as a grants administrator/IRB lady, so my hat is of to you for putting together a winning proposal! I have no doubt you'll make it work and continue to manage a career and life as well. You practical types always find a way.

Ivory said...

You should take that 10% as overload and get paid more!!! It makes Paris a reality....

Alternatively, hire an admin....

Anonymous said...

I'm curious about HB knitting - I've done crochet but have always been intimidated by knitting. What does he make? How did he learn?