I am a part-time PhD student and have a viva due 17 November 2013. I am not happy with my thesis. I submitted it because my supervisor urged me "to just get it in to buy you more time". However, yesterday my supervisor told me that the circumstances under which I submitted will not be mentioned to the examiners pre-viva, but my viva will be conducted on the merits of my thesis only.

I have had a shoulder problem for the past couple of years, and after two unsuccessful hospital procedures had surgery a couple of weeks AFTER I handed my thesis in. Since I really do want an opportunity to rewrite and resubmit, should I insist that these circumstances are mentioned to the examiners or is my supervisor correct in saying that this is irrelevant (= potential viva failure)?

Maybe your supervisor thinks you could get a better outcome than you think, e.g majoy or minor corrections instead or R&R and that if you tell them beforehand that there have been problems it will bias the examiners towards a negative mindeset on the day and would more likely get you a negative result?. TBH I would also think that examiners may think 'so what' as s many peple have issues along the way in their PhD?

Good luck, I hope it goes better than you expect.

How are medical circumstances irrelevant? Whilst you were having these problems, did you not suspend studies if only to give your health a chance to recover and give yourself more time to have a decent go at your thesis?

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

sorry, Of course you are right Ian, I read the surgery as after submission

Thanks for replying!

I did suspend studies through the worst of it - slept on the couch for 6 months and had 3/4 hours sleep a night. Due to my stupidity (i.e. not insisting on more suspension time) I had to ask for an extension. It was also suggested I use voice recognition software but that is another story. Anyway, was given short extensions after medical procedures, possibly as an incentive to get it in. My supervisor didn't think I would get another. An adviser at the student union said "you're not going to drop dead, are you?" so if I had to, I should "simply postpone the surgery and get your thesis in first" (against surgeons advice). So despite pain, lack of sleep etc. I got the thesis in - it's not great and my supervisors think so too.

There has been improvement post-surgery and shoulder will take another year or two to improve, but have been warned that may not regain full movement of my arm. Anyway, should now spend my time preparing for viva - really, really, really not looking forward to it.... especially as my final chapter is partially complete. Has anyone else mentioned health problems to examiners pre-viva? I understand that, and hope that they do, examine me on the merits of my work. But can't help feeling that if they knew about medical, if it comes down to deciding whether to offer fail or R&R, they might choose the latter? Or is this asking for an unfair advantage?

:(