OP I remember you from your previous blog, which played a role in shaping my decision to not follow the same route. Thanks a lot for that blog.
Of course I've also been working as an RA for some time and being able to understand PHD comics after that, which was really the most depressing kind of joke ever.
Hard work High highs and low lows Flexible (usually) self-motivated
You should probably come to visit. If I am won't be enough for you, I will get you in touch with some grad students and show you the "hard work"
I am of the opinion, that the entire ideology of our society that you should "work hard", whatever that means, is bullshit. And it is particularly absurd in basic science - because honestly, it does not matter to anyone. It does not make people's lifes better if we publish an article, nobody dependes on that. So why should there even be any stress? I guess that it is made up by people who need to feel that they are doing something important to stay motivated. But they are seriously hurting my happy life with these ideas!
Honestly, the main reason why I am still a grad student is precisaly because it is NOT hard work. If I wanted to work hard, I could do so, at private sector, for 5x the money I am getting now. But I do not want that and thus I am quite happy with where I am. It is also a big part of the reason I choose science that is NOT in the lab - because lab people are usually under much more stress, because they have to work under time constraints on expensice equipement. My work, on the other hand, takes place on my computer, or somewhere in the fields of Argentina, if I am lucky sometimes.
In much the same way I find it absurd that some people think that we should go to "work" (meaning our offices) at set times of the day and sit there and work. Again, if I wanted such enviroment, I could be happily employed in a company. But considering that most of the time, it is really only my laptop I need to work, I work when and where I want - from home, from the park, whatever ... Luckily I work in an enviroment where nobody really wants me to to "sit out" the hours, but only to show some results once in a while. On the other hand, it actually requires a lot of cooperation from the management of the institution, because the local regulations (that are supposed to HELP the working class...) make that actually quite difficult to do legally.
So what's the magic field you're in?
Edit: Wait, GPA 4 is 90? So you're expected to get high 80's? Holy shit..
And I watched the second video before. The comparison with Hitler is uncanny... haha
Do you plan on shedding some light on the financial situation when working towards one's PhD? Currently senior Bio major undergrad, not sure if I want to do PhD before applying to med school. Was wondering how costly it would be to get one's PhD~
On September 12 2012 03:01 wei2coolman wrote: Do you plan on shedding some light on the financial situation when working towards one's PhD? Currently senior Bio major undergrad, not sure if I want to do PhD before applying to med school. Was wondering how costly it would be to get one's PhD~
In the US, they pay you to get a PhD. You will complete Med school in 4 years, and be in debt like crazy. You'll complete a PhD in 6-7 years, and get paid to do it.
The current salary for PhD's at UMass is close to $30,000/year, because Boston has such a high cost of living. In other parts of the country, PhDs can make as low as $17,000/year.
Do you also know there are MD/PhD programs, where you can get both degrees in 6 years or so? I don't know how the cost works for those, though.
On September 12 2012 03:01 wei2coolman wrote: Do you plan on shedding some light on the financial situation when working towards one's PhD? Currently senior Bio major undergrad, not sure if I want to do PhD before applying to med school. Was wondering how costly it would be to get one's PhD~
In the US, they pay you to get a PhD. You will complete Med school in 4 years, and be in debt like crazy. You'll complete a PhD in 6-7 years, and get paid to do it.
The current salary for PhD's at UMass is close to $30,000/year, because Boston has such a high cost of living. In other parts of the country, PhDs can make as low as $17,000/year.
Do you also know there are MD/PhD programs, where you can get both degrees in 6 years or so? I don't know how the cost works for those, though.
I'm not too interested in the MD/PhD combos, the PhD offered in those combos are more medically relevant. If I do want to do a PhD it'd be more for going more in depth into a pure academia. I knew PhD students got paid, but I never really knew how much. So it looks like you'd be skating by for those 6 years or so years.
