People In My Grad Program are F'ing Loons, Pt II

[Farang]

Depends on field. Most of those in science and engineering still kept their job and are still being hired.

Tell that to the civil engineering grad from a top school that I, a general studies major, get to boss around. bwahaha

 

[alkemyst]

Tell that to the civil engineering grad from a top school that I, a general studies major, get to boss around. bwahaha

Brojob to your CEO?

YTMND!!!

 

[Howard]

wow dude, I somehow think you are the problem not all the rest of the grads...

why are you looking to stick with this program if it's so fucked up.

You going to University of Guam or something?

Oh, look what we have here. Alkemyst, champion of the weak and defenseless.

 

[CycloWizard]

When did you realize all this CycloWizard? As in, before or after you decided to do your masters and phd?

Before. I'm not in it for the money. If I was, I surely would have gone into industry after grad school rather than staying in academia.

 

[CycloWizard]

news to me.

Don't know any MD/PhDs you can ask? I know plenty and all have said the same thing.

 

[Babbles]

Depends on field. Most of those in science and engineering still kept their job and are still being hired.

Engineers are doing well but the scientific industry is doing absolutely terrible.

I worked ten years as an analytical chemist (B.S.) and after not finding work decided to go ahead and get my MBA sooner than later.

Outside of my anecdotal experiences, so many biotechs have gone belly up and there has been tons of mergers and acquisitions among pharma companies resulting in reductions in force. J&J, Pfizer, Merck, Dow, DuPont, Sanofi - and others - have laid off thousands upon thousands of people. Hell I think Dow laid off 5000 just themselves last year, and J&J canned a couple of thousand back in October.

There are, not even exaggerating, probably tens of thousands of unemployed scientists.

 

[cronos]

News flash: people in grad school all have some degree of psychological issues. Otherwise, we would have joined the real world, made real money, and had real jobs instead of pissing away our most creative years as slaves for grumpy old men in a lab.

ROFL. I agree with you 😀

 

[Born2bwire]

It always struck me as more of an insecurity thing. If I ever get my PhD, I'm certainly not going to make people call me "doctor".

But why, what's difference? A PhD usually requires around six years of graduate work, a MD 4 years. The title "doctor" is conferred with the degree, you don't have to be first in your class and you don't have to be certified. When MD's go into their internships they are doctors. When it comes to certified and specialists, they have gone through several years of interning and work to get that far. But any professor has also gone through several years of mentoring and research to obtain a professorship too.

While I do not think that the amount of respect afforded to medical doctors is undeserved, I find it weird that people seem to actively put down PhD's.

 

[alkemyst]

Don't know any MD/PhDs you can ask? I know plenty and all have said the same thing.

I know many that did get into the business first then continued post-graduate later.

An advanced degree brings a lot of stuff to the table in terms of knowledge if you apply yourself getting those degrees.

 

[James3shin]

Cyclowizard is correct.

 

[MotionMan]

Me: No, I get up at 9, eat breakfast, go to the gym, have a steak or something, then go to work.

I am not sure why, but I cannot stop laughing after reading that.

WhyTF would you mention having a steak? Seems like more than just TMI, it is just really, really odd.

MotionMan

 

[Gibsons]

Cyclowizard is correct. Medschool is a fucking cake walk compared to gradschool. However, becoming a physician does require a much more strenuous work schedule i.e. Physicians are not the smartest bunch, but they are hard working. On the other hand, PhD's are smart but they have some whack work hours (Work for 2 hours, drink coffee then complain about their research for the remaining 6 hours) and schedules - deadlines? Pffft!

If that's their work schedule, they're going to be unproductive then unfunded and then unemployed, in pretty rapid succession.

 

[Whisper]

Cyclowizard is correct. Medschool is a fucking cake walk compared to gradschool. However, becoming a physician does require a much more strenuous work schedule i.e. Physicians are not the smartest bunch, but they are hard working. On the other hand, PhD's are smart but they have some whack work hours (Work for 2 hours, drink coffee then complain about their research for the remaining 6 hours) and schedules - deadlines? Pffft!

