One of life's great mysteries...
Does anyone know what a 'post doc' is? I'd never thought about it until New Year's Eve when the following conversation flowed around our table (performing a slow and quiet interpretive dance):
D: "...blablabla...working on their post doc."
Maha: "What is that, anyway?"
D: "What?"
Maha: "A 'post doc'?"
D: "Something to do with their PhD?"
P: "Isn't it work done post your doctorate?"
(silence)
Maha: "Do they get letters?"
(silence)
Maha: "You know, letters. Like, with their name? Like an 'M.A.' or a 'Dr'?"
P: "I don't think so, Maha..."
Maha: "Oh. Well. That sort of sucks; They really should consider at least giving them one extra letter. And if not, then they should make it a PhD2."
So...uhm...any of you know what a post doc amounts to? (I'm too floppy to Wiki as I've just come home from yoga.)
D: "...blablabla...working on their post doc."
Maha: "What is that, anyway?"
D: "What?"
Maha: "A 'post doc'?"
D: "Something to do with their PhD?"
P: "Isn't it work done post your doctorate?"
(silence)
Maha: "Do they get letters?"
(silence)
Maha: "You know, letters. Like, with their name? Like an 'M.A.' or a 'Dr'?"
P: "I don't think so, Maha..."
Maha: "Oh. Well. That sort of sucks; They really should consider at least giving them one extra letter. And if not, then they should make it a PhD2."
So...uhm...any of you know what a post doc amounts to? (I'm too floppy to Wiki as I've just come home from yoga.)
Labels: Conversations, Dork
posted by just a girl at 7:46 PM
8 Comments:
I'm also not motivated enough to make even a cursory attempt at searching for a definitive answer and, instead, will proffer conjecture...
I think "post-doc" generally refers to post-doctoral research. So...not necessarily some sort of formal program with a finite end. In which case, PhD+ might be more apt than PhD squared.
You're back, yay!
PhDSquared? I love the way your mind works, Maha! There's a strange complexity in your simplicity.
It is really great to have you back :)
Colleen
p.s. I'm also too lazy to google anything, but I think it's like Chestery says - just research and probably on-going?
Indeed it is research work conducted after Ph.D. it has no specific requirements,just a contract position to do soem advanced research. Hence, no more letters, sorry. Very common in some disciplines. Used to buy time, beef up your resume till you get a permemnant position.
Just so you can respond very confidently next time another mystery comes your way, sometimes a person doing post doc work is referred to as a pdf (Post doctoral fellow, not a file generated by adobe!)
I wish life's mysteries were that easy to resolve :-)
Funny post, Maha! I don't know anyone doing a PhD, let alone a post doc :/
Anonymous, a PDF? LOL!!!! Poor folks, they must be made fun of so much. (By people like me)
hugs,
Maria
PhD+, eh? That sounds really cool...I'm stealing it, Chestry ;) (thank you!)
Anonymous - thanks for the explanation; it makes a lot of sense and I'll return to this comments section to refresh my memory when required :) (please give yourself a name...or at least a fake one...we don't bite!)
Yay, Sumaira! It's great to be home...
xox
m
Well given that I always though PHD stood for Piled Higher and Deeper, I haven't the foggiest what a post-Doc could be!
love your blog Maha!
L-A!!!! I didn't know it was YOU!!!!! HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow. Too excited for my own good. Am going to lie down - all day I've been meaning to send you an email thanking you for the awesome lunch but I just am a big loser and didn't get to it. SO THANK YOU and YAY! I love that you're here :)
m xox
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