ask what they did for a living, they say they were a doctor
I would be surprised if many were to describe themselves as "doctors".......GP/general practicer, whatever.
Although it would probably be worth calling themselves a doctor, just to provoke someone smug like you to act like a complete tw4t.
So my colleague insists on being called Dr ... so the story goes that I simply called him tos-ser! 
That will learn him with his PhD.
"samuri: ... why are there so many stupid questions on here?'"
PhD = Permanent Head Damage ... does that answer your question? 
GJP - MemberCharlieMungus - Member
I have three close friends all with PhDs in Theoretical Physics. Two from Imperial and one from Oxford (so we are talking top UK schools here) and they all hold very senior management positions in "Big Brand" blue chip companies, whilst the rest of their peers went off and made mega $$$$ in the Investment Banks as Quantitative Analysts.
**** knows where I went wrong
Oh shite ... no wonder we are fcuked. It's like asking accountants to be the next Picasso.
To 99.9% of the population out there we are PhDs and medics are doctors. To argue it any other way is pointless.
I dunno, the secretary who books our flights always insists on using our titles on the ticket. One day I'm sure one of us out of our group will be quietly asked if we wouldn't mind helping deliver a baby or something...
Although "Welcome aboard Dr Zokes" always makes me chuckle a little...
Manager I once worked with had done lots of research on aliums for his one. He really knew his onions!! (Yes he had researched onions, really)
Wow! that must make you just about the most unemployable person on here
Thanks. Following on from GJP - I finished my PhD (also at Imperial), took a postdoc in Theoretical Physics that led to a postdoc in Mathematical Biology. I left academia and joined the pharma industry.
I'm now head of Clinical Pharmacology for a major pharma company specializing in monoclonal antibodies (think Maths plus Biology plus Medicine). A good training in Mathematics and a scientific mind opens a lot of doors. Of course my friends who went into banking have retired, another became a barrister...
I'm now head of Clinical Pharmacology for a major pharma company specializing in monoclonal antibodies
I'm sure it's very complex and worthwhile, but "It's hardly rocket science, is it?"
samuri - Member
Now call me stupid (and clearly I am amongst the giants we have here), but I always thought a PhD was something only a very few people have.So unless they're a lot more common than I thought, the STW populace is hugely more academic and intelligent than the national average. Which begs the question, 'why are there so many stupid questions on here?'
You are confusing being academic with being intelligent.
Oh shite ... no wonder we are fcuked. It's like asking accountants to be the next Picasso.
I would have to disagree.
The Theoretical Physicists I know, and I admit we are only talking three close friends and their peers, have probably done so well as they combine an incredibly fierce intellect with a high degree of emotional intelligence.
One is perhaps the toughest business woman and best negotiator I have met, but she is not ruthlessly career minded, just determined.
I think this notion that PhDs are nerds/geeks isn't really warranted but I am sure there are some as in all walks of life.
When I did my PhD at Business School the then Prof of Strategic Business & Marketing was earning over £300k per annum and this was in the late 1980's. He was certainly no academic oddball etc
I'm sure it's very complex and worthwhile, but "It's hardly rocket science, is it?"
Not really - but it's a lot more fun, in demand, and definitely pays the bike bills better. I did toy with the finance options. But truth is, I like science and medicine too much to give them up. A science PhD should be a good training in the scientific method, mine had lots of maths, and I found a job that combined lots of interests.
In the interests of full disclosure, there were one or two nerds about and I had an office mate who was distinctly nocturnal with communication issues, but most turned out well-adjusted!
surely a better question is who spent years of public funding doing a PHD and actually used it for the relevant career, given the current funding my son may not get the chance....
Stevio (HND Public Admin, ATT Tax Technician :(....)
