2nd committee meeting down. 1 to go?

Had an extended, but highly productive meeting today with my thesis committee. AKA Those Lovely People Who Decide My Fate.

2 hours.
30 slides.
46 figures.
Over 1.5 years since my last meeting.
Much interesting discussion debate.

1 important question.

Does this body of work constitute enough that I can start writing my dissertation and plan a defense?

Reply: Yes. But!

If I hear back on two, preferably three of my articles, to prove that my work has been seen and vetted by the community at large, with positive results (i.e. the papers were accepted for publication with minor revisions), then yes, yes I can plan a defense for before the end of the year.

Interesting point: from the discussion, I have the possibility to change not one, but two separate and distinct areas of investigation. One's just within my field (H. pylori and ulcers), and the other is the world of immunology at large.

Uhh... why, yes, committee member, when you put it that way, these papers could do that. (Internal monologue: holy apeshit! I hadn't thought that far!)

But all of that's for tomorrow. Right now? Well, the beer... the beer and I are going to have a lovely conversation.