Get a life and stop pretending you are a student!! or you sure you are not doing an MBBS or MD

And when you are talking about PhDs, it's usually more like "arrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!". Hang on in there, all PhDs have their extremely frustating times. All the best.

Midi-first see what your government has to offer. I am international student in my 3rd year PhD and funded by my Gov. If that don't work check with www.britishcouncil.org

Hello Unknown,

If you have done a degree at a university (not your home uni), how do you expect someone from your home uni to verify what you have done at another uni? Does that make sense? If you have done a degree and they have awarded you a certificate it shouldn't matter. If you are having problems with referees just change them because in life you will always have unscrupulous, malicious people who will make it their point of duty to hinder you.

Sorry ;-(

Hi Philip, it's got quite a complicated history so I'm sure, like you say, the truth is somewhere in between! If you are interested, the full article that I quoted can be found on the BMJ web site

I feel sorry for you, PhDs can be frustrating. Its spelt ARGH by the way......

Ann: I once read that the reason surgeons revert to Mr. is because in the begginings people practically never recovered from surgery and those practicing surgery were seen more like butchers than doctors. Hence they lost the title Dr. Is the truth somewhere between our two stories?

I wouldn't have thought that that would be necessary. You may be asked for evidence of your qualifications in the form of certificates though. You will certainly need to show your degree certificate at some point.

Research is p***ing me off. I hate having to rely on others for much needed data...AGRH AGRH AGRH

I've got two academic references on my CV, but it just struck me, that they know only of the work I did with them (not my home institution). Do I need an additional reference, who can state that what I say in the CV (about grades, qualifications etc) is true?

in ur first year move into post grad halls and meet other postgrads so u dont get 2 lonely.

Sam, the decision is mine too which is why my parents have thrown about 50 guys at me so far and I've said "nope!" to everyone. I think you're right about the being too qualified thing, one of my mates (male) has already told me no one will marry me if I have a PhD....what a good friend! Reckon he's just scared of intelligent well educated women ;)

IIRC, it's only consultant surgeons who (in the UK) revert back to Mr. This is historical. To quote from a BMJ article "The tradition arose before 1800 when physicians were by definition doctors who possessed a university medical degree (an MD); surgeons seldom had any formal qualifications. After the founding of the Royal College of Surgeons of London in 1800, surgeons had a formal qualification (the MRCS). Surgeons became so proud to be distinguished from physicians that the title of Mr became a badge of honour".

Bill is correct, unlike in the US for example where medical students undertake the MD (Medical Doctorate), UK students do not actually undertake a doctorate programme. If I'm correct, the only doctorate programmes in the UK are: Ph.D, D.Ed, DBA, Eng.D. Any more - I'm willing to learn here.