Given his father's academic record, he probably won't need it
surely a better question is who spent years of public funding doing a PHD and actually used it for the relevant career, given the current funding my son may not get the chance
Plenty of people use their PhDs and funding PhDs is actually the cheapest way to get science done - many labs run the majority of their science via PhDs, although this is not necessarily a good thing. The problem is that science is a pyramid and as you get further on up more people drop out of academia. Hence people with other careers - as Show via plenty of people on here.
andy_hew - Member
[]Dr CaptJon, Phd in economic geography (nods head at Dr andy_hew)
Where did you do your PhD and where are you lecturing Dr CaptJon?
Email me and i'll tell you. Address is in profile.
charlie, i'm just a classic underachiever..... i.e fairly average STW'er. Never left the Rock (Isle of Man) for college..... and i can't be bothered with the next stage choice - CTA - Chartered Tax Adviser to be honest
Tax Adviser to be honest
I had noticed a worrying large number of folks who can actually spell on this site. Never realised there were so many 'proper job' dodgers about though...
(5 year) PhD in Phylogenetics/Conservation biology (very few other biologists around???) currently earning below national average wage, yay.
The certificate says 'Behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology'. In other words, I'm a fish behaviour doctor.
Dr of semiconductor lasers here
Is anyone keeping a count?
With all these PhDs you'd hope that someone could count...
I'm just about to submit my Ph.D thesis, on fish physiology, so I hope to be a Dr. in the new year.
Chickadee I'd be interested in finding out more about fish behaviour as anythng fish related seems to be a bit 'specialist'.
Is anyone keeping a count?
Not counting exactly, but I think that is at least 60 of us so far qualified, with a few more nearly qualified. It'd be interesting to know what the total number of STWers is and then we can see what percentage of us are have Ph.Ds. I imagine it is a pretty tiny percentage though.
I am just about to receive my masters degree. I was looking into applying for a PhD, but my supervisor suggested against it and that I should just crack on and write a book instead, which I have done and am now looking for publishers. Although I have been told I am on course for a distinction, given that my dissertation was on the world's strongest hallucinogens, I am having to keep quiet about it in job applications 
I'm seriously considering quitting mine (1 year in) as it bores me to death and I can see no prospect of publishing anything...
I'm very impressed by the number of people on here who've finished though, well done!
Dr here, Genetics now working in Neuroscience.
Although my sister still thinks I'm not a real Dr...
I only have one degree, and it's (evidently) not a doctorate.
I have, however, had the honour (or something like that) to fund Dr North's fourth* year when she was writing up.
Tho' she works in a university, she doesn't actually use what she did her doctorate in (Bioinformatics - that's as close as I get to understanding it).
I'd happily do one, but (1) funding for social sciences isn't exactly forthcoming right now (2) no idea what I'd then do (3) I have a short attention span, and doctorates are all about being able to stick at it.
*Her supervisor still doesn't understand why her candidates can't get the whole thing done, handed in and awarded in under two years like she did.
*Her supervisor still doesn't understand why her candidates can't get the whole thing done, handed in and awarded in under two years like she did.
you're not allowed to
Perhaps the need for a PhD STW group ride! Although when I was managing the uni staff football team which consisted of profs, lecturers and post-docs I used to quip that we never made a decisive pass as we were much more prone to discuss the theoretical implications the pass may or may not have had. Perhaps a similar thing is likely to happen with route choice with 60 PhD graduates
andy_hew - Member
Perhaps the need for a PhD STW group ride!
Make it South Wales after Christmas, and I'm in.
you're not allowed to
You can do it in two and a little bit, but there tends to need to be a special process.
Average in my dept. was something like 4.2 years though...
Dr SSBonty, Evolutionary Biology, married to Dr SSBonty (nee Ms SSBonty, well obviously not but you get the picture), also Evolutionary Biology. We shared an office at the start of my first postdoc (she was writing up), things are a little easier now she is on the other campus! Am now working more on the developmental part of Evolutionary and Developmental biology...
well obviously not now as I'm slacking on STW but you knew what I meant...
Dr Jones here... PhD in Plant Ecology.
After an 11 month stint without a job I am finally working part-time as a Lab Technician on £10k a year. Woop! Happy daze... 
Dr Andy - Nanocomposite materials (passed viva last month)
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