Dear pm133, I totally agree with you and I really wish to do a practical science I am passionate about, but the point is to be successful in academia you must have publications. Up to the moment, I don't know whether this junior supervisor is honest with me, he had been one of the co-authors of Nature while he was a Ph.D. student and it was interesting. However, I am afraid as he has no prior experience, and I don't know whether he is going to be a bully. As you may know, my ex-toxic supervisor didn't allow me to present my work at a top-tier conference workshop although being accepted. In the other side, I didn't have the technical facilities to conduct the experiment, and I don't know how I should know whether this junior PI has the facilities. This really boggles my mind, the start PI have dozen of citation and publications, while their student complain or want to leave, honestly I am confused and I would like to have a very good supervisor who is going a turning point in my academic life, so it is a very crucial selection which restricted by many factors.

Dear Tru,

I have also the same concern when he said that although he is at a reputable institute, according to the other lab they have refused my application as they accept very few people.

I dont know what I can say, the previous PI prevent me from publications and even from attending workshops!

This junior PI mentioned he is more concerned about understanding and developing real scientific work as he is not pleased by other researchers approaches.

I am really confused the lab I am going for two months in another far country in Europe the students didnot recommend it and they dont like their PI, I just accept because of the financial situation and I am foreigner and I cannot go to home country for some reasons, it is very complex situation to explain.

So, my plan is to go and do what I can and then try looking again, but as you can see the good lab refused my application immediately in the same day.

I am so tired and afraid at the same, however, I am trying to do my best, this junior PI asked for another meeting, I should ask him all these questions, but I agree I dont have good feelings towards him, I dont know what could lies behind.

Dear m83,

Please first of all I am so sorry to hear about what you have been through! You are not alone there are many students face the similar like you exactly and me one of them. So, please try to stand these few months and dont waste all what you have did.

Wish you happiness and having family as soon as possible

I will do my best however what makes me constraint is the financial situation and it is not easy and in same time I am afraid of the selection, so I wish that I can find a reasonable lab.

Concerning junior PI, I spoke to him and he mentioned that he is passionate about the same research line and doesnot care about publications. However, I am afraid as many people has a sweet-tooth like I had before and get lured.

In the other side, there is a good lab and the students commended their PI, however, it is really competitive to be in.

As a conclusion, sometimes I loose faith in research general and it is not easy to find a really good lab.

What I am going to say is my personal opinion. I think it doesnot work like and request to disseminate your work, and I know some people do that, however, I think it is cliche. I am working for a podcasting since few months ago where we conduct a podcasting about their work and writing article and what happens that we are tracking the updates of the researchers in the field and see whether the did something great, so we have a podcasting.

In my master, I have attended science fair and there was a journalist from a magazine asked to report about my work and interview.

However, I think if you are going to appear in media/radio station I think that case that your is recognized and deserve to disseminated and the exceptional work will speak about itself.

However, we have a similar cases while few researchers tends to hype things and go to media and by the end we discover that they lie or overestimate what they did.

So, from my humble experience, the good researcher shouldnot seek for disseminating their work by asking TV/Media for instance, you can do that on youtube through telling people what you have done, conferences, this is your tools and you have the right.

In the other side, if your work really interesting, journalist passionate science and technology definitely will approach if you have authentic and original research.

Dear Tru,
Here is the updates about potential PI:



A star professor at a high ranking university: One of his student told me he doesn't have time to manage the lab by himself and as a sequence, he hired postdocs to be intermediate between him and his students. In retrospect, the student informed that he had tried to leave the lab at the beginning, however, they continue and mentioning that he benefit from his PI's reputation. Adding that, he and other colleagues suffered from anxiety and chronic stress due to the demand of having highly quality research papers.

Intermediate professor not very well: His student told me he is not qualified to work with students, but the student told me that she doesn't feel so much pressure on her research.

Junior PI: I think it could be risky as I don't have any background about their supervision history. However, what makes interested to contact them as they did good research and we have the same passion for this research line which triggers me to contact them.

My previous experience with ex-PI, he was not junior and not star, but he did research for more than 14 years, however, he didn't help me in my research or even writing papers besides being abusive and very destructive person.

The question is : If am going to select the new PI which very critical decision, how I should consider these scenarios, for sure, I avoid PI in the influence circle of the ex-PI as I have been advised before, but what are other key corners I should bear in my mind.

