Ep. 148: Dr. Thato Motlhalamme on Pursuing a PhD That Pushes You Outside of Your Comfort Zone
Ph.D. in Wine Biotechnology Stellenbosch UniversityDr. Thato Motlhalamme
Today on the show we invite Dr. Thato Motlhalamme, who is here to impart some valuable and hard-won advice on pushing your comfort zones, trusting your voice, and standing up for yourself in spaces where you aren’t being heard! Author of Holding the Knife's Edge: Journeys of Black Female Scientists, Dr. Motlhalamme tells the story of her life-long love of science, her passion for addressing the knowledge gap between plant medicine and allopathic treatment, and how she intentionally chose her PhD program because she wanted to push herself out of her comfort zone. She shares with us how she navigated having a faculty advisor who did not have a definitive project timeline, and the experience of co-authoring a book about black female scientists with her mentor, as well as the various pivots in her career that led her to the creation of this much-needed book. We dive into why it was the right decision to change universities, burnout, and the unexpected reprieve because of the pandemic, plus you’ll hear some great insights on beginning your PhD with the right frame of mind, and how to navigate the difficult moments by asking the right questions. In closing, Dr. Motlhalamme shares her top advice for Black women in science and academia and reflects on not underestimating the value of your contributions in spaces where you think you’re out of your depth. We hope you join us today for this inspiring conversation with our Cohort Sista scientist.
Connect with Dr. Motlhalamme on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Learn more about her book, Holding The Knife's Edge by visiting her website.
Key Points From This Episode:
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Introducing Dr. Thato Motlhalamme and what moved her to pursue co-writing this book.
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Hear the inspiration behind the book’s title, and a little on the enduring tenacity of women.
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Dr. Motlhalamme explains her human-interest-based PhD in wine biotechnology.
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Hear about her lifelong love of the sciences, and an undergrad in Complementary Medicine.
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Addressing the mistrust and lack of research around plant medicine.
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Her masters; combining plant medicine with antibiotics to overcome bacteria resistance.
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Talking about the lack of natural alternatives available in hospitals.
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Hear about her love of being in a lab; unlike patients, molecules don’t lie.
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How her career detoured from medicinal plants to yeast and melatonin.
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Pausing and evaluating her trajectory, and getting the right financial aid to pursue her PhD.
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Leaving her comfort zones to challenge and make something of herself.
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Dr. Motlhalamme reflects on how shifting universities was absolutely the right choice for her.
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Some challenges that came with her PhD, and great advice for anyone starting a PhD.
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The importance of clear milestones within a specific timeframe, and having an advisor who has the same urgency as you.
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Experiencing burnout; the mental impact of studying for many consecutive years.
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The magic of having a mentor who understands, motivates, and holds you accountable.
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An unexpected advantage of the pandemic that allowed Dr. Motlhalamme to regroup.
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Some closing advice that every Black woman needs to hear.
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The Cohort Sistas Podcast brings to life the stories, struggles, and successes of Black women with doctoral degrees and their lives beyond the degree. If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community, sign up to do so here, and if you are looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our partnerships page. Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow The Cohort Sistas Podcast, rate the show, and leave us a quick review.
