Dear Academic Advisor:
So, this presentation-that-drove-me-insane-but-rocked last week really re-whetted my appetite for academia and is causing me to seriously reconsider my original goals for a doctorate, which were primarily to do patient work with some teaching and writing on the side. The more I and my inner nerd think about it though, the more I think I would be happier in an academic environment, i.e. teaching and doing research full time and possibly some assessment work on the side, which would be the patient contact part, but different than regular therapy.
This, of course, means a change in direction of doctoral programs-yet again-and a postponement of my planned move to Madison, since their PhD program doesn't encompass my interests closely enough. There are other ways to touch lives besides direct patient contact, are there not? Research and education are important too, aren't they? :(
Signed,
Ambitious but Confused Grad Student
Sigh. Just mumbling out loud to myself, feel free to give feedback, one can never get enough free advice!
So, this presentation-that-drove-me-insane-but-rocked last week really re-whetted my appetite for academia and is causing me to seriously reconsider my original goals for a doctorate, which were primarily to do patient work with some teaching and writing on the side. The more I and my inner nerd think about it though, the more I think I would be happier in an academic environment, i.e. teaching and doing research full time and possibly some assessment work on the side, which would be the patient contact part, but different than regular therapy.
This, of course, means a change in direction of doctoral programs-yet again-and a postponement of my planned move to Madison, since their PhD program doesn't encompass my interests closely enough. There are other ways to touch lives besides direct patient contact, are there not? Research and education are important too, aren't they? :(
Signed,
Ambitious but Confused Grad Student
Sigh. Just mumbling out loud to myself, feel free to give feedback, one can never get enough free advice!
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pick a face, and go with it George.
(Jerry, as George was trying on numerous eyeglasses.)
I know this don't help, it's just all I could think of.
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wouldn't you need to do some time in clinical/private practice anyway before you go on to academia?
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Yes and no. The doctoral programs in clinical that I've been looking at are what they call "scientist-practitioner" model, which means that part of the criteria for the program is an internship in a clinical setting, along with the research part, the seminars and dissertation. So I'll have to do that type of work but I am thinking for a post doc I could do either/or and at that point would have to make up my mind for sure where I wanted to go. In a lot of the programs also, you do teaching assistantships as part of your tuition support, so I'd get that exposure too. I guess I am just trying to convince myself that I don't HAVE to be strictly a practitioner to make a difference. :(
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If you feel that way after giving a presentation... it makes sense to go for more. After I do a presentation, I'm like get me the heck out of here.
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not really any advice to give, but i know how you feel...im sooo confused and undecided about what to do for grad school.
where do i go? what do i do? who do i work with? do i really want to spend the next three years of my life doing research? do i even want to go to grad school?
help. <slightly freaked out and stressed smilie>
where do i go? what do i do? who do i work with? do i really want to spend the next three years of my life doing research? do i even want to go to grad school?
help. <slightly freaked out and stressed smilie>
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Hey! Those PM's were kinda private...and I never said you had to TOUCH my life...you can just LOOK at it.
:)
:)
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You don't have to be strictly a practitioner to make a difference. Look at the people where you work now. The people in the lab make one sort of contribution, the people in sales make another. The question isn't whether but how.
As long as you have passion for your art, whatever it is, you will make a difference.
As long as you have passion for your art, whatever it is, you will make a difference.
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Thanks all, for your always valued input. G3, that's a really good analogy, I wasn't really looking at it from this vantage point, since I don't consider the corporate world as making much of any kind of difference, but you are absolutely right. Making a difference can happen in a lot of ways. (Even private PMs Maddie ;) )
The part I neglected to share publicly is that my illness is playing a large part in my anxiety over getting this done NOW. I know that while what I have isn't immediately fatal, I am living on borrowed time, because I never know when my health is going to take a turn for the worse, and when the relapse is coming that I will not be able to recover from. I know that's weighing heavily on my mind as far as wanting to make sure I do everything I want to do while I still have the drive and energy to do it. (There's that motivation piece, Maddie, looks like your gift got here safely) But like i said to someone in PM today, what better person to be a patient advocate/educator/researcher than a patient herself who has faced the challenges of living with a chronic illness and knows what obstacles there still are to conquer?
Update: I talked with my advisor today and we're going to discuss strategies for getting involved in some research projects now, to beef up that side of my CV (it's the weakest link since mine was always geared toward the clinical side) and the hunt for grad schools is on. And of course, money to support my not working full time while pursuing the doctorate. That's the scariest part now.
Froggie, I feel your pain. Maybe a year off to think about it would help you? You're wayyyyy younger than I am ya know! ;) But thanks to all of you for your constant support, both publicly and privately. It is appreciated more than you really know. :pinklove:
The part I neglected to share publicly is that my illness is playing a large part in my anxiety over getting this done NOW. I know that while what I have isn't immediately fatal, I am living on borrowed time, because I never know when my health is going to take a turn for the worse, and when the relapse is coming that I will not be able to recover from. I know that's weighing heavily on my mind as far as wanting to make sure I do everything I want to do while I still have the drive and energy to do it. (There's that motivation piece, Maddie, looks like your gift got here safely) But like i said to someone in PM today, what better person to be a patient advocate/educator/researcher than a patient herself who has faced the challenges of living with a chronic illness and knows what obstacles there still are to conquer?
Update: I talked with my advisor today and we're going to discuss strategies for getting involved in some research projects now, to beef up that side of my CV (it's the weakest link since mine was always geared toward the clinical side) and the hunt for grad schools is on. And of course, money to support my not working full time while pursuing the doctorate. That's the scariest part now.
Froggie, I feel your pain. Maybe a year off to think about it would help you? You're wayyyyy younger than I am ya know! ;) But thanks to all of you for your constant support, both publicly and privately. It is appreciated more than you really know. :pinklove:
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