Thursday, January 10, 2013

Is grad school in chemistry bad for your mental health, part 4: at Not the Lab

Vinylogous' latest installment on our series on chemistry grad school and mental health is up and he's asking some great questions:
A few questions remain: Do you think that a sustained poor job outlook might lead to a relaxation of grad school culture? Or will the harsher grant culture lead to increased pressure on students instead? There are apparently many labs that don’t suffer from a depression culture: but are students from these labs as competitive in the job market as the high-octane labs? (Of course, that’s a very complex question). What high-stress aspects of the system are maybe really just necessary in order to impart chemists with the skills and breadth/depth of knowledge to competently practice in the field?
Go over there and read, and comment!