On September 12 2012 03:01 wei2coolman wrote: Do you plan on shedding some light on the financial situation when working towards one's PhD? Currently senior Bio major undergrad, not sure if I want to do PhD before applying to med school. Was wondering how costly it would be to get one's PhD~
In the US, they pay you to get a PhD. You will complete Med school in 4 years, and be in debt like crazy. You'll complete a PhD in 6-7 years, and get paid to do it.
The current salary for PhD's at UMass is close to $30,000/year, because Boston has such a high cost of living. In other parts of the country, PhDs can make as low as $17,000/year.
Do you also know there are MD/PhD programs, where you can get both degrees in 6 years or so? I don't know how the cost works for those, though.
I'm only getting $15,000 a year for mine, but I live in rural south carolina and living expense is really low... so it doesn't really matter all that much.
As to the question earlier about self-motivation, in my experience it depends a lot upon your adviser as well. In my department, some of the professors will check in with their students daily making sure they are making progress or doing some work. There are other professors who hardly meet with their students and let them do their own thing. Personally, my adviser meets with once a week and we keep a set pace of work.
The biggest issue I've had with grad school so far is just finding a project. I am technically on a funded project at the moment, but the equipment we bought was supposed to come in last March and as of last estimate it might be here by March of next year. We've had delay after delay after delay and it is starting to get really annoying and is keeping me on edge because I have no absolutely no data after a year of grad school.
On September 12 2012 03:01 wei2coolman wrote: Do you plan on shedding some light on the financial situation when working towards one's PhD? Currently senior Bio major undergrad, not sure if I want to do PhD before applying to med school. Was wondering how costly it would be to get one's PhD~
In the US, they pay you to get a PhD. You will complete Med school in 4 years, and be in debt like crazy. You'll complete a PhD in 6-7 years, and get paid to do it.
The current salary for PhD's at UMass is close to $30,000/year, because Boston has such a high cost of living. In other parts of the country, PhDs can make as low as $17,000/year.
Do you also know there are MD/PhD programs, where you can get both degrees in 6 years or so? I don't know how the cost works for those, though.
I'm only getting $15,000 a year for mine, but I live in rural south carolina and living expense is really low... so it doesn't really matter all that much.
As to the question earlier about self-motivation, in my experience it depends a lot upon your adviser as well. In my department, some of the professors will check in with their students daily making sure they are making progress or doing some work. There are other professors who hardly meet with their students and let them do their own thing. Personally, my adviser meets with once a week and we keep a set pace of work.
The biggest issue I've had with grad school so far is just finding a project. I am technically on a funded project at the moment, but the equipment we bought was supposed to come in last March and as of last estimate it might be here by March of next year. We've had delay after delay after delay and it is starting to get really annoying and is keeping me on edge because I have no absolutely no data after a year of grad school.
It's stupid how often this happens, my friend is doing undergrad lab work with a grad student, long story short, pretty much same shit happened.
On September 12 2012 03:01 wei2coolman wrote: Do you plan on shedding some light on the financial situation when working towards one's PhD? Currently senior Bio major undergrad, not sure if I want to do PhD before applying to med school. Was wondering how costly it would be to get one's PhD~
In the US, they pay you to get a PhD. You will complete Med school in 4 years, and be in debt like crazy. You'll complete a PhD in 6-7 years, and get paid to do it.
The current salary for PhD's at UMass is close to $30,000/year, because Boston has such a high cost of living. In other parts of the country, PhDs can make as low as $17,000/year.
Do you also know there are MD/PhD programs, where you can get both degrees in 6 years or so? I don't know how the cost works for those, though.
Zarnath: I'm a bit confused about some different things you've said. You said you're at UMass Medical but then you mention the high cost of living in Boston? UMass Medical is out in Worcester which isn't even in the I-95 belt. Outside of the I-95 belt, living expenses are significantly lower.
For a PhD outside of the UMass Medical system but still within UMass, it typically ranges from 15k to 19k depending on what tier you're in.
