I am thinking a lot this morning about that prof who tweeted about working 100 hours per week and got her tweeter handed to her for “normalizing unrealistic expectations.”

Thinking about her because I don’t want to normalize consistently working to exhaustion, but I also feel compelled to be honest. Equal representation in my field is not the norm. I also feel like it’s my duty to be honest about what I had to do to get to this stage in my career.

As a postdoc I remember interviewing historic women in physiology who were literally the first women in their departments. They didn’t get there by saying, “Gentlemen, I think it’s time for some ladies...”

They got there by being ruthless. Being more productive than their male colleagues just to be seen as equal. Suing the NIH to force women on study section.

So, I feel torn this morning because I want to support both narratives. BIWOC (and even white women) should be proportionally represented in science and wouldn’t it be lovely if we all worked 40 hours.....

But we ladies weren’t going to get here by flaunting a 40 hour work week and I can’t stand for flaying someone for being honest about what they’ve had to do to get to where they are.

My work weeks have peaks and valleys. Some weeks I work 35-40 hours and sometimes I might work 100. Most importantly, I am focused on productivity goals and keeping my word. If I tell a collaborator I’m going to do something, I do it. If it takes 2 hours or 200.

I might be most bent about these Stevens on that thread telling this lady how she’s hurting them. I don’t think so Steven. And I will die on this hill.

God bless anyone like me who did this on a regular 35-40 hour/wk work week. Namaste.