It’s not easy and it is never like you expected it to be… the relationship between Ph.D. student and advisor seems simple, but it is not… beyond the specific area (in vet medicine as in any other), we will always find good advisors and bad ones, just as we find good students or scientists and their less-reputable versions.
I’ve been asked a lot for advice during the last few weeks, so I’ve decided to write a little bit about it. For me, it is the essence of this relationship that is worthy of analysis from my own perspective.
Imagine that with ONE professor the relationship is already complex, then having TWO professors checking and advising on a Ph.D. project is way more fun!. Well, I’ve two professors… maybe that’s why I’m asked about it so often.
I’ve a thousand stories that I could tell you, but I’ll keep those in my more private archives. What I would like to share with you is how I would classify this student-advisor relationship, regarding what I’ve seen in my program and lived in my own experience.
There are many names defining the person who will direct the thesis of a student – and also his/her achievements – in a Ph.D.: director, advisor, supervisor, counsellor, principal professor, mentor, etc. Here in Germany they are also called “Doktorvater” or “Doktormutter”, which literally translates to Ph.D. -father or -mother (the German version of a Ph.D. is called Doktorarbeit and you get the “Doktor” degree). The German name catches my attention because it cannot be truer, at some point that is the final goal of the professor through the Ph.D. experience, the one who educates you and guides your research, the ultimate guide of your Ph.D. project.
The role of the advisor goes back to the very basic and old educational system, the “master” and “apprentice”. I’ve personally known true “masters” myself, those who have as aspiration to teach his/her students to be better, even better than themselves, and that success represents success for all.
I’ve also known those advisors who have no will to be a “master”, maybe they never wanted to become one, or they are just not really interested. We have all met at least one of them. Here you can find all those advisors who after 2-3 years of working together are asking you again _–“Your name was…” or –“What was your research about again?- I know it is not lack of interest, it is just that other things have become priorities, it is not easy to have students and to maintain a lab!.
Another group of advisors are those who believe in the total independence of the junior scientist, and when the student seeks advice, the usual comment is –“I’d done my thesis all by myself, without any help, in another country, with a family of four, and a scholarship that was half of yours… and I did it without asking around, you can do it too…”.
There are also those who establish a closer to slavery particular relationship, because they needed cheap specialized labour, where productivity is required, positive results are a must, and only analysis after analysis matter. Everything is left behind, restricting the student’s life to its minimum. Some of the comments would be –“Holidays? When I was a student I never took holidays” or “If I’m able to work in the lab until 12pm every day, why can you do the same?”.
I could keep going on with the list forever and fill it with the diverse personalities from the academic world, professors that you and me have known, but I will not.
When a student starts a Ph.D. program they never ever questions the – very particular and very important – relationship that starts with his/her advisor which will be developed over the next 3, 4, 5 or more years.
I’ve seen “masters” to enjoy a relaxed dinner or a beer with some students, which are able to give advice and are up to date on the scientific, but also some more personal issues of the students. They stimulate creativity, new research ideas and challenge them in every step of the way. It’s hard to find them, but I’ve some very good and close examples. To be a good “master” does not mean that you leave discipline and high standards to the side, but from my perspective that is a more complete approach, more “holistic”.
I can tell you that beyond the good or bad times that my advisors and I have had together, I’ve realized that as years goes by –so fast– we have been growing up together, and also I’ve perceived that my degree of understanding is positively correlated with my age and experience… isn’t that great?
The most important thing is to keep a nice, healthy and constructive relationship with the advisor because that will define the Ph.D. experience.
Viel glück (good luck) to the ones starting their Ph.D. programs and keep on moving!
Interesting observations. Do you think that we “grow up” to become like our PI’s (or professors or “masters”) in our way of supervising others? Like in your example I’d done my thesis all by myself, without any help,…? Or can we learn from their short comings and just keep the good bits?
I think that it is very variable… In my case I would like to keep all the good things of my advisors, and avoid the not-so-good things from them…
At some point I’ve seen that many students are “growing up”, becoming post-docs and then professors, and they are just like their advisors… for better or worse…
I would be honoured if anyone compared me to my PhD supervisor, he was great! The best thing about him was that our relationship evolved as my needs changed – at the beginning he would come into the lab and work side-by-side with me at the bench, by the end we were meeting maybe weekly or less frequently to discuss big-picture project development.
He still, though, remains one of only two people (other than family members) with whom I have had a proper stand-up row, with shouting and everything! This was towards the end of my funding, and he was suggesting that I stay on unpaid for an extra month. He was correct that I needed more replicates, but incorrect that I could afford it! (A little bit of the “I did the same when I was a student, so why can’t you?” may have crept in there). He ended up securing funds for that last month and we’re on great terms now!
@Cath: He still, though, remains one of only two people (other than family members) with whom I have had a proper stand-up row, with shouting and everything!
… Yeap, I’ve also seen big-fat-ugly discussions between a professor and a student… but at the end everything is fine, it is like a big family!… hahaha!
It’s good to learn how to evolve
and survivein the process!Hi María José, Thanks for this thoughtful post. I recently made a documentary film entitled Naturally Obsessed: The Making of a Scientist about a lab in Columbia University’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. I made the film in an effort to show what goes on inside of a science lab and to realistically portray the sometimes arduous process of the making of a scientist. A key character in the film was Professor Lawrence Shapiro who advised a team of PhD students working in his lab. To say that the guidance, advice and support he gave his PhD students was valuable is an understatement. But featured prominently in the film is the tension between relying on an advisor and becoming an independent scientist. While one student developed an extremely productive relationship with his adviser that culminated in a major publication, another student had a difficult time with the independence required of graduate students and abandoned her PhD altogether.
For more information about the film, go to www.naturallyobsessed.com
Richard, thanks for your comment. I’ll check out the link! (sounds very interesting!)…
;-)