Hi, I actually joined this forum because I was googling around trying to read about other PhD students experiences. I think your questions are really good. Perhaps my experiences are useful. I completed a MA (long thesis - about 300 pages based on one year of anthropological fieldwork) in 1995. I loved the fieldwork and did well in the degree. My external recommended upgrading to a PhD but my supervisor was hesitant (he was still researching his PhD). I then worked for several years, as an applied anthropologist and loved some of it. I then found myself in 2002 working for an AIDS research organization and realized that without the Dr behind my name I was missing out on funding opportunities as well the respect of my peers (mainly medical doctors!). I began to do the research in 2003 and now in 2010 am only completing the thesis! In the meantime I have started a family...I have published about 20 or so articles, yet still don't have the degree. I am even co-authoring a book...so I have really played the game with little consideration for the rules and yet I am pretty happy and pleased with my career. In other words there are basic guidelines and typical ways of doing this, but I would really follow your heart and do what you think is best for you.