tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post6609363447792094829..comments2024-03-27T21:23:40.339-04:00Comments on Chemjobber: How long did it take to get a Ph.D. in chemistry in the nineties? Chemjobberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-91821687423401410672013-08-09T23:16:46.612-04:002013-08-09T23:16:46.612-04:00Huh, I've never seen that survey and certainly...Huh, I've never seen that survey and certainly never filled it out when I graduated (2000) but the numbers seem slightly high in my experience.<br /><br />I was the first one up from my year and did it in 4 1/2 but most everyone was done by 5 1/2. Our dept would usually cut you off after 6 and terminate you after 7 unless there were really special circumstances.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-74861123812766647172013-08-08T19:43:19.794-04:002013-08-08T19:43:19.794-04:00Given that wording, I would have filled out 6.0 ye...Given that wording, I would have filled out 6.0 years, even though the reality was by that point I had finished my PhD program seven months prior.<br /><br />When I defended at 5.5 years, I seemed to be right in the middle of the pack for my cohort. Only one person I can think of defended during the fifth year (4.x years to finish), and a whole wave of us defended in the late fall or early winter of year six (5.x years). This was circa 2005/6. Given the definitions in the SED, it seems most of us would have been rounded up to 6 years.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-26632110380495747612013-08-08T13:50:10.861-04:002013-08-08T13:50:10.861-04:00Sadly it is now typical at my old department to ha...Sadly it is now typical at my old department to have students defend in a somewhat "timely manner" before there work is published simply to improve these stats. After defending, students stay on in their former laboratories paid as postdocs or part-time minimum wage workers depending on how big an asshole there advisor is. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-6275095056760165732013-08-08T12:09:41.711-04:002013-08-08T12:09:41.711-04:00I find the numbers ridiculous. Our school would s...I find the numbers ridiculous. Our school would stop paying you after 5 years, and automatically terminate students after 7. The place where I did my postdoc was exactly the same. There was always talk about how this or that advisor (usually featuring word bio on his office doors) would force his students to do full 6, but on average you were expected to be done in 4 and a half.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-89898282374298977992013-08-08T10:55:07.223-04:002013-08-08T10:55:07.223-04:00Interesting. I'll have to look up the relevant...Interesting. I'll have to look up the relevant passage in "How Economics Shapes Science" to see what exactly Paula Stephan said...Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-51103885398521303652013-08-08T10:46:07.450-04:002013-08-08T10:46:07.450-04:00I defended at the end of 1994 and vaguely remember...I defended at the end of 1994 and vaguely remember taking the survey when I went to turn in my thesis (Dec.), not when I actually received my diploma (June)<br />At the time, 4-5 years was pretty typical for organometallic and inorganic chemists at MIT. I was one of the first to defend my year (of the inorganic chemists) but most of us defended in the space of a few weeks, so we were all 4 1/2 years (or 4 1/4 from time starting at MIT). Now 5 years seems to be the norm in my former group. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-47978385427082495502013-08-08T09:59:26.210-04:002013-08-08T09:59:26.210-04:00Here's the questionnaire -- see page 3, and yo...Here's the questionnaire -- see page 3, and you'll know you would have answered it: http://www.norc.org/PDFs/SED-Findings/SED12-13_fill.pdfChemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-33513974117421702692013-08-08T03:47:51.558-04:002013-08-08T03:47:51.558-04:00I don't know - I was pretty much the last to d...I don't know - I was pretty much the last to defend in my year and it was 4 years and 9 months. But. I defended a week before the commencement, past the deadline for that year, so my diploma was issued more than a year after my defense. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-37553790395108864732013-08-08T00:09:29.536-04:002013-08-08T00:09:29.536-04:00Is TTD really a useful parameter? It seems mislea...Is TTD really a useful parameter? It seems misleading, as if it discounts valuable (marketable) experience and training outside of academia.<br /><br />-DDTeaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-78262547151427484432013-08-07T20:25:59.767-04:002013-08-07T20:25:59.767-04:00First, you were probably given this survey to fill...First, you were probably given this survey to fill out when you were *actually* graduating from your university, i.e. the university itself was filling out paperwork to the registrar, asking you for full name for the graduation program, etc. <br /><br />Second, the SED itself has language... let me look for it... <br /><br />Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-747142048714603932013-08-07T19:37:01.695-04:002013-08-07T19:37:01.695-04:00How does this study handle the ambiguity around gr...How does this study handle the ambiguity around graduation dates? I defended in January, was enrolled through the winter/spring semester ending in April, and technically received my PhD at the end of the summer term in August. So you could say it took me anywhere from 5 years and 5 months to six years, depending on your perspective.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-90489795024944332742013-08-07T16:34:42.340-04:002013-08-07T16:34:42.340-04:00Heck, I knew a guy who took 12 years to get his pH...Heck, I knew a guy who took 12 years to get his pHD (in Molecular Biology)at MIT. He is the smartest guy I know, he used to win (#1) Math and Physics state-wide competitions in the state of CA.<br /><br />What I learned: If bad shit can happen to him in his science career, it...can...happen...to....anyone.NMHnoreply@blogger.com