Oh yes, indeed! Despite having, ahem, a Ph.D (recent) in cultural history, people have asked me about random dates and events in periods hundreds or thousands of years outside my speciality - sure, as a historian I have an awareness of the general outline of Western history, but urm, don't expect me to give you the exact terms of Prime Ministers or marriage dates of monarchs!!! sigh.

try marine or freshwater biology...I'm expected to know every single species of fish in the entire world...even though I work on phytoplankton... :-)

it's the looks of disgust and disappointment when I have to reply that I work in a specific area and although it's true that I am a genius and hypersmart (being sarcastic of course, but they never realise...) that I don't actually know *everything*, that I enjoy the most though! :p

is phytoplankton the ones that light up? or have I been reading too much dan brown?

Well, nice to know I'm not the only one. I know people mean well, and I don't mean to seem churlish, but I think it all boils down to: 3 years doing the same thing, being asked the same questions and only being able to give the same answers. (up) Curiously enough, I don't have the parent problem. My mum knows I'm a PhD but that's as far as it goes.

Yes, I know the disgust look, or more often the triumph one - the ha! I know something you don't - call yourself an expert do you???? look....

lol Wally, it does grind you down after a while - I also love the 'so what are you going to do with your degree?' - worded that way I love it - Answer: frame it and stick it on the wall (up) Its the one my Gran comes out with, and my dad - and the, well, when are you going to get a real job and stop this studying thing, mind you, its much easier than working isn't it >:(

Sigh..... there is that clincher though - the one we all know and love that incites more violent intent in the heart of a stressed out PhD student than any other..... the..... yeh, but you won't be a REAL dr will you... *insert smug look- instantly wiped off by a flying piece of 2x4, saucepan, brick, whatever is to hand.....*

Yeah, I've had people say to me 'when are you going to stop being a student?' and 'God, you're going to be a student forever!' And then there's: 'I'll bet you do another degree after this'. Also there's the curious medical 'real' doctor phenomenon. I've had people tell me all about their medical problems because they mistakenly believe I'll know everything being a 'doctoral' student. New Year's eve just past was the best...

I was waiting with some mates at a taxi rank to get a taxi home. Some kid had fallen over and had a big gash on his elbow. Anyway, a mate goes 'let him look at it, he's gonna be a doctor!'.
'No, no, not that kind of doctor!'
But this kid comes over anyway to show me his scabby elbow. So what can you say other than, 'Hmm, yep, think you should go to casualty with that'?
And then there's religion...
'I'll bet you don't believe in God do you, with being a doctor? That's not something you'd believe in is it?'

How come I dont get any of these at all?!?!

This may sound a bit snobbish and arrogant, but it's me so what do you expect? 8-)

My subject (politics) gets a fairly uniform response, the repetition of poorly thought out rants about whatever subject they saw in the news recently. I'm not sure that people get the difference between having a political opinion and knowing about politics, or even between having a political opinion and having read the paper.

One recent example that persisted just after the election was "Gordon Brown should resign, he's just hanging on to power - it's undemocratic," which is a glorious abuse of the concept of democracy (an unsurprisingly misunderstood term) and supreme ignorance of the procedures in place for a hung parliament.

Actually, I'll tell you what it's like - an avid football fan (again, me) and the World Cup. I'm not sure how many of you experienced it, but it is not enjoyable constantly talking to people about football when they don't understand the rules and don't know any of the players. It drove me mad this year hearing people parrot what they read in the paper or heard on tv because A) I probably saw the same thing and B) good football conversation is based on knowledge and individual analysis, not repetition of others' views.

Now that's off my chest....

Lmao Wally 8-) what fun we can have on flights after we've graduated!!!

Slizor - there can't be much worse than being a political science pg around the time of an election!

Bug, maybe you mix with all the right people ;-)(up) you mean you've NEVER had the 'real' doctor comment??? Heavens girl, you're missing out!!! ;-)

======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2010 16:53:26 =======
oh I love this!! Especially when I know how dumb I actually really am...

Sneaks, there are phytoplankton and fish that can fluoresce, I'm rather a fan of them myself! But alas, that's not my PhD, I work a different type of phytoplankton can can produce evil toxins that can kill* humans!! How exciting!

(*only if you are stupid enough to go swimming in a lake full of green water and a poor enough swimmer to swallow loads of water though...) ;-)


ETA: I have heard reports of postdocs with Dr on their licence getting off with speeding fines if they say they are on their way 'to a job', so it's good for something at least! :D

Love this thread! I can relate so much.

The one thing that really bugs me is that many people (especially people at work) think that because I have a PhD I know everything about everything. Someone said at work the other day to someone else, "Oh, go ask Dan, he's got a PhD, he'll know". Yes, I am the all seeing and all knowing. My PhD was on absolutely everything in the world that has ever happened.

Hehe, oh that made me giggle, actually this whole thread has, in a pained kind of way. My bugbear is the standard response I get when I make the mistake of telling people I research schizophrenia; cue a completely unfunny joke about multiple personality disorder..... why does everyone seem to think thats what schizophrenia is?!! And why do they think severe mental illness is funny anyway?!! But of course, if you correct them (rather than laughing and keeping such glorious stigma alive) you look like a humourless know-it-all. *fumes*

And then there's the entirely well-meaning but depressing "that must be so interesting!" even though you're standing there looking unkempt and miserable

Haha, that sounds familiar Teek! As soon as I mention Alzheimer's everyone over 50 seems to queue up around me and ask how they can avoid getting it....or make some really poor joke about being forgetful or something. It does get a little wearing after several years of it.....have a good weekend all! KB

what is it with the schizophrenia/multiple personality thing? Why do they get so confused!? I get people asking me questions about stuff like that and I have to explain that doing a degree in psychology and then specialising in a completely different area of psychology does not qualify me to clinically diagnose mental disorders.

Unfortunately my PhD is very mainstream - everyone can understand it and has observed it in their lives and I constantly have people on the street (a few weeks ago it was a check out man at ASDA) telling me what the real problem was with my participant group was in a very BNP/national front type way (obviously you can tell who my particpant group might be!)

Haha... I've been on my PhD for a whopping three days and I've already heard a large percentage of these, but the main ones are:

"What's a PhD?"
"Why are you going to University again? You already have a degree!"
"Will you get paid?"
"What are you going to do at the end of it? It's hardly going to get you a job..."
"Er, your PhD is in what? Have you ever even been interested in that?" (After knowing me for eight years and failing to see the professional membership, part-time study, travel, and constant conversations about how awesome I find my research subject...)
"WHY are you doing this PhD? No, seriously... WHY are you doing it?"