I'm just finishing my PhD in the UK now and will be looking for postdocs in the USA (my GF was recently accepted for a PhD there). Does anybody have experience with this? My major concern is that they'll have a preference for US PhD holders, who may be difficult to compete with considering they spend longer on their PhDs and probably have more publications, etc.

Any advice? Thanks

I was supposed to do my PhD in States but things didn't work out for many reasons. I am not a big fan of 'generalizations', but from what I read, heard etc. US is the best. My friend (PhD student) is transferring to Virginia soon to continue his PhD there. I think US higher education system is not only better from the UK's; it is simply the best!

No idea but just about everyone I know (a lot of people - I'm getting old) who did science PhD's did postdocs in the US - and one or two never came back. So it can't be that hard to get a postdoc in the US after a UK PhD.

I do agree that the US PhD system is better, and a US PhD does seems to travel better compared to a UK PhD (unless from Oxbridge), but I'd never agree that the US HE system is 'the best' per se.

From the few US PhD theses I've read, many lacked that unique contribution element that is so crucial in a UK PhD, but the US PhD structure offers a more rounded education which ultimately more beneficial in terms of gaining employment.

There is a general opinion that UK PhDs are not up to scratch with US PhDs, the THE often has articles on this issue. A recent one was from a US historian who works in London, but I can't find the link!

postdocs are not hard to get in the US. i also do my PhD in Europe; one guy in my group got a postdoc @ Stanford uni just through a short phone interview. apparently the good US universities have so much money lying around, they can afford quite a few postdocs, and competition is not that fierce, because the salary is low compared to an industry job - at least in science/engineering. all people i know who wanted a US postdoc got one without any problems (all with European PhDs).

Last February a friend of mine won a post-doc position in Texas. He did just two phone interviews. I know quite a lot of people going to the States after a Ph.D. in UK, so it doesn't sound so difficult. However a bad aspect is the low salary, in particular if you consider the weak dollar. Better, the salary is enough for the cost of life over there, but if you want to go back to Europe for an holiday it will be very expensive.