Overview of CoughingFit on PostgraduateForum.com

Overview of CoughingFit

Signup date: 22 Jan 2011 at 2:47pm

Last login: 22 Jan 2011 at 2:47pm

Post count: 6

Recent Posts

Is it possible to change paths after completing a PhD?

CoughingFit 6 posts
13 years ago

4Matt & Ann... that's exactly what I will be doing... and why I asked my question regarding whether the later shift to data collection + experimental research would be an issue!

I don't think a PhD will be easy, it seems to be a very sensitive issue in here. I just happen to think that not every PhD path leads down the road of depression and self-harm.

Is it possible to change paths after completing a PhD?

CoughingFit 6 posts
13 years ago

Quote From chuff:

I'm not going to answer your question, being quite up front about that but for some very odd reason your post made me scowl.

Doing a PhD with a data set already collected, a PhD you can whizz through, publish easily and with a supervisor who has lined things up for you... can you spot something wrong here? Or is it just be being old fashioned in thinking you should suffer a bit.

Pragmatism may not give the love you'll need to get through.. easy or not.

Answers in an orderly manner please :-)

It may of course be the norm in some fields, in which case i shall remove all sarcasm from this post.

Chuff

I don't think suffering for suffering's own sake holds any purpose. If I have the skills to perform a task, and the task is completed then what's the issue? It doesn't degrade a piece of work. Value is assessed by a variety of means anyway - someone may fail a PhD but love what they gained from the experience up to that point. The fact that my interests coincide with my supervisor's is not a problem. I'm sure in a parallel universe somewhere they may be for another person... but not for me. If it is the case that I am left to rot after beginning a PhD then so be it, but it sounds pretty negative to assume that will be the case and that I ought to be suffering throughout.

My point was that I enjoy the work so far, but I am curious about what this means for future opportunities afterwards should I want to change paths, that is all.

Is it possible to change paths after completing a PhD?

CoughingFit 6 posts
13 years ago

Question: Is it wise to choose a PhD topic area for pragmatic reasons as opposed to awe-inspiring love for the proposed methodology?

I'm a science masters student and I've been offered the opportunity to take a PhD with an already collected data set. It would mean that I could churn out papers faster and work with a supervisor who is very ambitious and excellent at networking. He's already pushed me to collaborate with some big names in the field and I like feeling productive!

Now, the area is the one I'm interested in, however I may want to jump into experimental science after completing a PhD.... my question therefore is, is it possible to find a postdoc post in the experimental science side of my field after completing the proposed PhD? It would involve a shift in a slightly different direction within the same field.... would this be possible?