adidasattack04

You guys all hold valid points. Glad I asked. I will just gut out the rest of the semester. But I will also make it clear to my PI and program that I am unhappy now. Assuming there will be a couple of tough conversations coming my way. I think this will go one of two ways, either make my decision easy, or give my program a fair chance to improve. Thank you for the advice.

Hello. I am looking for some advice on how to leave my program correctly. There are a lot things which have brought me to this decisions, and at the end of the day I realized that the graduate school and the academic path is not where I want to go. But I am unsure of how to leave my program properly. I really like the people I am working with and my PI is very respectful and great. She does expect a lot, but in a way that never made me feel bad to be doing. The program has put a lot of time and money into me at this point without much turnout. I am only in my second semester. This makes me feel bad about leaving, but it took me coming to graduate school to realize it. How do I inform my program, PI, and peers? I would rather not burn any bridges. Also I am not sure if I should finish off my classes this semester of just leave. I have thought about finishing this semester and/or take my cummalative exam in the summer. I am goal driven and this would make me feel like I "finished" something. But if I am leaving, this seems also seems like a waste of time. Any advice, stories, thoughts, or 2 cents would be appreciate. (I am a grad student currently; 2 cents is worth a lot.)

Thank you for your advice. It seems like my worries about finding a job are well warrented. It would seem that I should do my research into looking for a field with more job opportunites, by either moving programs or into an interdisciplinary lab. Also it is unfortunate that politics and gossip are everyway. I am figuring this out more and more. It is a game I would rather not play, but I guess I need to. Again thanks for the advice, and I welcome any other comments and suggestions.

I agree with ZacharyObama. If you are just starting your goose hunt now, it may lead you dwon the wrong path. There is no way of telling which graduate school will or will not accept you. Grad schools are different in that they are not just looking for the best on paper applicants (like med schools more or less), they are looking for the best fit for their faculty. Let say, for example, that someone is better than you on paper, but they have interest in and have done all their reseach in cancer and yours is in obesity. If a school needs someone willing to research obesity, they will pick you. All you can do is apply with that in mind. When I was applying I remember going through each department's faculty and making sure there was at least 2 which I could see myself working for. I read the faculties papers. Sent out emails, ect. I then catered each of my applicatoins to the program which I was appling. My suggestion to you is to find a job, take a year off, do things to boost your application, and do your research on programs properly. Don't make a rushed decision. If you are truely cut out for grad school, you will still be ready for it next year.

This is a hard question because medicinal chemsitry programs have a broad range of concentrations. Do you want a bio heavy program, or a chem heavy program? Vanderbilt has a good program. So does UNC, Chapel Hill. The California school are also well known. For example, San Fransico (UCSF). University of Minnesota is where J. Med. Chem is currently located. Kansas University has a well known program, but also extremely high drop out rates. Some Med Chem programs have also been absorbed into chemistry programs that do drug discovery. Some go under the name of pharmacuetical sciences or pharmacognosy (as stated above). University of Wisconsin, for example, is a pharm sci program. You may also want to check out chemical biology programs. And depending on your interests a molecular biology program. Purdue's medchem and molecular biology programs are linked.

I just re-posted this in the Offically Grad forums. Figured it fits better there. Please ignore this.

I am currently enrolled in a Medicinal Chemistry program. I have just finished up my first semester, and I am re-evaluating my decision to go to graduate school. The main reason for this is due to the lack of job opportunities for phD’s upon graduation. I understand that a postdoc has become standard, which means I will not have a well compensated job for another 8 years. (I will be in my 30’s). I know money is not everything, but I hope to have a job in which I can someday support having a wife and kids. I do enjoy science, but I would choose my goal of having a good family life over science every time. I also did not come from a wealthy family, so I have racked up quite a few undergraduate school loans. Of course the first year is loaded with the joys of a TA assignment, class work, a daunting written and oral cumulative. I have never been afraid of hard work when it leads some place. As Viktor Frankl wrote, "In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.” But if there is no meaning (aka a job) at the end of 5 years of being an indentured servant (aka grad student), I do not believe I can continue. I do want to say, I enjoy research. I do thoroughly enjoy the benchtop lab work. I like the idea that my research may someday help people. (I know this is a little idealistic.) These are the reasons I went to graduate school to begin with. I also enjoy the biology class I am taking. Graduate school has turned me off to the chemistry somewhat, which is unfortunate since I am in essentially a chemistry program. This has made me contemplate moving departments to a more biology heavy program. But I initially choose chemistry in hopes it would help me find a job in the future. Furthermore, I am realizing all the politics that occur in academia and “scientific research.” The power maneuvers, work dumping on TA’s, and treatment of people. Serveral times I have witnessed faculty talking behind students back and broad line verbal abuse from. My department seems to be unprofessional and childish at times. I guess to make a long story short, should I continue with my phD, or get out now before I commit any more time and energy into it? (And of the course the reverse of letting the department put money, time, and energy into developing me.) Any advice or thoughts would be welcomed. Also I would enjoy suggestions on other possible career routes. I have been contemplating applying to pharmD programs.

I am currently enrolled in a Medicinal Chemistry program. I have just finished up my first semester, and I am re-evaluating my decision to go to graduate school. The main reason for this is due to the lack of job opportunities for phD’s upon graduation. I understand that a postdoc has become standard, which means I will not have a well compensated job for another 8 years. (I will be in my 30’s). I know money is not everything, but I hope to have a job in which I can someday support having a wife and kids. I do enjoy science, but I would choose my goal of having a good family life over science every time. I also did not come from a wealthy family, so I have racked up quite a few undergraduate school loans. Of course the first year is loaded with the joys of a TA assignment, class work, a daunting written and oral cumulative. I have never been afraid of hard work when it leads some place. As Viktor Frankl wrote, "In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.” But if there is no meaning (aka a job) at the end of 5 years of being an indentured servant (aka grad student), I do not believe I can continue. I do want to say, I enjoy research. I do thoroughly enjoy the benchtop lab work. I like the idea that my research may someday help people. (I know this is a little idealistic.) These are the reasons I went to graduate school to begin with. I also enjoy the biology class I am taking. Graduate school has turned me off to the chemistry somewhat, which is unfortunate since I am in essentially a chemistry program. This has made me contemplate moving departments to a more biology heavy program. But I initially choose chemistry in hopes it would help me find a job in the future. Furthermore, I am realizing all the politics that occur in academia and “scientific research.” The power maneuvers, work dumping on TA’s, and treatment of people. Serveral times I have witnessed faculty talking behind students back and broad line verbal abuse from. My department seems to be unprofessional and childish at times. I guess to make a long story short, should I continue with my phD, or get out now before I commit any more time and energy into it? (And of the course the reverse of letting the department put money, time, and energy into developing me.) Any advice or thoughts would be welcomed. Also I would enjoy suggestions on other possible career routes. I have been contemplating applying to pharmD programs.