Category: Miscellaneous babble

I’ve been offered a very tantalizing opportunity to get started on something that’s been on my TODO list for a very long time: a PhD.

It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now, but never really had a good opportunity to do. Medical physics programs are pretty few and far between, with the closest one being offered at Duke. There are a couple other programs in Georgia, but still too far away to be practical, and quitting work to go do a PhD just isn’t all that practical for me.

Last year I was starting to consider doing a PhD in the biostats/biometry department at MUSC, but the coursework required didn’t really fit my background and I just wasn’t all that enthusiastic about it.

Now there’s the possibility of doing a PhD through the Clemson/MUSC Joint Bioengineering program. Although it’s in bioengineering and the course work still involves a lot of bio, it’s much closer to my physics background. I could also do it all here without having to make road trips to Clemson (bonus). There are a few details and administrative things I need to find out (like if they’ll let me do it part-time) but so far things are looking pretty promising. This prospect is one I’m much more excited about, and would likely involve me working on doing Monte Carlo simulation/modelling work.

It’s been a long time since I did the student thing and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a big shock to the system once I start taking classes again. I doubt I’d be able to do more than 1-2 courses/semester and it wouldn’t leave much time for farting around on the computer like I do now. It’ll probably take me about 3-4 years to get all the course work done, but I’ll be able to do it concurrently with my research as well, so I think I’d still be able to complete a PhD in about 4-5 years.

Now I need to start learning about this GRE thing they make prospective grad students take.

Today marks 10 years that I’ve been in Charleston.

10 years ago I finished my medical physics residency, packed myself up and left the Detroit area (Dearborn Heights to be specific) for the warmer climate of Charleston. Little did I know how warm it would be.

10 years ago I figured I’d work in Charleston for a while, and then find another job back home and move back.

10 years later I’m still here. That must mean I like it here, right? Honestly, I’m surprised it’s been that long, and sometimes I wonder why I’m still here (especially between June-August).

I remember years ago seeing pictures of the aftermath of Hugo on the news and thinking “Boy, I’m glad I don’t live there”. At the time I didn’t know it was Charleston that Hugo had hit. I just remembered seeing a picture of a large boat in the middle of the road. A few years ago I saw the same picture (it was a picture of a large sail boat in the middle of Lockwood Dr) and then made the connection. I realized that I was “there”, in that place I saw on the news so long ago.

How’s that for irony?

So now I’ve been here 10 years and I must admit I’ve enjoyed it here, despite the 4 months of nearly intolerable heat and humidity. I’ve had the privilege of working with and being mentored by some very well respected people in my field over the past 10 years and more recently, thanks to Lowcountry Bloggers and the Charleston Linux Users Group, have expanded my social circle quite a bit.

Coincidentally, there’s the possibility that I may be starting off my second decade in Charleston with a fairly major new venture. Depending on how things work out, I may find myself finally tackling a PhD (something that’s long been on my list of things to accomplish) through the Clemson/MUSC Bioengineering program. That’s a story for another blog entry though.

The 4 Order of the Stick books I ordered came in yesterday, completing my collection. So shiny.

According to an article in last week’s Post & Courier, the city wants to spend $800k for pedestrian and bicycle lanes for Highway 17 bridge that takes traffic from West Ashley into downtown Charleston.

This is fantastic news, and a much needed route for pedestrians and cyclists to commute between downtown and West Ashley. If the pedestrian/bike lanes follow the proposal outlined in a 2007 feasability study (PDF document) then it would also provide that “last mile” connection with the West Ashley Greenway.