Am I in a position to do a PhD? [closed]

Question

I’m a physics student in the UK who should be on track for a first (nothing incredible, but not scraping either) at one of the top institutions in the country, for my undergrad, which is an integrated masters. I’ve recently realised how little I like the standard working world as a result of a internship, and as such I’d like to do a PhD (in preferably theoretical plasma or theoretical CMP) with the hopes of going into academia, but I’m worried that having no summer research placements will have a very negative impact on my applications. I will be doing a Master’s project next year, but it seems that the other students I know who have similar grades and also want to do a PhD are doing summer research, whilst I’m doing an internship that’s pretty unrelated. I’d quite like to do one in Europe instead of the UK, although I’m not particularly set on that, if that’s at all relevant.

I think it’s worth adding that a) I wouldn’t be able to afford a PhD if it wasn’t fully funded with a stipend, as my family won’t be able to support me, at all financially, and b) the decision to do a PhD isn’t one I’m taking lightly, it’s always been my goal but the chance to do a well paid internship arose and as a) indicates, money can be tight. Any other general advice for someone in my situation who is probably a bit behind on the application track would be appreciated.

Answer 1

A summer research placement is an advantage. But the lack of one is not a disadvantage.

A supervisor is looking for a student who will be an asset to the research group. That means motivation, energy, common sense, self-reliance and teamwork, as well as the ability to pass exams. A potential student has to convince the supervisor they have these qualities, and if they've done a placement that can be utilised as evidence. If they havn't then they just have to find other ways of showing that they have these qualities. An MPhys project is obviously relevant, but so is their CV, cover letter, what they say and how they perform at an interview/visit.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I'm a Post-doc in the biomedical research field. Having been in an extrememly disadvantaged position as well (third world country, extremely bad grades due to childhood trauma, undergrad at a bottom of the barrel university, masters at a modest university). I did my doctoral studies at a quietly famous European research institution in an extremely competitive frontier biomedical research area and published extremely well (journals ranked in the top 2% for biomedical research). Now, I'm working in the UK at another very famous institution and am fortunate enough to be able to network with a handful of famous group leaders across biomedical research. I'm not the brightest person in the room, however I like to think that what I lack in smarts, I more than make up for in grit, perseverance and a can-do attitude. I have a close friend from my doctoral studies whose beginnings are even humbler than mine (0 access to information, near to poverty line living).

From my experience, I firmly believe that anyone in any stage of academia is in a position to do a PhD. A single missed summer research opportunity does not mean you won't be able to do a PhD. However, you believing that statement might.

Getting selected for and through a PhD requires a lot more than a head-start.

• Show initiative. Read research articles and reach out to group leaders to understand what kind of positions might come up with them for doctoral studies in the future. If the group leaders don't reply, keep on emailing them until they do.
• Don't limit yourself to universities. Try and locate under-the-radar hardcore frontier research institutions in your field performing excellent research very quietly.
• Develop a thick skin for rejections. They are just a part of academic life.
• Develop a can-do attitude. Being able to push-through difficult and hard to solve problems that you'll routinely encounter during your PhD is very important.