Dissertation Support Thread

[QofQuimica]

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I've started writing. Anyone else getting ready to graduate this year? Future plans?

 

[dr.z]

I'm trying to write. I couldn't make it to the December deadline so I'll just make sure its done by May. I'm actually doing a post-doc at another lab now.

 

[QofQuimica]

I'm trying to write. I couldn't make it to the December deadline so I'll just make sure its done by May. I'm actually doing a post-doc at another lab now.

Congrats. 😀 I will also be graduating in May. How are you coming along? I think I got about a page done today. It's hard to work at the lab, because there are too many other people around and also distractions (like SDN 😛 ). But I am almost done with drafting my first chapter of four. This one is theoretical, but some of the others need a little more experimental data before they'll be complete. Sigh.

 

[pseudoknot]

Q, are you actually having to write a thesis from scratch? My program will let me basically assemble papers together with an introduction, plus maybe a chapter or two of unpublished crap. I'm planning to defend in May and my advisor suggested starting to write in April.

 

[QofQuimica]

Q, are you actually having to write a thesis from scratch? My program will let me basically assemble papers together with an introduction, plus maybe a chapter or two of unpublished crap. I'm planning to defend in May and my advisor suggested starting to write in April.

Partly. Papers on two of my projects have already been submitted, so those two chapters will be relatively easy. I just need to expand on the papers. But the other two haven't, so I'm writing them from scratch. 🙁 I don't expect to be writing full-time from now until May, if that's what you're wondering about. I'll get most of it done now, though, and then finish the rest in the spring after I make my last two compounds.

I have to tell you that I enjoy watching it grow, in a sort of masochistic way. 😛 It's like I'm writing the world's longest term paper. I have my MS, but this is going to be much longer than my thesis was. And I'm not even trying to BS....yet.

 

[mdphd2b]

Q, are you actually having to write a thesis from scratch? My program will let me basically assemble papers together with an introduction, plus maybe a chapter or two of unpublished crap. I'm planning to defend in May and my advisor suggested starting to write in April.

Hey jrdnbenjamin!

I'm also in a similar boat. My thesis committee said I can write what's left in April (Intro/Disc)-it will only take a month-and then defend in May. So now I'm just working on the "real meat" chapters. Most of the faculty I've talked to said I should write whatever whenever, even if it's out of order! Just trying to get things down as I wrap us my final expts! Good luck

 

[QofQuimica]

Hey jrdnbenjamin!

I'm also in a similar boat. My thesis committee said I can write what's left in April (Intro/Disc)-it will only take a month-and then defend in May. So now I'm just working on the "real meat" chapters. Most of the faculty I've talked to said I should write whatever whenever, even if it's out of order! Just trying to get things down as I wrap us my final expts! Good luck

I am also writing mine out of order. Evidently that's quite common. 😛

 

[QofQuimica]

Anyone set a defense date yet? Mine is March 31. 😱

 

[beary]

Q, are you actually having to write a thesis from scratch? My program will let me basically assemble papers together with an introduction, plus maybe a chapter or two of unpublished crap. I'm planning to defend in May and my advisor suggested starting to write in April.

This is exactly what I did. All I had to actually write was an intro and a discussion. I don't think anybody on my committee even read my thesis (which is fine with me!)

 

[QofQuimica]

Q, are you actually having to write a thesis from scratch? My program will let me basically assemble papers together with an introduction, plus maybe a chapter or two of unpublished crap. I'm planning to defend in May and my advisor suggested starting to write in April.

You guys finish really late! I actually graduate at the beginning of May, so I have to be done way before then. Today I turned in my format check. I have to turn in my first draft to my committee on March 8, and my final draft to the grad school in mid-April. Like I said before, I'm defending in March. I've written about 60 pages so far, not counting the fluff at the beginning. The worst part is finding out about data that I'm missing and having to go back and get it, or even worse, having to remake compounds that I made years ago but didn't save because they were intermediates. 🙄 I'm also trying to finish up some compounds before I graduate; hopefully I will. I wish I could defend in May, too.

 

[mdphd2b]

Anyone set a defense date yet? Mine is March 31. 😱

Hey, good luck with that! Mine is May 2.

 

[fantasty]

I'm trying to decide if I can pull off April 24, which is pretty much the point of no return for this semester. Otherwise, it'll be Dec. Despite adding an extra year, I would be sooo much happier and could get a lot out of the extra time, but my PI is trying to get me through.

 

[tr]

I'm trying to decide if I can pull off April 24, which is pretty much the point of no return for this semester. Otherwise, it'll be Dec. Despite adding an extra year, I would be sooo much happier and could get a lot out of the extra time, but my PI is trying to get me through.

Gah, me too! This is totally insane. I feel like I'm being pushed back onto the wards with an unfinished thesis project and no time to prep for the clinicals. Unfortunately I'm relieving my stress by procrastinating on SDN.

