Do you need a Ph.d.?

  • As many already know, studying for the physics GRE and getting accepted into a graduate program is not the final hurdle in your physics career.
  • There are many issues current physics graduate students face such as studying for their qualifier, deciding upon a field of research, choosing an advisor, being an effective teaching assistant, trying to have a social life, navigating department politics, dealing with stress, utilizing financial aid, etc.

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twistor
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Do you need a Ph.d.?

Post by twistor » Tue Dec 21, 2010 4:04 pm


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HappyQuark
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Re: Do you need a Ph.d.?

Post by HappyQuark » Tue Dec 21, 2010 6:25 pm

twistor wrote:Discover blog article:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/inter ... section%29
[sarcasm] Whoa whoa whoa, hold on a second. So she is saying that the fundamental sciences are highly competitive and there are very few available positions relative to the number of people pursuing a graduate program? This is all news to me since my perception of every scientist is, as is surely the case for everyone else, of a high rolling bachelor with a scantily clad woman on each arm and multiple iced out medallions hanging from his neck. Certainly we should hold MTV partially responsible for this injustice, considering the frequency with which theoretical physicists are featured on cribs. In fact, I would be so brash as to generalize this statement and suggest that all sources of popular media should be taken to task for the sensationalized representation of scientists in our culture, including VH1's "behind the science" and their hit reality show "Underpaid and Overworked Postdoc Fantasy Camp". The aspect of this article that stuns me the most is this notion that we, as physicists, should not expect to achieve fame and fortune and, to add insult to injury, that we should pursue further education because it is our passion. I ask you, if we are forced to forgo the prospect of endless waves of groupies and constant oral sex offered upon us while sitting atop our golden shrines, should we even bother? [/sarcasm]

kroner
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Re: Do you need a Ph.d.?

Post by kroner » Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:01 pm

HappyQuark wrote:with a scantily clad woman on each arm
or a scantily clad man on each arm.
Please, let us try to cultivate a culture of inclusion on this forum.

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HappyQuark
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Re: Do you need a Ph.d.?

Post by HappyQuark » Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:27 pm

kroner wrote:
HappyQuark wrote:with a scantily clad woman on each arm
or a scantily clad man on each arm.
Please, let us try to cultivate a culture of inclusion on this forum.
I thought about that and nearly included exactly that comment, but then I remembered that women are always super classy and wouldn't be caught dead doing what is in essence a penis measuring contest. I guess what I'm saying is girls rule and boys drool, just in a more eloquent fashion.

rolandgill
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Re: Do you need a Ph.d.?

Post by rolandgill » Mon Apr 18, 2011 3:30 am

I completely agree. That’s why I think every critique of the PhD that ignores this fact does harm. We need to be asking and evaluating problems on alumni success/satisfaction beyond academia. The standard grad school ratings professors to rate each others programs, but never for companies to rate the programs from where they get job applicants. My program barely know where it’s current alumni are and I consider it a more enlightened program regarding academia vs industry.
Programs won’t change as long as everyone focuses on faculty placement and a 30% academic placement rate is considered good.



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