When Science Meets Real Life: A Powerful Reflection on Women in STEM Through The Real Deal
A deeply personal and thought-provoking exploration of ambition, motherhood, mental health, and resilience in the lives of women navigating STEM careers.
Balancing professional ambitions with aspirations in personal life, particularly pertaining to marriage and motherhood, is a dilemma most women in STEM find themselves facing. Yet, this remains widely unspoken and often leads to women dealing with self-doubt and emotional distress while navigating a career that never stops being demanding. Dr Karishma Kaushik offers an honest and unfiltered account of how women in STEM today are shaping their careers and personal lives in her book, The Real Deal: Lessons, Learnings, and Laughter for Girl Scientists. Written as part memoir and part reportage, the book is filled with relatable, real-life anecdotes that would make any woman in STEM feel seen at least once while reading.
Rather than presenting science as a linear pursuit driven by ambition and curiosity, Dr Kaushik exposes the uncertain and serendipitous events that often lead one to pursue STEM. This comes from her personal experience, where the topics of her MD specialization and even her PhD were not chosen purely out of interest, but due to the circumstances around her. Despite all the variables, what seems to remain constant throughout her journey were two key factors: first, her own grit that pushed her to keep trying, and second, the support system she had built around herself in the form of her immediate family and later, her husband.
One thing that almost naturally surfaces in the first section is the structural inadequacies within the scientific ecosystem. The dearth of provisions to support maternity leave for PhD students and stereotypes influencing the recruitment of women for faculty positions are a few structural barriers highlighted in the book. The second half of the book draws insights from limited research studies and existing norms within the Indian and global scientific ecosystem that shape the experiences of women in STEM. With chapters like “Imposter Phenomenon in Science”, “Scientist Stereotypes”, and “Self-care, Work-life Balance, and Mental Health in Science”, Dr Kaushik sheds light on the emotions and internal conflicts that women in STEM often juggle.
In essence, the book conveys one strong message to girls in STEM: “If she can make it happen, so can I.” At the same time, it humanizes the experiences of daughters, partners, mothers, and friends in STEM by candidly portraying the realities of life in science. In doing so, it not only documents the experiences of women in STEM, but also opens the floor for more discussions and creates space for greater empathy and understanding from the people around them.
Review by Khushi Goel
Buy book here: https://www.therealdealinstem.com
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