I wouldn't personally do one without funding. I've only ever met one self-funded student.
You tend to get offered one if there is money available and you do the best in interview, or you're already known in the lab from an undergrad/Msc project. It tends not to happen if the money isn't there.

Which subject? Do International students not get funding for PhDs/pay fees? In the UK you get funded for 3 or 4 years, I've met one self-funded student, and quite a few International students.
I don't know what an HSMP is.
In Biochemistry an Mphil or Msc would help get you onto a PhD, particularly if it was in the lab/area you wanted to be in. As far as I'm aware research is very competitive, but if you did just an Msc in a vocational subject (e.g. genetic counselling) it is probably neccessary. It depends on the job, some require extra qualifications, some see them as useful, for some it would be no advantage.

No
Want a whole thesis to give to supervisor by Tuesday.
Can you find a review article/book on that method/area?

One chapter was harder to create a first draft and wasn't as good (although fine) based on supervisor feedback.
I tried just writing off the top of my head without structure/vocab(I think what you described). It's just been a hard slog and took longer. I handed in a version with gaps and problems to my supervisor after getting a friend to read it. I then worked through the corrections.

I find it easier to print things out onto paper and correct them. Also I think some of the problem was that it wasn't very readable so I started reading it and just lost the will to go on. I tried to create an outline of what I was trying to say overall and make it more readable. You should eventually be able to summarise into a few sentances.

Keep asking regularly (weekly?) in person?

No, are you in the UK? There is now a first year viva and reports/work to hand in, but there wasn't even a viva in my first year.
That sounds very scary.

he he

I'd forgotten it was a bank holiday, just want to finish my thesis and leave on supervisor's desk triumphantly and start looking for jobs.
Maybe not Monday then if he's not in
Still have to wait for supervisor to read after that...still waiting for chapter 5

Can you take on an additional supervisor or help from a postdoc? Just get the help from somewhere else and only see her when you have to.
Maybe you have grounds for a complaint on discrimination, or on refusing to read your work (if she has?)
You could leave but then there are problems with references, why did you leave questions etc etc.
Can you change advisor somehow, I realised too late I wasn't totally rubbish just had quite aggressive advisors.
I have long-standing depression/anxiety but have kept it from my supervisor as didn't think it would help me.

I can't help thinking that people just close rank and there's not a lot you can do. I talked to a postgrad advisor about my supervisor, turned up to a committee meeting and someone I hadn't told was aware I'd made a complaint...which I hadn't, I was worried and asking for help, I thought in confidence.

Well done

It can be picky things like adding spaces in the middle of restriction enzyme names, or using the correct terminology e.g. rate constant instead of rate.
Not sure apart from that as still writing.

Every time I finish something in my thesis and see the finish line I find a new hurdle. I'm trying to finish a version to hand to supervisor by the end of May.

I would bring up problems with your work with your supervisor, or find another student/postdoc that could help.

It depends on your department regulations. I had 2 advisors in a meeting not my supervisor, and it was not formally a viva. I told my advisors about problems.

Maybe that's the problem, my partner is now supporting me and I have a nice house with a TV and Internet to distract me

That reminds me...I explained non standard methods, e.g. if I had to develop protein purification to get it to work,
or it needed an explanation,
and why I chose that method in the relevent results chapter