Eventually (after more than a year of wrangling) I had my data removed from the paper, but which time it was so out of date as to be unpublishable anyway. This hasn't stopped him taking advantage of me, just last week I saw his newest students 1st year poster - more than half of the data on that poster was taken from my thesis, but naturally only his name appeared with the students.

I have been unemployed and looking for a post-doc now for more than 6 months. I cannot get a reference from him, and have a stack of rejection e-mails that cite my lack of published material as that reason for not securing an interview. If I had only quit in my first year I could be finishing another PhD by now and have none of these problems.

I really believe that if you are unhappy with your supervision and you've done everything reasonable to sort it out - then get out of there and tell everyone why you are leaving. Terrible management is utterly endemic in UK science.

There are many instances of incredible behaviour I could relate to you all about my supervisor, but my point is this: When S was forced to leave (he eventually clawed an M.Phil out of it) he started a new PhD he is now completing. It took him a couple of years longer, but had a much happier experience than he would have had if he'd stayed with his original position.

I fought through a very destructive relationship with my supervisor but eventually passed my PhD. I was not able to publish my work since he insisted that it be a joint publication with another student which he favoured highly (an attractive young woman - he has a history of dating students). This turned out to be a scheme to publish my work under his and her names - my name would suddenly slip down the authors list in the final draft, or disappear altogether from conference posters.


(Continued elsewhere...)

I friend of mine (S) from my undergrad degree and I started our Ph.Ds at different institutions at the same time, and had similar experiences with poor and aggressive supervisors.

S's supervisor was very unsupportive from day one, when it came to the 'upgrade' viva S was forced to arrange everything himself! Despite being a hard-worker and frankly much more intelligent than me, S's supervisor refused to allow him to continue.

My own experience was slightly different. I realised from the first day that my supervisor was a real bully. He has a custom of being highly aggressive and critical towards new students - he feels he is 'breaking them in'. I stood up to this and argued back, and our relationship went from bad to worse.

(I can't get all this into 200 words, so it's continued below)