Thanks TreeofLife! That's a great advice.

Dear all,

I am carrying out a PhD in Germany. Here we do not have any courses (or a few extremely easy ones). I know that the US PhD students have to undergo a rigorous coursework. I feel that I am not up to the mark comparatively as far as theoretical knowledge goes. I would really appreciate it if you can share what topics you learnt in the field of Biological Sciences (Developmental Biology, Neuroscience, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology) and which books you referred to. I will need to study on my own otherwise by the time I finish my PhD I will have a very low self-esteem...

Congratulations Satchi! Best of luck for the viva!

Done! Was fun :) Best of luck!

Hi Heltra,

Sounds really strange. Did you have the interview with the PI herself? Was the interview part of a graduate program or was it an individual application? Usually for graduate programs it takes some time but 6 weeks still seems quite long to me. I would move on. If this is really a lab that you preferred, then I'd let the new interviewers know that I am also waiting for a response from the previous interview. But I would probably just apply to better labs so that if I get accepted and then these guys respond I simply reject them and tell them that I have moved on because I don't like labs without courtesy.

Dear all,

In about a year I will be finishing my PhD in Developmental Biology. I am pretty sure that I will be able to find a postdoc position as well. My concern is that I feel too dumb to be a postdoc. I feel that I don't know enough techniques. I am curious as to what techniques a new postdoc is expected to have in general? What skills did you have when you finished your PhD and applied for a postdoc?

Thanks in advance!

Hello ninja!

Sorry to know what you're going through. I think I have a fair idea of how you feel. I am a 3rd year PhD student in Developmental Biology and trust me there are a lot of basic details that I keep forgetting. In fact, I found out it is normal. I mean the other day my colleague and I were assuming that Amoeba is a prokaryotic organism. This stuff is taught in 9th grade! So first of all, if you feel ashamed of not knowing the basics, do not feel so.

Regarding how to deal with your problem, FinnicketyKick has given very good suggestions. Apart from them, I think what is essential for you is to focus on what exactly your project is about. Usually the questions that are asked revolve around the project, even the basic ones. You should know each and everything related to your project. Question yourself on every small aspect of your project. Check the literature on previous work done in your field. When you dig into the finer details, you will need to know the basics and then the whole project will make even more sense. And then you will be able to retain the details.

Make a list of the basics that you need to brush up right before your examination so that you can revise them. There's still a good amount of time left. Just focus on getting through this. Best of luck!

First of all...whoa! I couldn't have 9 papers if I were in a parallel universe! :P

So in my opinion you may apply now itself with the paper listed as "under preparation" because you might miss out on opportunities if you wait. Since you have 9 papers, I think it is very easy to believe you when you say that you have another paper coming up. I really can't imagine why any PI would reject you for a postdoc.

I am pretty sure many universities prefer their own students unless the external candidates come from a more renowned college. I applied for a PhD in Developmental Biology where I lost out to a candidate that had done her Masters thesis in the same lab where she applied for a PhD. Unfair but can't blame them. So good for you :)

I would apply for a PhD only if there is a chance of getting a funding. So if you have a chance of getting a funded PhD, by all means apply! If you are certain that there is no way that it will be funded, then in my opinion it is better to withdraw the application.

Regarding deferring entry, it depends on the place and the system. If you apply through a graduate school then I'm pretty sure you cannot postpone entry until the next year. But if it's funded by your boss then it depends on her/him. In the latter case, I would talk to the boss and tell them that I cannot join unless it is funded and they can tell you whether or not it is worth applying.

Call ETS directly and make a verbal complaint. This is outrageous! You should get a refund and they should fix the problem. Not to mention all the inconvenience you had to go through! Didn't expect such a shoddy standard from ETS.

No idea! I haven't really tried it out yet. Just heard the name basically. Wanted to get more names so that I can spend one weekend checking them all out :P

Dear all,

I used MS-word to write my Masters dissertation project and I had a lot of problems with adjusting the figures. Do you all have better options? I've heard of Latex and Lyx (basically a user-friendly version of the former from what I've heard). Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance! :)

Hi Albatross!

First of all, please do not give up. You have given four years of your life and so much effort and tears for this PhD. Do submit with whatever data you have and see how it goes. Talk to your thesis committee members and tell them the whole story so that they understand what happened here..

What I would suggest is to concentrate on getting your degree...do not worry about the quality anymore. Just try and get the degree.

Try to make up for your lack of data by increasing your theoretical knowledge. During your defense you can explain what was the logic behind your project and why it did not work, what could have been done better etc.

Now whether or not you pass your defense, remember that it's not end of the world. There are plenty of options left afterwards such as working as a technical assistant/research assistant for a couple of years in a good lab to get exposure and build up confidence. That is if you want to stay in academics. If not, you could always go into industry.

Best of luck. Hang in there. I am sure in the long-run things will turn out just fine.

Wow...I'm really sad to see that you're in such a difficult situation.

So basically you need to get the following done:

1) Get the @##hole to transfer you
2) Stop him from pursuing the project

To get him to transfer you, are there no employee grievance office where you can complain? When the research office told your supervisor off, haven't they given him a deadline before which he should transfer you? If not, can you get in touch with them and tell them the problem. Perhaps they will pressurize him to transfer you quickly.

I really appreciate your moral integrity despite suffering from your own problems! Your idea of publishing the toxicity paper sounds great to me! I encourage you to do so.

Please keep us posted about your progress! Best of luck!