AbbyGail

No, I'm not saying that anyone would earn LESS post an American PhD program than post a European one. I am saying the PhD stipend while doing the PhD is significantly higher in Europe. Also, would you say the same (as about English PhDs being less professional oriented) about other European International PhD programs?

Hi, I am an Indian student. I have been accepted into two great programs- MRes Cancer Informatics at Imperial College London and PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Purdue. I would very much prefer to settle down in Europe in the future, so I am confused as to what I should choose! The main factors for each of them are- Imperial- I have been awarded a prestigious British Council scholarship covering 100% tuition fees to study the program at Imperial. The program offers the opportunity to do a six-month project at CRUK Cambridge, Francis Crick Institute, Institute of Cancer Research or GSK. It is a one-year program, so I can shift to a better institute for a higher paid PhD (Marie Curie position, Cambridge or International PhD programs in Switzerland) paying >3K GBP per month for 3 years. But, I have to cover my costs of living for the year which are a LOT! I would have to take a loan of around 12K GBP for this. But again, Imperial is very prestigious and renowned and it is in London which opens many doors. Also, the alumni recommend it very much. Purdue- It is a fully funded PhD with 27,000 USD (20K GBP) stipend for 4-5 years. The PhD topic is in systems pharmacology- possibly cancer based. My supervisor is a young professor who is pretty smart and helpful. The students have excellent opinions about her and the program. West Lafayette is cheap for rent and living with free transportation. I can easily rent a nice one-bedroom apartment for 600 USD. And I can still save after all expenses. Also, if I choose to take up TA duties I get paid extra per hour according to the norms. Purdue, afaik, is very well known for engineering and is highly regarded by employers. But, I am not sure of its repute in Europe etc. Basically, I get a degree from a good uni with no loans. But, I will earn MUCH less than what I would in a European PhD. All in all, I am extremely confused and I would be grateful if you guys could give some inputs as to what I should choose and put forth your thoughts on this! Regards, AbbyGail