On September 12 2012 03:01 wei2coolman wrote: Do you plan on shedding some light on the financial situation when working towards one's PhD? Currently senior Bio major undergrad, not sure if I want to do PhD before applying to med school. Was wondering how costly it would be to get one's PhD~
In the US, they pay you to get a PhD. You will complete Med school in 4 years, and be in debt like crazy. You'll complete a PhD in 6-7 years, and get paid to do it.
The current salary for PhD's at UMass is close to $30,000/year, because Boston has such a high cost of living. In other parts of the country, PhDs can make as low as $17,000/year.
Do you also know there are MD/PhD programs, where you can get both degrees in 6 years or so? I don't know how the cost works for those, though.
Zarnath: I'm a bit confused about some different things you've said. You said you're at UMass Medical but then you mention the high cost of living in Boston? UMass Medical is out in Worcester which isn't even in the I-95 belt. Outside of the I-95 belt, living expenses are significantly lower.
For a PhD outside of the UMass Medical system but still within UMass, it typically ranges from 15k to 19k depending on what tier you're in.
UMass Medical school is in Worcester, however, the school tries to compete with the graduate programs in Boston. Therefore, they offer a competitive salary compared to those schools.
Since you're studying DNA/genomics, have you possibly read any of Karry Mullis' books? I was thinking about reading them for comical entertainment, but wasn't sure if I should.
Excellent article Zarnath, and actually extermely valuable info at the moment. While i am prefectly happy in my profession, i know someone that is looking to go back to school for a biology degree (well what she really wants is a genetics specialty) as an adult student, but looking at the practical time and money aspects is sort of on the fence about the best way to do it. Motivation and competence not being an issue, but she would be working at least part time through her AS and BS. however it is sort of difficult to find info on if a BS of biology could possibly translate into a real life job, or what sort of work that would be. Also i know that people get stipends for PhD work but how difficult is it to break into a PhD program as a student starting later in life? (think 30-32 at the start of the program). Also would it be possible to find decent work as a simple BS of biology or is a grad degree (MS or PhD) basicly required for industry jobs?
I egarly await your next articles on the subject which i think may cover lots of the questions i just asked, and thank you for taking the time to write this great resource.
On September 12 2012 03:01 wei2coolman wrote: Do you plan on shedding some light on the financial situation when working towards one's PhD? Currently senior Bio major undergrad, not sure if I want to do PhD before applying to med school. Was wondering how costly it would be to get one's PhD~
In the US, they pay you to get a PhD. You will complete Med school in 4 years, and be in debt like crazy. You'll complete a PhD in 6-7 years, and get paid to do it.
I'm pretty sure that most people don't get paid to do their PhD lol. It's more education... you have to pay for it. I wish that I was getting paid to do my PhD o.O
I recognize that there are some ways to get around the costs of professional school though. Some of these include: 1. Working at a place that will help pay for some of your classes if you perform well in them (e.g. some public schools will help pay for your occasional PhD course if you do well) 2. Working at the university you're simultaneously completing your degree in (e.g. as a teaching assistant or part-time professor) 3. Occasionally you might get grant money to fund a research project
But as far as I know, most of the time it's on you, the student. And loans and stuff like that that you're eventually accountable for.
Furthermore, I've found that- per year/ credit/ course/ whatever- PhDs cost more than undergraduate degrees (unless you catch a lucky break again- like being able to get partial funding from your place of business). It may vary by location though.
Nymphaceae - No I have not heard of Karry Mullis. What kind of stuff does she write? I'll put her name on my list of books to check out. Thanks for the suggestion.
Shymon - I love genetics! It's so cool and interesting. I would tell her to go for it! It's always hard to juggle school and a full-time job. It might be wise to start at a community college to get back into the swing of things. A lot of people there would be in a similar situation to your friend. She should be able to get a decent job with a BS in genetics. A lot of intro level positions in industry are prefect for BS degrees. She could probably go on to get a PhD, though it is rare, it's not unheard of for older folks. I have a friend who is almost 40, about to defend and graduate. At the end of the day, she should do something that she loves to do, regardless of age.
