Hi

I'm half way through my phD (human biology) in a well established university under a supervision of an influential supervisor. Ever since the beginning, I have had negligible support/guidance from my supervisor. Initially, there was a post doc in the lab working on the same project. But after he quit (just didn't show up at work one day), even though it's a big lab, there's noone really working in my research area.

I've been trying to set up a system that I could then use to generate the data, however, so far I haven't succeeded due to various technical difficulties. To make it worse, recently someone published an article covering all my phD project and more. This basically means that I have to scrap everything I have been doing and do something different. So right now I am two years in and I do not have a single figure I could use for my thesis.

My supervisor doesn't give me any guidance on what I could do next, he just keeps on repeating things like 'we need data' and 'you need to work harder, I don't see throughput'. I've mentioned the lack of supervision to my review panel but they just tell me to discuss it with my supervisor.. I also can't really complain officially as my supervisor is just too influential and complaining will probably just get me in trouble.

I've got some ideas on what I could do next and I have already started working on them, but I feel that I am not experienced enough to 'supervise myself' and would really need guidance on how to proceed, So I am feeling really stressed out and miserable, left alone fearing that next time my supervisor will show any interest in my work will be in two years when he'll realise I've got nothing and will fail me.

So I just really want to hear if anyone has been in similar situations and how have they handled it..


Thanks :)

Zenx

Hi!

It might appear a bit scary in the very beginning, but I think it’s definitely more fun and more formative studying and planning experiments by yourself! Moreover if your lab is big, even if the others are studying different things, I’m sure you can learn a lot from them discussing with them every day. I guess you can also ask your PI to go temporarily to another lab to learn something very specific if you want I guess, and your university probably offers interesting useful courses, you might want to check?

If you really like what you are doing and you work really hard I’m sure you will be fine!

Good luck!!! (Enjoy!!)

(actually I’m not the best person to give you advice because I just started my PhD and my PI is always available if we need for his feedback/guidance even if he’s very busy, but those are my suggestions!)

Hey Zenx!

I totally understand your frustrsation and growing worry over where you are in your phd. I'm in a similar position in that I have experiments and results but they have taken so long to get and will barely cover my method development section of my thesis.
My supervisor insits that my analysis method (LCMS) is too long yet it finally works after over 12 months of work!? And wants me to redo it which I'm not happy with as I finish in less than 12 months and have no real data on my thesis topic and have zero publications.

What I can offer you is what I'm constantly being told - at some point you will turn a corner and that 'experiment' you do will finally work and everything will then snowball in the last few months of you phd.

I'm not 100% sure this will happen for me but I've heard it from supervisors, phd students about to finish theirs in my lab, and from post-docs. Have a little faith in yourself and look at the wider picture, understand the minimum of what you need to achieve and when you know what that requires set about doing it.

It's tough but a phd is all about learning and understanding your topic better than your supervisor so really you have to take the initative and push yourself.

I'm also told that it will be worth it in the end - again not sure about this but I'm going to do everything I can to get there.

All the best and good luck!

Kikothedog

Yeah, I've also heard that most students get their thesis data in the last six months of their phD.. but it's hard to see others generating data they could use for thesis if they wanted to, while I've got nothing.

About it being worth at the end - I am not so sure as well.. I mean I love science and problem solving and I've worked both in great labs and great companies.. yet, all this experience makes me seriously doubt if I want to become a part of all this..

Doing a phD is supposed to be the hardest thing you've done so far.. I just wish for a supervisor that would make it easier not harder ;)

Fingers crossed, you manage to get good data soon Kikothedog!

And good luck in your PhD, enzyme! Glad you've got a good supervisor, don't forget that you are very lucky to have him/her :)

Hey Zenx,
really sorry to hear about your troubles.
There is always a balance here - recognizing that your supervisor is very influential shows you have good insight and is very important - you cant upset them. However, if he is really influential, just think how down on you and your career he is going to be if you present nothing to him in your final year!
Completely scrapping your project and coming up with a new theme is NOT something you should be doing on your own without help. Period. Sure, help design your experiments, have ideas on hypotheses, but coming up with a novel and important theme to explore needs a deep and total understanding of your literature.
What is going on here though? Your supervisor says you are not working hard enough? Or does he just not see you? He is going to be a lot more receptive if he gets the impression you are putting the hours in - you are going to have to make yourself more visible! Get in early, stay late, etc. Just so that his impression of you improves. You are going to have to schedule meetings with him more than you are having. Contact him and ask for a meeting in say 3 weeks to discuss some new ideas. Work flat out for those 3 weeks, put together your updated results (even if things didnt work) and compile a plan for your work for him to approve. There is not a supervisor in the country who wouldnt appreciate that kind of approach. If he is busy then, then ask when he would have a few moments to meet.
Once you have a plan and new enthusiasm then sure the above advice about things coming good at the end may happen. But right now, you need a pick me up and a reinjection of love for the project. And for that kick, you are going to need to bite the bullet and blitz it for a few weeks to get him back on board! Go for it!!
S

I think S. suggested you a good plan: work hard and then every 3-4 weeks insist to get a meeting with him (after all it’s his job!) to discuss about your updated results and potential future exps! My advice of working on your own is mainly referred to the post doc who left and so left you “alone” working on that topic, that I don’t think is negative, but it will be even more stimulating and formative for you to work on your own! Read, talk to the others, go to conferences… have fun!! Good luck!

(I think the perfect recipe is: planning/working independently + getting feedback from/being guided by your PI + collaborating/discussing with your colleagues, but not having someone who works on exactly your same work)