Hello.

I'm 28 years old and thinking about applying for a PhD. I'm currently a secondary school Biology teacher and have been teaching since I left University 6 years ago. I received a 2.1 in Biology, then went on to complete a PGCE.

I would ideally like to undertake research in an area of biology, (perhaps ecology or conservation). I have been thinking about this for a while. My main enquiry is how I would look as a prospective candidate. I have heard it said that the further away from academic life you get, the harder it is to return. In my opinion I have spent the last 6 years wisely, but I don't know if a PhD supervisor would see this experience as being particularly relevant. Does anyone know what you can do to give yourself the edge applying for PhDs in these areas? Or perhaps just some general advice.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks,

A.L.

Hmm it is a bit tricky to know how potential supervisors will view you because though you have some 'real world' experience and have stayed in science so to speak you won't have much technical/field experience. I would suggest contacting potential supervisors to see what the feeling is and maybe considering doing an MRes first.

What's your motivation for doing a PhD? Do you want a career in research?

Thanks for the responses. I have contacted my former University Tutor to ask for their advice.

My motivation: well, I've always known that I wanted to have a career in Biology. I enjoy teaching the subject, but rather than simply commenting about new developments and discoveries I would like to be directly involved in them myself. I have always enjoyed study and research (which I do a lot of in my own time) and can very much see myself doing it as a career. There are other reasons (this is not a whim decision) but those are the most pertinent.

It might be worth considering a stint as a research technician/assistant first in that case, to see if your expectations of research match reality. The new developments are rewarding, but there's often a lot of not so exciting slog in between. My undergrad summer and dissertation projects were a good intro to research, but didn't really prepare me for the day to day realities of the long haul.

Getting some experience would also help you when it comes to putting in PhD applications. Getting to know a research group before starting a PhD can be advantageous, particularly if trying to decide whether someone would make a good supervisor.
As Alleycat says, an MRes would be another thing to consider, as a way of bridging the gap and getting your foot back in the door.