Professional school to PhD?

[sir-atonin]

Hey guys, this is my first time posting on here but I just wanted to reach out and see if anyone has been in/knows someone who has been in a relatively similar situation. I am currently a 2nd year in a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. The degree is a 3 year degree (9 semesters) and a clinical doctorate that prepares you to work clinically as a therapist across multiple settings. It turns out that I do not want to be a physical therapist in any way, shape, or form. I have honestly kept an open mind throughout my first 4 semesters but I strongly dislike what I am currently doing, to put it lightly. I have found solace in research, specifically working in spinal cord injury, which has piqued my interest enough to strongly consider a PhD in neuroscience after I graduate in 2021.

My undergraduate background was a BS in Biology and had a fair exposure to chemistry. Quite honestly, I am a nerd when it comes to physiology, biochem, o chem, etc. and loved learning about the intricacies within each of the respective subjects. My plan is to graduate with my DPT, possibly work for a year or two to gain some clinical insight, then apply to PhD programs.

I also really enjoy teaching so I have been considering teaching and research as my two career paths. I understand that these can both be done together and that certain universities are more geared toward research or academia, but just trying to get a better idea of what's out there and anybody's experience in their own PhD programs.

So long story short if you're in a PhD program what led you down that path, what has your experience been thus far (good or bad), what are the best and/or worst aspects of being in a PhD, and any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the excessively long post.

[BabyScientist]

It sounds like you'd be a solid applicant for PhD programs and would have a unique perspective.

I've enjoyed my experience thus far. I love research, and it's what I get to do.

Best aspect: Freedom. I guess this depends on your mentor but mine is very open to my ideas and I, with guidance, mostly make my own decisions. My day is dictated by what I want.

Worst aspect: Frankly, you'd make a lot more as a PT. The PhD stipend is, on average, around $30k a year. So you're making around that much for 5-6 years, then if you do a postdoc you make maybe $40-50k a year for the 3-5 years of that. Unless you want to go into industry, then you could make a lot more after your PhD.

That being said, I love what I do and am not doing it for the money. If you truly hate what you're doing, and enjoy the research you're doing, it sounds like a great idea to apply for PhD programs. And I admire your commitment to finish what you've started. Good luck!

[cephalexin]

I’m going to echo what BabyScientist said above. I am PharmD to PhD, and I have never been happier than in my program.

Best aspect: doing what you love all day. When I was in pharmacy school, I spent my free time in a research lab, but I always had to worry about exams, rotations, etc. 

 

worst aspect: money. See Baby’s post. Also not being eligible to apply for some grad student fellowships because of your degree.

 

please let me know if you have any questions about the application process if you decide to apply or if you’d like any other advice, I’m happy to chat/help. With a professional degree, your application will be unique compared to other applicants. I found the whole application-interview process exciting and encouraging, and I am happy to talk about it.

[kingspeech]

I'm SLP to PhD and don't really know the PT field, but: completing the clinical degree and certification may be a definite asset throughout a PhD program and in the faculty job search. Having patient care experience gives you more insight into the public health impact of your research than someone who went straight through school. This will improve your ability to form research questions, justify the significance of those questions to funding agencies (i.e., NIH), and contextualize outcomes in ways that matter to the public. It may also be the case that available faculty positions are in clinical departments, and the ability to teach in the classroom using case examples from your own practice, or to provide clinical supervision, will be a huge selling point for you. I transitioned from social science undergrad and clinical master's degree to a biology lab, and it's been such a huge benefit for my learning to be the person in the room with the least knowledge of cell biology or whatever, but the only person who has ever treated a patient. I get to learn from people with all kinds of expertise, and provide my own unique expertise. It WAS hard psychologically and emotionally to go back to being a student after being a professional, but it was worth it and the coursework period is ultimately so brief. Three years in, I feel like a professional again: I'm done with classes, done with prelims (no more exams ever),  I'm starting to teach, and I've gotten a grant and am working along on a ton of research projects. 

The best aspect is that I get to do research in an area that's really understudied, pursue my ideas, form new collaborations, and carve out my own niche. Patient care is fun, but research is more interesting. Even surgeons say there's a 5-10 year window before you master everything, get bored, and start looking for more intellectual stimulation and get into research anyway. The worst aspect is definitely money, but that's temporary. SLP/CSD is a field that needs PhD-level faculty and I've been told that jobs will be plentiful and ultimately pay more than working as a clinician. We'll see how that plays out. Not sure about PT, though.

[swtster]

On 7/23/2019 at 2:32 PM, sir-atonin said:

I am currently a 2nd year in a Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) program...

 

On 7/25/2019 at 6:39 AM, cephalexin said:

I am PharmD to PhD...

 

On 7/27/2019 at 1:03 PM, kingspeech said:

I'm SLP to PhD...

I just wanted to mention how much I love the diversity in this thread. I am an OD thinking about pursuing a PhD in neuroscience as well. I graduated, finished residency, and I've been working for a few years now. I've worked a lot with OTs and PTs when co-managing patients since I do brain injury vision rehabilitation. I have great respect for therapists because I see how difficult it can be.

Even though you're not loving the path you're on now, I have to echo @BabyScientist 's sentiment by applauding you for your drive and commitment to see it through. I also believe that working for a little while to gain clinical insight is invaluable as it can not only help you narrow down your interests but you can offer a different perspective to your research as well.

Good luck!