POST YOUR COLLEGE! (Student or Alumni)
Mar 29, 2008 at 5:22 AM Post #136 of 310
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Double honours Actuarial Science & Statistics, still in progress
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Mar 29, 2008 at 6:14 AM Post #137 of 310
THE University of Maryland. College Park.


Majoring in Chemical Engineering and Economics as well as either a major in Math, Physics or a minor in Computer Science.
 
Mar 29, 2008 at 9:18 PM Post #138 of 310
Stanford 2012
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Leaning towards Econ/Poli Sci
 
Mar 29, 2008 at 9:31 PM Post #140 of 310
Quote:

Originally Posted by DNA Doc /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Your post reminds me of a story my wife tells that never fails to make me laugh. But first, let me just mention that there are many teachers in my family (my wife also) and I certainly agree with, and appreciate, your thoughts as previously posted in this thread.

Now, the story (and I'll tell you up front- this is better heard than read). My wife was once kidding her brother than the degree he was getting was worthless. My Italian mother-in-law was in the room and overheard this. She didn't quite understand the meaning of the words my wife was using, however, and later that day, she was heard on the phone, proudly proclaiming that her son was getting a "bogus degree" as if this was something desirable. (Now, you have to imagine, she was saying this like someone might say "he's getting a biology degree" or "he's getting an accounting degree", etc.)
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Ahh...I love her, but sometimes I just have to laugh. This is the same woman who once asked another of her sons where his uniform was as he was graduating college. It took about a half hour to determine that she thought her son has spent the last 4 years going for a degree in martial arts rather than liberal arts, and she couldn't imagine how he had done this without a karate uniform...
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Anyway, to stay on topic with the "post your college/major" part:

PhDs in microbiology and molecular genetics from Rutgers and UMDNJ. Overall I loved the program, but got bored with my research. In fact, there was a period of about 2-3 years where I thought about just taking the MS and leaving. I am ultimately glad I stuck it out, though, as I landed an excellent pharmaceutical job after school and a PhD was a requirement.


Interesting stories about your mother-in-law! Seems like she would be a lot of fun to have hanging around.

As for your Ph.D., all I can say is hats off to you. As I've heard said many times, there are very few people who are smart enough to make it through a Ph.D. program, and even fewer who are dumb enough!

Of course, the rub there was that the types of people who were that bright could probably be making a lot more money in the private sector. This was with respect to people in the Ph.D. program in business (accounting, finance, management and the like), the types of people who could have made partner at one of the big accounting firms or investment banks with just a bachelor's and a lot of hard work (applied in a different way). So it really was a compliment in the sense that a Ph.D. is an award for tenacity as much as anything.
 
Mar 29, 2008 at 9:49 PM Post #141 of 310
Cool post, Jeff E. Yet another Ph.D. in our ranks!

URGH!!! Every time I think about it, I shake my head. I've always said that starting my Ph.D. program was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life, but that leaving it was an even better decision. But I think I say that just because it makes me feel good about myself.

It's one of those things, I guess. I think I probably started when I was too young (22) and didn't really know what it was all about in terms of the implications (training to be a researcher as opposed to a teacher). I also think that I picked the wrong program. I had applied and was accepted at 3 programs: Nebraska, Mississippi and Kansas. I visited each campus and Kansas had the most beautiful environment by far, as well as the best basketball team by far.

Yet, back in those days, Mississippi and Nebraska were doing a great job at getting Ph.D. candidates in and out of their programs in 4 years or less. At Kansas, it was taking 5 years or more for the lucky ones who could put a committee together and keep it together (there was a lot of faculty attrition). One dude had been there 7 years. Crazy!

So I did my coursework, and then went AWOL for 3 years while in law school elsewhere, with a promise to myself that I'd return, but never did. I was hoping that their faculty would settle in and that I'd be able to stay in contact with enough of them to be able to at least get started on my dissertation, even if just getting a topic approved and doing the literature review, while in law school. It never happened. Life moved on.

Maybe I'll start over somewhere when I'm about 75 years old...

Nah!!! But like I say, it's one of those things. Sometimes we all have to give up on a dream now and then. No matter how important it once was, if it didn't work for whatever reasons, that was probably the way it was supposed to be.
 
Mar 29, 2008 at 9:53 PM Post #142 of 310
Rutgers College - BA in Biochemistry

UNDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - MD

Columbia P&S Affiliated Hospials - Internal Medicine

Univ of Washington - Dermatology

School of Hard Knocks - All the really important stuff not touched upon above.
 
Mar 29, 2008 at 9:58 PM Post #143 of 310
Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus /img/forum/go_quote.gif

snip...

So it really was a compliment in the sense that a Ph.D. is an award for tenacity as much as anything.


Well...there's some of that in any degree.
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Apr 8, 2008 at 5:52 AM Post #150 of 310
University of Arizona Undergrad (graduating in May) - BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology
University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Grad (starting in August)
 
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