DarkPlasmaBall - sorry, I should have been more clear. In the US they do pay you a stipend as a biology PhD student. This money comes from the grant your professor has. I think this is similar for physics and chemistry, though there may be TAing required to obtain the stipend. As far as getting a PhD in anything else, I don't know the cost. What are you getting your degree in?
On September 13 2012 02:50 Zaranth wrote: DarkPlasmaBall - sorry, I should have been more clear. In the US they do pay you a stipend as a biology PhD student. This money comes from the grant your professor has. I think this is similar for physics and chemistry, though there may be TAing required to obtain the stipend. As far as getting a PhD in anything else, I don't know the cost. What are you getting your degree in?
The key to the whole grad school thing isn't listed in your topics:
Why do you want to go to grad school in the first place? What do you reasonably expect to get out of it? Do any careers in academia, industry, science writing/publishing, government policy, consulting, or teaching actually appeal to you? (there's not much else that a PhD in hard science is going to be good for)
AKA before you apply to grad school, make sure you really think about "What the fuck do I want to do with my life again?" If none of the stuff you can do with a PhD sounds interesting to you, then don't get one. You'll find yourself unsatisfied and unmotivated and quickly falling behind. One the other hand, if you're really passionate about it, the rest will come easily.
This is something I didn't do and have regretted. I've always liked science, but never loved it. I chose grad school because it was something I could do and I didn't know what else to do. Don't be lazy like me - think about what the fuck you want to do with your life, or at least what you want to do for the next six years, and then go and do it.
On September 13 2012 02:50 Zaranth wrote: Nymphaceae - No I have not heard of Karry Mullis. What kind of stuff does she write? I'll put her name on my list of books to check out. Thanks for the suggestion.
Shymon - I love genetics! It's so cool and interesting. I would tell her to go for it! It's always hard to juggle school and a full-time job. It might be wise to start at a community college to get back into the swing of things. A lot of people there would be in a similar situation to your friend. She should be able to get a decent job with a BS in genetics. A lot of intro level positions in industry are prefect for BS degrees. She could probably go on to get a PhD, though it is rare, it's not unheard of for older folks. I have a friend who is almost 40, about to defend and graduate. At the end of the day, she should do something that she loves to do, regardless of age.
DarkPlasmaBall - sorry, I should have been more clear. In the US they do pay you a stipend as a biology PhD student. This money comes from the grant your professor has. I think this is similar for physics and chemistry, though there may be TAing required to obtain the stipend. As far as getting a PhD in anything else, I don't know the cost. What are you getting your degree in?
You haven't heard of Karry Mullis, and you're a bio major? Karry Mullis was a crazy guy, who saw some glow in the dark raccoon one night in the woods. This raccoon greeted him at his door, and told him how to do PCR. Then he won the nobel prize for PCR. He's pretty interesting, but extremely crazy. I wouldn't want to share a lab with him lol.
I knew a girl who graduated in polymer engineering when she was 19, and got her phd when she was 22-23. She had lots of extra credits coming into college though.
You can do certain phd programs in about 6 years, if you skipped out of some courses from high school. I know pharmacy school you can do in 7 years, without skipping out of any courses. You can probably also do this with optometry/dental school too, but most of the time the people fall into the field, because they couldn't get into med school.
When you need to detect mutations! When you need to need to find out who the daddy is! When you need to solve some crime!
Oh, my goodness! I have never seen this, but this is hilarious. Don't forget about the pyrosequencing videos too! I ordered one of Karry Mullis' book for .01 off amazon used today. I was shocked to find out that he's like half nude on the cover for his book "Dancing Naked in the Mind Field." It seems interesting for the short things that I've read, and he has some pretty crazy thoughts about things like how HIV doesn't cause AIDS.
EPT
