Life in STEM – for all

Tag: PhD

  • PhD Recruitment Campus Visits

    When a PI wants you to be a member of their lab, or is even interested and invites you to campus, you want to put on your best show. But so do they, just remember that.

    Being Invited for an On-Campus Visit

    A PI may invite you for an on campus visit before you are officially accepted into their program, or once you are fully accepted. It depends on the program and how they run it, I experienced both of these scenarios. For example, I attended a university where the on campus visit was two days of events, tours, lectures, dinners, and 4 interviews with different PIs (literally 8+ hours a day). It was the ‘final stage’ of the acceptance process, already narrowed down to a much smaller group (my track only had about 6 students, there were a ton of tracks though, this was a large school). It was a very unique and nice experience, but it had a very competitive atmosphere and gave me strong feeling that if I went to that school, it would feel like that all the time, which rubbed me the wrong way a bit. However, the other campus visits I went on were much more laid back, only a few hours, and the “interviews” were more like conversations. That being said, when I toured these places I was already accepted, I wasn’t still ‘competing’ for the position. So its just something to note.

    Like I mentioned, when you go on these tours and meet professors, they are putting on a bit of a show for you, because they want you to come to their university of course. Some red flags/things to look out for I noticed (speaking from my personal experience) –

    1 – the PI barely showing up. The PI should want you to come- they should spend majority of the time with you, or if there are multiple PIs that is great too (maybe it is a program with rotations the first year). However, some PIs just send the students off with graduate students for the time and you only get to meet with them for 15 minutes or so. Now don;t get me wrong, time with the graduate students is probably more valuable than with the PI. You get the honest opinions, knowledge, and first hand experience at the school/lab. However, it is definitely a red flag if the PI seems to talk to you only because the have to, and doesn’t seem genuinely interested in you. This can say a lot about how they may mentor you in the future, so its just something to keep in mind.

    2 – the graduate students’ advice – while this can be a green or red flag, its more a note for you to really pick the brains of the current students, have a few questions on hand like “What is the most difficult problem you face with your PI?” or “Why did you pick to come work under this PI compared to other options?” Things that will make them really give you an honest outlook. If you get the felling they are holding things back, or the students make some awkward jokes about their PI (this happens a lot), this could be a yellow/red flag.

    3 – the environment – this may have be the most important factor in making my decision after the lab’s research focus. Let’s say you are down to your final 2 options or so and you really are interested in both labs/universities, the campus visit is a great opportunity to check out the culture and environment in the lab and the entire department. Do the students seem happy? Are they friendly with one other (genuinely), and with other students in different labs? Do they seem stressed/overworked? Are there social events, seminars, etc. to meet people and encourage a positive environment for learning? You can really get the feel for an environment on this visit, so that’s why I say this may be the most important thing you get out of it. This is something you can’t do over Zoom. And always remember that they may be exaggerating, or enhancing everything a bit for these visits, so take everything with a grain of salt.

    Tips

    1 – Dress appropriately. This is your first in person impression, so you want to look professional. Business casual is great, it doesn’t have to be a suit or heels, but something that is comfortable to be in all day and walk around, where you look like you are taking this seriously (not jeans).

    2 – Ask questions. Like I already mentioned, come prepared with questions for the PI and students, and make sure to bring a notepad to write their answers down so you don’t forget (you can ever pre-write the questions in it to help)!

    3 – Be honest. If you genuinely don’t know something, don’t pretend you do. People love to explain their knowledge (sometimes too much), and you don’t want to fall into a place in a conversation where you are completely lost. However, you can always fluff a little bit. Also, be honest with yourself. Don’t look at the stipends, or whatever incentives you have. When you are comparing school, it should really first come to which lab is presenting you with the research you are most interested/passionate in, and where do you see yourself being happy and thriving for the next 5+ years?

    4 – Relax. Most PIs are pretty normal people, and they aren’t going to grill you with questions. They just want to hear about your experience that you put on your application to see what you have done, they are not trying to trick you. Same with the graduate students, they are just offering a helping hand and have no judgement on you (they definitely shouldn’t) as they went through the same process. Everyone really should be supportive and kind for you during your visit. You got this!

    Next steps…

    While you visit campuses and meet people throughout the process, try to take some quick takeaway notes (mental or physical) on things you really liked about it. The more visits you have, the more you will be able to compare and see what you do/don’t like. If you ever are given the option to tour in person or just meet online, I strongly recommend going in person, even if you aren’t accepted yet. Being able to talk to students and see different environments is invaluable in your decision making process …. good luck 🙂

    – Meghan

  • Should I go for the PhD?

    All PhD students have had this thought. Is it really worth it? Read this to see if it is for you.

    Welcome. If you are currently winding up your undergraduate degree, masters, have a job in industry, or somewhere completely different in life, and you have a passion for research (in this case, lets say STEM but this can apply to all fields) you may find yourself thinking about pursuing a PhD. I’m going to touch on a few topics here that I hope will answer your questions and deep existential thoughts.

    What is a PhD?

    A PhD, or Doctor of Philosophy, is a doctorate degree one can earn to display a high proficiency in one’s field. However, it typically takes 4-6 years to earn this degree, depending on many factors such as your field, previous education, and productivity.

    What are the advantages or “Pros” of Getting a PhD?

    Getting to Pursue your passion.

