In this article we revisit our webinar held in May 2020, which offered prospective PhD students a comparison of PhD journeys across USA, Europe and India.
When Hamlet exclaims “To be or not to be?” aspiring PhD students cannot help but resonate with the essence – “To do or not to do (a PhD), that is the question!”. The decision of starting a doctoral journey is probably one of the biggest decisions of any student’s life and like all important decisions, has to be well-informed. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of resources that gives students a glimpse of the different phases of a PhD student’s journey – the good and bad alike. In order to help students ease the process of decision-making, we invited postdoctoral researchers and industry experts who had completed their doctoral journeys in different parts of the globe, had seen quite a few tough days during their respective PhD journeys and had successfully made it to the other end-
Aditya Kulkarni PhD, Biochemistry from the Baylor College of Medicine, USA
Amar Parvate PhD, Biological Sciences) from Purdue University, USA
Devika Ranade PhD, Cell Biology) from IISER Pune, India
Gaurav Diwan PhD, Bioinformatics, NCBS, Bangalore, India
Alka Bhat PhD, Biophysics from IGBMC, France
Shraddha Shitut PhD, Microbiology, Max Planck Institute, Jena, Germany
In an informal chat session with our founder Madhura Panse, they spoke in depth about their experiences, lessons learnt and important takeaways and gave students a virtual tour of what a PhD looks like in USA, Germany, France and India. They discussed the nuances of a typical PhD journey with the help of five key components–
- Nature of the PhD program
- Lab Environment
- Skill Development
- Networking opportunities
- Work-Life balance
Nature of the PhD program-
In USA- students enrol for a structured PhD program. However, in the US, prospective PhD students are required to dedicate a certain number of hours in academic coursework as well as teaching or mentoring undergraduate students. Apart from that, they also undergo lab rotations, and eventually choose the lab of their interest and aptitude. Students then present and defend their topic of interest as a formal proposal to the committee and commence their thesis work thereafter. In India-students enrol for a structured program, however, unlike in the USA, students are not obliged towards any academic coursework and/or teaching duties. But, they may still have to go through lab rotations. In Europe, the scenario may be completely different, as students enrol for a funded project with no teaching duties and no requirement of additional lab rotations and/or coursework (in most cases, at least). Therefore, students may already know the lab and the lab advisor before starting their PhD. Thus, they start working in the lab and on their project from day 1.
These differences in the structure of the PhD program also lead to differences in the duration of the PhD- in US and India, the average time for completing a PhD is anywhere between 4-6 years, while in Europe, the average time is 3-4 years.
Lab Environment –
The relationship between a mentor and mentee, the organisation of the lab, and an individual’s equation with their lab-mates/colleagues are all an important part of the PhD journey. These components not only introduce an individual to the PhD but also set the tone for the entire journey, since an individual typically ends up spending an average of 10 hours per day with their lab-mates. Unlike an academic scenario which is divided primarily into a student-teacher population, a PhD lab environment has a variety of individuals- starting with the immediate mentor/boss, senior PhD students, post docs, research assistants, and lab assistants. Thus, it is essential to remember that while doing a PhD, one is a student (while interacting with senior lab personnel), as well as an employee/manager (while interacting with lab assistants)! Getting acclimatised to these hierarchical differences is an essential component of any PhD journey. Additionally, cultural differences in both USA and Europe, as well as language barriers in some areas in Europe might pose some initial problems while communicating science. A dedicated time and effort towards understanding each other, developing a flexible and global mindset, learning the local languages and quirks can definitely help the students in overcoming these issues.
After these initial barriers are crossed, regardless of the country or the lab, there is an immense potential to form some deep and meaningful friendships that in some cases, can last a lifetime.
Skill Development –
Skill-building during PhD is an area where students can easily reap the benefits regardless of the geographical location of their PhD. Broadly speaking, these skills can be divided into two categories: technical and non-technical.
Technical skills are gained by developing sufficient expertise on various techniques employed by students to solve the scientific problems encountered during the PhD. Examples of these could be – project specific skills (techniques learnt specifically for the project), experiment specific skills (improvement of the existing techniques in order to improve the experiment outcome), lab specific skills (techniques learnt while contributing to projects of lab-mates and/or performing lab responsibilities).
Non – technical skills or soft skills are harder to measure, but can act as a wonderful reward of following through your PhD journey diligently. Examples of these could be: developing an independent thought process while understanding the nuances of research methodology (forming a hypothesis, planning an experiment and trouble-shooting the results); managing one’s time and resources meticulously (the success of any PhD journey hinges largely upon these two factors); an increased self-awareness by holding oneself accountable for the completion of experiments; and an improvement in verbal as well as written communication skills. Lastly, one of the most critical and underrated soft skills that can be acquired during a PhD, is the ability develop a flexible attitude towards unlearning and relearning scientific concepts.
Networking opportunities –
Developing good networking skills is extremely important for PhD students, regardless of where they are situated. Opportunities like conferences, workshops, collaborations, lab meetings, departmental seminars, career events, informal group discussions, informal lunches and coffee get-togethers are some great ways to build a network during the PhD. Efficiency in verbal and written communication is a given, but learning restraint is also important- knowing when to simply listen, is an essential component of networking. Networking opportunities also serve a medium for one’s personal growth. From learning the art of elevator pitches to formal written communication, one has the opportunity to expand their skills and knowledge, so it is extremely beneficial for PhD students to dedicate sufficient time and efforts towards building their networking skills during the journey.
Work-life balance –
Regardless of geographical location, this is an area where all PhD students struggle immensely for a long time during their PhD journey. Nonetheless, here are five points that every prospective PhD student should strive for in order to achieve work-life balance-
Increase productivity by occasional unwinding – unwinding with a hobby, a little cooking session, evening walks or just relaxing in the blanket with a mug of your favourite drink can be extremely energising after a tiring day in the lab. These periodic breaks are also essential to increase productivity at work.
Compartmentalisation – Leaving the tiring day, troubled experiments back in the lab is critical to keep oneself sane during the long and arduous PhD journey.
Establishment of a routine – Making a routine prior to starting the PhD journey helps immensely in planning the day and thus, enjoying the ‘life’ beyond work.
Sustained communication with friends/family from the ‘non-scientific world’ – During the PhD journey, one can feel extremely disconnected with the so-called ‘non-scientific world’ as they are mostly unable to understand the nuances of the scientific work, or the disappointment upon repeated failure of experiments. However, this is also precisely why one should stay connected with their friends/family/loved ones since it is in these connections that students can sometimes find a fresh perspective to their issues and are able to view their life beyond the lab and the experiments.
Travel – Taking occasional vacations can be a great source of refreshment to the mind, and taking vacations with your lab-mates can act as a good source for team bonding. Pursuing a PhD in Europe offers perks in this regard- quick weekend getaways are not only affordable but involve less travel times as well!
As you can see, deciding to pursue a PhD (or not) is never an easy choice and there is no right or wrong way to go about it. There is much to consider before plunging yourself into this long journey, and we hope that this article helped you at least in some ways, in making an informed decision about pursuing a PhD.
