selecting a mentor & dissertation project paul a. gulig, ph.d. professor of molec. gen. &...
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Selecting a Mentor & Dissertation Project
Paul A. Gulig, Ph.D.
Professor of Molec. Gen. & Micro.
Associate Dean for Graduate Education
University of Florida
College of Medicine
It's no big deal…
It's just the most important decision that
you'll make over the next four years!
The Mentor
The Project
The Mentor
The Mentor
Research InterestPersonalityLab Style
Reputation$$$
The Mentor
Research Interest(see project)
The MentorPersonality
Hands-On vs. Hands-Off
Temperament
Mix Study/Social
Personal History (like parenting)
Freedom
Expectations of time, effort, etc.
The MentorPersonality
Most of our faculty members were chosen because of their research credentials.
Not because they won humanitarian awards, Nobel Peace Prizes, or Mother Teresa medals.
The MentorLab StyleLarge vs. Small
Make-up (undergrads, grads, postdocs, etc.)
Equipment
Space
Roles
Lab meetings
Does everyone get along?
Are they happy?
The MentorReputation
Young assistant professor
Older established professor
Other roles (chair, dean, course director, etc.)
Check with senior students
Time to graduation
The Mentor
$$$
???
The Mentor$$$
How much is needed?
Four years after first year.
$28,000 for first 3
38,000+ after that
Plus running the lab
The Mentor$$$
• Department chair must sign off on mentoring agreement.
• Department backs mentor if shortfall.
• Demands are different for different chairs and even different faculty (trust, track record).
• Not all faculty know if the chair will sign.
The Mentor
$$$
UF Research Funding Search
http://apps.research.ufl.edu/research/search/
The Mentor
If you do not get along with your mentor, you will be miserable and
will have a hard time moving forward.
They must sign your dissertation and help you get your next job.
The Mentor
If you believe that you made a mistake, you can change if you can find someone else.
Marriage counselingCommunication
The MentorRotations
Three or Four RotationsIDP Faculty search page
Must be IDP facultyResearch presentations
Mentor list onlineIndependent contact
The Project
The Project
How important is your specific project?
The Project
Quiz:
What degree are you planning to get?
The Project
Doctor of Philosophy
The Project
Quiz:
What is your major?
The Project
Quiz:
Major = Medical Sciencewith a concentration in …
The Project
Doctor?
The Project
Doctor = Teacher
The Project
Philosophy?
The Project
Philo = LoveSoph = KnowledgeLove of Knowledge
The Project
Knowledge is gained through Science.
The Project
Science is studied using the Scientific Method.
The Project
What are the steps of the Scientific Method?
The Project
Scientific Method:Observe
HypothesizeTest
Conclude
The Project
You are NOT getting a technical degree.
The Project
You ARE being trained to be an INDEPENDENT scientist.
The Project
This is more of a character or quality than a technical skill.
The Project
So, if you cannot study exactly what you had dreamed, your life and career are not ruined.
The Project
Find the next closest thing, a different angle toward the
same subject, what you would have done as a postdoc.
The Project
Besides - it's what you do as a postdoc that will determine your career path more than
your graduate studies.
The Project
Many people completely change fields from PhD to
postdoc.
The Project
However, if you do not love what you are doing,
If you do not think about it in bed before you fall asleep or while you are in the shower,
The Project
If you are not passionate about your research,
The Project
You will not excel in your studies, you will be unhappy,
and you will not succeed.
The Project
When you form your committee, you will write
specific aims. This is not a contract. They come and go as your research progresses.
The Project
You cannot stick on the original road if it leads to a
dead end!
The Project
Why stick on the original road if you make an exciting
discovery that opens a whole new field?
Bottom Line• You should love what you do
here.• You should not have to drag
yourself to lab everyday.• Make good choices this year to
get started on the right path.• Do your homework.• Ask lots of questions.
Questions
Comments
???