Now, as may you know I have resigned from my position after one year from a toxic supervisor. The most important concern is selecting a good supervisor, it easier said than done, so what I should prioritize while selecting a new PI, it is really critical decision?

Dear Tru,

Really thanks so much for your advices and trying to support! May be this something I need to improve in my personality and it isnot easy, but I am trying. Really I am so grateful for those words that gives me hope and encourages me.

Wishing for you all the best and good luck

Dear Pinat,

I hope you can resolve that very soon and get your degree. I wonder if you can still in assertive not aggressive way with your supervisor before going to other directions. If I didnot work with him, you must go to head of school and refers to the other three students, you must find another supportive professor who can support your case. I really you can really you can get your degree sooner.

Good luck!

Dear Pinat, I am really sorry to hear about your situation, but you are not alone there are many students facing that. However, could you please elaborate more about situation, it is quite strange that you submitted from five years and you didnot get your degree( it is first time to hear that), did you manage to go for ombudsman or lodging complaint.

'I heard there is a university in Netherland where one can defend his/her thesis by just having 3 publications. Is it true? I cannot find such university by searching on Google. '

I dont know what you imply by that, are you able to transfer your PhD there, I think your story has missing parts.

To be honest, I feel lost, my situation is so complex! I have resigned and supposed to go out by the end of the next month! However, there another lab who knows my PI; after they offered ten months, they told we have to spoke to him and take his permission, then they reduced the offer to two months. This lab is another country, which is not very well known in Europe, they have mentioned, if I did well may be we can continue, they have offered me a low amount of money.

I am really destroyed, I dont know why this happening, my mental health is going so bad and if I go to office until the day to go out, the vibes are very very toxic which I cannot handle.

In the same situation, I escaped from my home country because of many personal problems that affected my health physically and mentally! I am really crying and alone here in foreign country and at the same time, I am afraid to run out of money as no one will support me.

I was always passionate and hardworker! I feel I am not lucky and cannot think and my mind hurts me. I am so sorry for writing, but real I feel so bad to the degree that I feel frozen.

@sphdsoc Could you please the decision that you have taken in your situation? Wishing for you all the best.

@Tru As you may know I have the same situation, so I think to be honest is better, you have to mention, but not badmouthing, you can just say it doesnot match my research interest.

First of all, I am so sorry for the hard times you have faced, but I would like to tell you that you are not alone, I am recently in the same situation which ended up resignation after one year from my position and I think may be that was good to get rid of toxic supervisor besides that he didn't allow another student after four years of work to defend. Honestly, the vibes were very toxic hard, very alone and it wasnot even easy up to the moment.

For references, never ever put her name, my ex-supervisor did bad-mouthing about me, you can see my post in the forum, so dont put her.

For CV, I think you have to be honest and I think there is no problems just mention that the research was not matching your research and expectation and try to be positive.

Lastly, select the right to moment to quit when you have a backup plan so that you can afford your living and paying bills.

Look, think again about it, if you can continue and do you think you can finish under her, endure it, but if it really very toxic you can consider the back up and then leave her lab.

Wish you can take the right decision and think about it again, because it is not easy decision.

Good Luck!

Hello Guys!

First I would like to thank for the support you give to the other students who face some problems! I have already resigned my first year PhD after working hard and proving it. Now, this doesnot end, I have been presenting at a workshop in conference where my work that my supervisor doubted has been accepted. He knew that while he was at the conference and threatened me to present that work and I was supposed to put his name, although he didnot help me at all plus he doubted it and forced me to leave, I have already resigned and this my work.

In addition to that, he followed saying that he is appreciated in the field and saying you are not going to help your self. I have been rejected from two positions although they were are interested in my work, they asked for reference and I put him as I spent one year and I dont have to lie, he said since one month after leaving, he would write a positive letter.

At the conference at threating me and trying to send the workshop not to present my work, he asked whether I found position and I said no and he said I know you will not find and that assure that he made badmouthing about me.


Now he bring another student, I feel pity on myself and there were also another senior student who spent four years and wasnot allowed to defend although publishing in top-tier conferences. In the other side, he will make another student defends her phd.

I am now have mixed feelings, I feel failure sometimes, my situation is little bit complex for some reasons and I am trying to do my best to find an alternative, but it is not easy!

I dont want to bring negativity, but sometimes, I feel sorry about one year I spent and see another student taking my office although I had grants and even that my work have been accepted at top conference, but what is the benefit, I lost confidence in myself.