Thank you DrCorinne for your reply. I agree, but as you said it can be disheartening.

In reply to timefortea - the upgrade is dependent on finishing drafting this chapter for publication, which is already late so probably won't happen!

Thank you for your reply. The first deadline was made by the review panel, and the second made by my supervisor.

In future, I think I will have to ask a colleague to look over my work.

Thanks again TreeofLife.

I was hoping for more advice, since my situation has gone from bad to worse.

Almost a year ago, my supervisor decided to move home (300 miles away) and work part-time (I am also part-time). On three occasions I had sent her work for feedback, but had no reply for two-three months - which of course caused me great anxiety. I have recently moved from home (after two years of physical and mental health problems) to the area close to university, in order to engage more with research activities, attend workshops and conferences, and ultimately gain support from others. I presented some work last week at the university and had some fantastic feedback.

After my latest review, I was told that I had a month to finish drafting an article for publication. I sent this draft to my supervisor and gave her just over a week for feedback. She sent this to me two weeks after the deadline ,and I now have four days to make amendments. This isn't enough time! I cannot live like this - not hearing from my supervisor for months, and then suddenly having to cancel work commitments (I have already been sacked from my NHS job due to cancelling shifts last minute), family visiting etc at last minute. If I don't submit on time, it is likely I will be thrown off the course.

I intended to ask my second supervisor to become my primary, but she is on sabbatical for the summer and I hope to submit before Christmas.

Has anyone else had similar experiences?

Thank you for advance for your comments.

The reason for the downgrade was lack of progress, so there is at least some hope. Thanks very much for your reply - I'll keep working extra hard, discuss my plan with my supervisor, and hope that the decision can be overturned.

Thank you for your reply TreeofLife. You are right - there's no harm in asking, although I don't know of anyone else in a similar situation so unsure whether this is a possibility.

Dear all,

Last year I attended my annual review and the decision was made to downgrade me from a PhD to an MPhil. At the time, I was severely, suicidally depressed, and four weeks before my review I took a massive overdose - I knew what the outcome would be, but had no confidence to assert myself. I was in despair. For two years prior to this review I had been physically unwell and was taking maintenance courses of antibiotics, and also had to have an operation. This of course, had a detrimental effect on my mental wellbeing. My supervisor knew of my physical health difficulties, and that I'd suffered with depression, but didn't seem to comprehend the effect it was having on my work. Back then, I wasn't well enough to even consider appealing, all I wanted to do was spend every day in bed. Nowadays, I am much better and continuing with my MPhil research. I have a review meeting in October, and I'm hoping to (be brave enough) ask to be upgraded to a PhD. Do you think the review panel would allow this?

Thank you in advance for your comments.