======= Date Modified 17 Nov 2010 03:17:47 =======
Hi there,

After obtaining a PhD in physics, I switched immediately to a master program in biostatistics.
The first term went just so-so. The second term was a disaster. I got very bad marks.
Now I withdrawed from the program.
Basically, I just did not take the program serious, and did not put much time on it because of family obligtions.
Whatever the reason is, I feel so embarrassed.

Could anyone give me some suggestions?
Shall I mention this two-term experience when seeking a job?
Thank you.

Rory

Hi Rory, did you finish your PhD in physics? Or did you transfer to the Masters part way through?

am so sorry Rory. i can understand how this can happen.

am so afraid of this happening to me. am currently completing a program which i started part time while on my phd and ended up deferring to concentrate on writing up. and i can't be bothered. i just want to recover from my phd which was a traumatic experience. concentrating is soooooooooooooooooooooo hard. all i wanted was my phd. not this thing. i just enrolled because i got the funding..... sigh..


i would go quiet on what i did for two terms.. and say i took time off to recharge my batteries before taking my next step in life. there really is nothing wrong with that? lol. :p

Yes, I finished my PhD. Actually I finished my PhD, started the new study in the same month.

I think I have to choose to be honest. But I do not know how this will affect me. I am really worried about this. Please make suggestions or comments if you can. I appreciate it.

======= Date Modified 17 Nov 2010 04:49:26 =======
======= Date Modified 17 Nov 2010 04:48:53 =======
Hello Rory

I think that your best bet would be to not mention it on your resume, and if it should ever come up, just say that you were curious about the subject and failed to realized that a subject orientation would have served a better purpose than you doing an actual masters. But for the most part, don't mention it if you are embarrassed by it.

If you feel like you must mention it, you can highlight your achievement during the program, but then that could go either ways. My two cents would be to leave it out. Its not necessarily a bad thing, however the market is highly competitive and you want to leave little room for doubt on the part of potential employers.

Cheers and the best of luck. (up)

P.S no need to be embarrassed, no human being is perfect. Infact we are not meant to be perfect:-)(up)

i agree with Why.. the job market judges you according to your latest achievement. the same goes for academia. i would not mention this thing. it's not worth it.

have you thought of going for a postgraduate diploma from this uni instead of a Msc. for the diploma you may actually have enough to do really well? 8-)

I am a little confused about the idea not mentioning it.
I would do so, but do you think it is a lie?

Plus, when they ask my supervisor for reference,
my supervisor might mention that I switched to this new study
although she has no clue about my bad performance.

Rory

Rory

I admire your need for honesty, i guess it depends on motive. Most times when we build resumes, its about presenting ourselves in the best light to employers. To me it feels like a dont ask dont tell policy here. If you are not asked, i dont think you should mention it, but if you feel the need to, Think about how best to mention it without making yourself look bad.

Employers are not as patient as they once were. I guess if you are going into academia, they might be a little more understanding, or then again might assume that it may be a reflection of your motivation and attitude to work. I honestly think that since you did not finish, you shouldnt mention it. If you are asked, you can just say it was a bad judgement call. Plus as Jojo rightly said an Postgraduate diploma or certificate might be the way out. talk to your school about it

======= Date Modified 17 Nov 2010 17:00:37 =======
whyizit

What did you mean by a bad judgement call?
Sorry, :), I am not a native English speaker.

Oh, BTW, I did not put this into my resume, which I do think is quit normal.
I just thought I should mention it in the interview,
especially when they ask something like "please tell me something about yourself",
or they found the time gap after my PhD.

Do you think it is ok (to my supervisor) if I ask my supervisor not to mention that I started a new study after PhD?

Regards, Rory

I think you should not mention this. If you were doing some voluntary work, it is better to add that than to say you did not finish the masters. It may be misinterpreted as bad decision making (in doing a masters after a PhD), lack of consistency (in going into a different discipline) and lack of tenacity in finishing what you started. With mass unemployment and a lot of competition, its best not to mention it. Find something useful you were doing during the time to fill the gap. If you don't mention it, i dont think your supervisor will write it on a reference. His/Her reference should be on your PhD and not what you did in another department.

All the best.

k

Bad judgment call simply means that it was not the best decision you have made. Koturu has made some really good points in addition to what everyone has said. I think that as much as you can, try not to mention it. As for your supervisor, if you are worried that it might come up in your reference letter, you may wish to speak with your supervisor on that issue.

Its a really competitive market out there, and you really need to stay on top of your game.

I second everyone else. You have a PhD and I'd emphasise that.

Thank you so much for your suggestion, everyone. I really appreciate it.
Good luck in your future.(snowman)(tree)(turkey)(gift)

all the best Rory! :-)