    There are many pros in this career, but most importantly, pursuing a PhD allows you to pursue your interests to the most specific degree. If you truly enjoy digging into research, investigating problems, and designing/conducting experiments, a pro of this experience is that you get the freedom to explore all of that (of course, with the guidance of your PI’s research interests). If you graduate undergrad and go onto the workforce, you are assignment a project and bench work or computer work, and you have little say in the matter with very little room for creativity or innovation.

    Flexibility of lifestyle.

    This is very dependent on your PI (your advisor, aka boss) and the culture of your program, but typically, PhD students can create a schedule that works best for them to conduct research compared to an office job. For example, I commute to NYC every day from New Jersey and it can be quite rough, so I work 7am-3pm most days to try to avoid the worst of the traffic. However, I know students who start as late as 11am or 12pm that don’t mind staying late because they are local, or they can take the subway back home. Some students even have children, second jobs, etc. so being able to tailor your schedule to be able to satisfy everything is great if it is possible.

    A Masters Degree!

    Something you may not think about when considering a PhD is that you have two years (typically) of coursework if you do not already have a masters degree. In my case as an example, I came in right from my undergraduate program and currently am finishing my coursework this semester. 4 semesters of coursework will lead me to getting my ‘masters degree’, which you can ask your university for a copy of to show progress.

    Teaching Experience

    While this could be seen as a pro or a con, being a teaching assistant is often required as part of your training, and sometimes even paid as a PhD student. Teaching students is not only a rewarding experience, but also valuable for building your resume and feeling out if you would like teaching a college course one day in the future. Also, not to sound cliche, but it is definitely rewarding to help out students, especially when they are pursuing your same interest. It is definitely an invaluable pro in my eyes.

    and many more …. but those are the main things I considered. Now for the cons.

    Schedule

    This is extremely dependent on university, PI, and many other things. However, speaking from my experience, one thing that can be difficult is the lack of strict scheduling compared to a “9 to 5” type of job. While this is something I also mentioned to be a pro, it can be hard to stay on top of your work, and set boundaries from work and home when you are trying to balance coursework and research. We have all heard the horror stories of PIs who keep their students in the lab for objectively too long, and are not very sympathetic of their students’ schedules, so it is critical to set a schedule and try your hardest to stick to it. Thankfully, my PI is flexible in this way and allows me to st early hours for myself. This being said, I am often out earlier than many students so I do tend to miss out on social events, meetings, etc. It is just important to remember to set boundaries and that there are positives and negatives to everything.

    Yes, the salary.

    While this is often the first thing people point out, I think it is quite a misconception. Depending on your university, department, and who is funding your PhD, stipends can vary quite a bit. These days, I think they are becoming more fair for living, although with inflation, it is hard to keep up with the cost of living. Regardless, PhD programs are paying you X, let’s say 30,000 dollars as an example. But they also are paying for your ‘masters degree’, which can cost up to $50,000 in tuition costs and fees. So its important to remember that can be factored in. Also, you can access full health benefits through a PhD program for an extremely low rate for yourself, and family in needed. At the end of the day yes, you are not making a 6 figure salary, but you are getting two degrees and health insurance, which is a pretty good gig. Hopefully too, by the end of it, the job you secure will pay well enough that you can live comfortably. I would recommend doing some research on PhD salaries in your field if that is a concern. However, like I mentioned first, if you are in this for the money, you may want to reconsider this path for multiple reasons.

    Options/Advice

    Overall, I have no regrets entering my PhD program and not going into industry. I have a few tips that make time go fast and make my experience quite enjoyable that I can share:

    1 – create a routine. This is essential, I treat this like any other office job with set hours, a commute, packing my lunch, etc. I think it is professional and responsible to practice this not only to be productive during this time, but also for the future when you will need to be ready for this type of schedule. It is also important for you to practice personal motivation, as no one makes me get to the lab at 7am every morning but I hold myself accountable to be there. I come home and walk my dog, work at my second job, make dinner, etc. It keeps me moving and looking forward to the next thing (and makes the day go by almost too fast!).

    2 – Get a part time job. When I graduated my undergrad, I started tutoring high school students. I work for a private company which is pretty high end, so I get treated well and have a constant flow of clients. Not only is it good money, but I really do enjoy it. Sometimes it can be overwhelming with my schedule to be honest, but it provides me with enough money to pay for my groceries, utilities, and casual spending money which makes me more comfortable. You can also TA often for extra money in your paycheck, which is rewarding as well. I also know students who work for the university part time, at restaurants, all sorts of things. The one thing I would recommend is to use part time jobs as an opportunity to add something to your resume, so related jobs to your field are helpful.

    3 – Enjoy it. Remember that is a rare opportunity that many people to not get. If you told my younger self I was getting a PhD, I would laugh in your face. I never thought in a million years I would be able to do this, but here we are. Meet as many people as you can, learn about their experiences and cultures, and soak in all the knowledge and experience you get. It really can be a great experience, but like they say in college, it is truly what you make of it.

    That being said maybe this is not for you, and that is ok too! It is important to consider it all, and remember this is a very big commitment. Without the drive and passion for your research, I can say it will be very difficult to be productive and finish a PhD program. I hope this blog (which has now turned into a book chapter) was helpful. Always feel free to contact to chat/ask questions/comment.