As the poster above me mentioned--I don't know that I'd agree with the quantitative component of your hours-worked assessment, but the qualitative information (i.e., Ph.D's often have some very erratic hours) is pretty accurate. Many will still tie themselves to a typical 8-5 schedule, but quite a few will work two hours here, three hours there, and pepper in the semi-frequent 16-hour stint now and again.

As for the OP, your program sounds a bit more drama-filled than most (even with respect to clinical psych programs), but it's not a huge outlier. When it comes to those kinds of interactions, it really is better just to let them go without being bothered. Psychologists (and psych grad students) are some quirky individuals, and you will undoubtedly have many similar conversations throughout your career.

Oh, and about the money...while clinical psychologists aren't necessarily starving on the streets, they really don't get paid as well as many people think. Even in private practice, you may not clear more than $70k/year (if that) once you've taken care of overhead, office staff, and the like. Oh, and don't forget that as far as insurance goes, you aren't allowed to charge for report writing or time spent on billing administration/paperwork, many of your services will initially be rejected by coverage companies, and individuals will many times seek out a social worker for therapy, given they can often administer the same treatments for less money.

 

[dainthomas]

Cyclowizard is correct. Medschool is a fucking cake walk compared to gradschool. However, becoming a physician does require a much more strenuous work schedule i.e. Physicians are not the smartest bunch, but they are hard working. On the other hand, PhD's are smart but they have some whack work hours (Work for 2 hours, drink coffee then complain about their research for the remaining 6 hours) and schedules - deadlines? Pffft!

This reminds me of that Big Bang Theory where Sheldon and Raj did nothing but stare at a white board for several hours. 🙂

 

[MrMatt]

wow dude, I somehow think you are the problem not all the rest of the grads...

why are you looking to stick with this program if it's so fucked up.

You going to University of Guam or something?

I'm there for the degree, not to socialize. If I can network, great, if not, then you get what we have here. Not wanting to be called a retard for trying to help doesn't make me the problem. Neither does a couple of fucking lunatics starting rumors that I'm married, etc.

 

[dr150]

I was somewhat friendly with this girl. It's not like I'm telling a stranger. But yeah, somewhat pointless. I'm just shocked by her reaction

edit: This is at BC

BC program at Devry. Yes?

 

[SandEagle]

nasty. how can anyone, a grad student no less, make out with one of these?

 

[rockyct]

This reminds me of that Big Bang Theory where Sheldon and Raj did nothing but stare at a white board for several hours. 🙂

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5oc-70Fby4

 

[GoSharks]

I'm there for the degree, not to socialize. If I can network, great, if not, then you get what we have here.

You're going to regret not actively going out and networking.

 

[alkemyst]

I'm there for the degree, not to socialize. If I can network, great, if not, then you get what we have here. Not wanting to be called a retard for trying to help doesn't make me the problem. Neither does a couple of fucking lunatics starting rumors that I'm married, etc.

first formal schooling = socialization^inf.

I was married and young and a fucking monolith in the best shape of my life when I ended up at University of Florida. That created many problems...the worst was 3 chicks harassing my wife at the time at our front door.

I lived my life...there are many penalties doing this, but also so many more memories.

If you are anti-social, by all means hit and quit...get the best degree in the shortest time from the best school possible and profit. You really will. You may look back though and realize you just lived for retirement.

If you are social, hit it and linger. Move on if you must, and until you have a few times you really must do this. In the end, anything you walk away from that was meant to be, you will discover it comes back. In this scenario, when you retire you really have lived already and are doing the natural thing of slowing down and leaving an estate to what you sowed.

final lesson, that doesn't always make it fun...either case you really have to think about your end game. This is the hardest of life's lessons. Most find out they did it all wrong and simply can't go back to correct it.

