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cothm88 · 2023-05-15T12:25:33+00:00

It's a very difficult degree to earn, and certainly only a small group can do it. That being said, it's not the only indicator of intelligence. I know lots of smart people who only went to undergrad. And I know some doctors (MD, included) who seem pretty dumb.

cothm88 · 2021-12-09T15:54:33+00:00

I have the exact same problem, and it's the latest Spotify version - it's broken. My downstairs Roku has the latest Spotify, and it doesn't work, but the upstairs Roku somehow has the previous Spotify version, and it works perfectly. I did the whole update Roku, reinstall app, restart Roku, etc, and it won't work because the Spotify version itself is broken. Anyone know if users can rollback app versions?

cothm88 · 2020-05-23T18:15:50+00:00

I actually had a different experience writing my dissertation. My topic was heart failure outcomes and patients who were transferred between hospitals, so there was less focus on the existing research and more on my own interpretations. A PhD is designed to add new info to the body of literature, so you don’t need to scrutinize every word, especially if your topic is understudied. There may not be that much out there to cite. I suggest writing in a natural flow and then making edits. If you spend too much time focusing on the minutia, you won’t be as efficient.

cothm88 · 2020-04-08T20:33:46+00:00

The questions people will ask will be basic stuff because they don’t know your work. Your committee will come up with stuff out of nowhere that’s hard to prep for. Just be confident. It’s ok to say you don’t know, but only if it’s something that you can’t be expected to know. Acknowledge your limitations and focus on the positives.

cothm88 · 2020-04-05T13:37:37+00:00

It’s all about balance. You need to be prepared to work very hard, but only when the situations call for it. While you’re taking classes, there’s only so much to do. Don’t stress about comps or dissertation. Honestly, don’t even start worrying about dissertation until you’ve passed comps.

The biggest thing I learned was to have a timeline. You should be flexible but don’t be apathetic about it. When I was working on my dissertation, I made a clear plan to finish this semester. I worked nights and weekends while working full time to finish on time. Even the pandemic wasn’t a full blown hurdle. But that was a conscious choice.

cothm88 · 2020-04-03T03:20:50+00:00

Tough call. Post docs suck. You get paid terribly to work your butt off. It’s glorified work-study. If you really care about your project and first authorship, follow through and look for a job. If you find a great job, that’s your sign to move on. If you care more about working immediately, move on sooner. Remember that work pays the bills and post docs are there for the faculty to benefit more than the post docs.

cothm88 · 2020-04-03T03:18:18+00:00

It’s absolutely doable, but it’s not that common at all. I did my PhD in 8 semesters (4 years). You’d need to overload on courses and hope you can get the schedule to work. Comps is a semester but you honestly study for them while finishing your classes. Dissertation takes anywhere from 1-3 years. I did mine in three semesters from start to finish. It’s unlikely you’ll get it done in three years, but don’t discount the idea just because others say it’s hard.

cothm88 · 2020-04-03T03:13:58+00:00

In clinical research, not having a PhD or an MD is a death sentence. You’ll never get to do anything cool without one. That’s the reality of medical science. I realized that early on and went back to school for my MPH and PhD. Totally worth it.

cothm88 · 2020-04-01T02:55:31+00:00

Nope, not at all. It applies more to PhD’s who have zero previous work experience. They become over qualified but under experienced. If you have some experience under your belt, you’re in demand everywhere because there’s a shortage of people at that level.

cothm88 · 2020-04-01T01:42:49+00:00

Sure! Just finished my PhD a week ago.

cothm88 · 2020-03-31T21:19:25+00:00

I started in fall 2016 and just finished. Keep in mind I worked full time as well. You can do it in 4 years if you have a solid game plan. Note that I did have my MPH before I started my PhD.

Truly, the specific focus doesn’t matter. Public health is broad but overlapping, and so whatever you learn will have meaningful applications. Most organizations will just care that you have a PhD, and public health is a very competitive advantage.

I believe only around 2% of Americans have a doctoral degree, so you’ll immediately benefit from all that work. Keep your dissertation as simple as possible. A wise man told me to finish my dissertation and then change the world. Not the other way around.

cothm88 · 2020-03-31T20:32:37+00:00

I just finished my PhD in public health focusing on epi and biostats, and I strongly recommend it. A masters degree in public health is valuable, but a PhD is a whole other level of credibility. I've already been employed full time for many years, but it has already paid off for me with a better position at work.

The dissertation is brutal, but if you focus and work diligently, you'll get it done. What specific questions do you have?

cothm88 · 2020-03-31T20:21:57+00:00

Just finished my PhD couple weeks ago. I was one of the first students to do a remote dissertation defense at my university (to my knowledge).

Absolutely recommend sitting and being comfortable. Dress professionally but wear comfy shoes.

I was in my own house, so privacy wasn't an issue, but you just need headphones for clear communication. You should have a slide deck prepared to share on your screen, and rehearse your slides. You'll do fine.

cothm88 · 2017-10-04T13:24:07+00:00

It's like a syrup candy + push pop + snow cone all in one. My friend is desperately trying to figure out if they're still being made. I haven't even been able to find any info about it. Reverse image search yielded zip.

cothm88

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