 

[alkemyst]

Cyclowizard is correct. Medschool is a fucking cake walk compared to gradschool. However, becoming a physician does require a much more strenuous work schedule i.e. Physicians are not the smartest bunch, but they are hard working. On the other hand, PhD's are smart but they have some whack work hours (Work for 2 hours, drink coffee then complain about their research for the remaining 6 hours) and schedules - deadlines? Pffft!

are you an MD and PhD?

cool story bro.

 

[MrMatt]

You're going to regret not actively going out and networking.

I am VERY network centered, see below:

first formal schooling = socialization^inf.

I was married and young and a fucking monolith in the best shape of my life when I ended up at University of Florida. That created many problems...the worst was 3 chicks harassing my wife at the time at our front door.

I lived my life...there are many penalties doing this, but also so many more memories.

If you are anti-social, by all means hit and quit...get the best degree in the shortest time from the best school possible and profit. You really will. You may look back though and realize you just lived for retirement.

If you are social, hit it and linger. Move on if you must, and until you have a few times you really must do this. In the end, anything you walk away from that was meant to be, you will discover it comes back. In this scenario, when you retire you really have lived already and are doing the natural thing of slowing down and leaving an estate to what you sowed.

final lesson, that doesn't always make it fun...either case you really have to think about your end game. This is the hardest of life's lessons. Most find out they did it all wrong and simply can't go back to correct it.

The thing is, when this year started I was the person organizing get-togethers, pub-crawls, etc. Probably 65-75% of the networking that occurred in the first month or so of the program happened at these events I would organize and invite as many people to as possible. I just wanted everyone to have fun, and get to know each other. People got to know each other...and then started talking about me being married, having a gf even if I didn't, asking out girls I had NEVER even heard of, etc. Just a bunch of degenerate ingrates mostly. I have 3 or 4 people up there that I enjoy talking to, and that's it. I'll stick with them. :awe:

 

[TruePaige]

It's okay, MrMatt. Some people are just being mean to you.

You might have phrased it a bit weird, but a normal human wouldn't of blown you off like that in the midst of a favor.

Looking a gift horse in the mouth, I believe is the phrase.

 

[alkemyst]

I am VERY network centered, see below:




The thing is, when this year started I was the person organizing get-togethers, pub-crawls, etc. Probably 65-75% of the networking that occurred in the first month or so of the program happened at these events I would organize and invite as many people to as possible. I just wanted everyone to have fun, and get to know each other. People got to know each other...and then started talking about me being married, having a gf even if I didn't, asking out girls I had NEVER even heard of, etc. Just a bunch of degenerate ingrates mostly. I have 3 or 4 people up there that I enjoy talking to, and that's it. I'll stick with them. :awe:

if you are at college why did you have to organize a get-together or pub crawl. The idea is to not hang out with class members but get a feel of what else is out there.

Show up to a hot spot and mingle not invite BIO4011 to drinks after lab.

 

[Zebo]

Engineers are doing well but the scientific industry is doing absolutely terrible.

I worked ten years as an analytical chemist (B.S.) and after not finding work decided to go ahead and get my MBA sooner than later.

Outside of my anecdotal experiences, so many biotechs have gone belly up and there has been tons of mergers and acquisitions among pharma companies resulting in reductions in force. J&J, Pfizer, Merck, Dow, DuPont, Sanofi - and others - have laid off thousands upon thousands of people. Hell I think Dow laid off 5000 just themselves last year, and J&J canned a couple of thousand back in October.

There are, not even exaggerating, probably tens of thousands of unemployed scientists.

This was even true even almost 20 years ago when I graduated with BS in chem. Lab work was about all I was fit for at big pharma in socal paying almost home depot wages. I stayed in school MS in engineering for obvious reasons. Hard sciences are really a waste unless your path is medicine or all the way through for PhD. But even the later route we all know tons of un and underemployed postdocs, right? Least I did.