 

[fantasty]

Gah, me too! This is totally insane. I feel like I'm being pushed back onto the wards with an unfinished thesis project and no time to prep for the clinicals. Unfortunately I'm relieving my stress by procrastinating on SDN.

Yeah, I had these grand ideas a few months ago about how I'd be catching up on books like Boards & Wards, etc, prior to going back. But instead, I've hit some stumbling blocks on my main project (and coping with it by griping about it on SDN 🙂 ). But, I don't want to do a half-assed job on my dissertation, despite the fact my advisor says it'll pass fine. And, I've got a lot of loose ends to tie up and I can't foresee being able to take time during rotations do go back to these.

 

[QofQuimica]

Good luck to all of you guys. I just turned in the drafts to my committee members yesterday. I can't believe that three weeks from now I'll be done. 😱

 

[mdphd2b]

Good luck to all of you guys. I just turned in the drafts to my committee members yesterday. I can't believe that three weeks from now I'll be done. 😱

Hey that's great news! I'm also writing mine--basically I write during the week and then come to the lab on weekends to fill in any holes for figures. Still sticking with May 2 for my defense. It would be very tempting to push things back a couple weeks, but that could be a slippery slope, so trying my best to stay on target 🙂

Best of luck to you Send some good vibes my way too 😳

 

[QofQuimica]

Hey that's great news! I'm also writing mine--basically I write during the week and then come to the lab on weekends to fill in any holes for figures. Still sticking with May 2 for my defense. It would be very tempting to push things back a couple weeks, but that could be a slippery slope, so trying my best to stay on target 🙂

Best of luck to you Send some good vibes my way too 😳

to you and everyone else getting ready to defend!!!

 

[mdphd2b]

to you and everyone else getting ready to defend!!!

Time to revive an old thread...

So, my thesis is due to the Committee next week! What a crazy mis-adventure in learning this has been! At the Committee's suggestion, I started with the two Results chapters that I had to submit for publication (still haven't heard back on the review process!). Then, I wrote the general Discussion, while all my results/future directions/ideas were still fresh. THEN my Committee springs out of nowhere a reminder about my older crappy project which had mostly two years of negative data--they actually WANTED all that $@%* written up as a chapter, which I did (yuck! very depressing 😱 ).

Then FINALLY I saved the Intro chapter for the end (at their recommendation), which ended up being the best idea ever, since I was WAY too burned out by then. The Intro is very focused on the background essential to my project, and I know now what not to include or repeat from other chapters! Good idea, plus I "recycled" a lot from my Comps proposal here

So, is this how it goes for everyone else? How's everyone hangin' in? Hey Q, how did it go? D-day for me is May 2! Keep sending all that luck

 

[scneuro]

My masters dissertation is May 2nd also. I know it's nothing like the PhD dissertation that awaits me, but writing this thesis all the same has been one wild-rollercoaster ride. I'm currently working on my intro. with concluding remarks left to write. My manuscript which is the second chapter is done (basically) and the unpublished data is another chapter which writing those negative results was a pain so I feel ya mdphd2b.

Good luck finishing everything up, I'm shooting to have this thing out to my committee by the 18th so that'll give me 2 weeks to finalize my presentation for the defense.

Time to revive an old thread...

So, my thesis is due to the Committee next week! What a crazy mis-adventure in learning this has been! At the Committee's suggestion, I started with the two Results chapters that I had to submit for publication (still haven't heard back on the review process!). Then, I wrote the general Discussion, while all my results/future directions/ideas were still fresh. THEN my Committee springs out of nowhere a reminder about my older crappy project which had mostly two years of negative data--they actually WANTED all that $@%* written up as a chapter, which I did (yuck! very depressing 😱 ).

Then FINALLY I saved the Intro chapter for the end (at their recommendation), which ended up being the best idea ever, since I was WAY too burned out by then. The Intro is very focused on the background essential to my project, and I know now what not to include or repeat from other chapters! Good idea, plus I "recycled" a lot from my Comps proposal here

So, is this how it goes for everyone else? How's everyone hangin' in? Hey Q, how did it go? D-day for me is May 2! Keep sending all that luck

 

[PHD_2007]

My dissertation proposal meeting is on May 5th and I'm taking the MCAT next Saturday!!! I need PRAYERS!!!! I'm so nervous!!!! I have a bunch of writing to do!!! I wish everyone GOOD LUCK AND Blessings with writing your documents!!!

Best Wishes,
PHD_2006
(graduation date got changed to Dec. 18th 2006.) 😍 😍

 

[QofQuimica]

So, is this how it goes for everyone else? How's everyone hangin' in? Hey Q, how did it go? D-day for me is May 2! Keep sending all that luck

That's "Dr. Q" to you. 😉 I'm graduated, folks. 😀 How are the rest of you spring defenders doing? Everyone got quiet all of a sudden. Pseudoknot, you out there?

 

[mdphd2b]

That's "Dr. Q" to you. 😉 I'm graduated, folks. 😀 How are the rest of you spring defenders doing? Everyone got quiet all of a sudden. Pseudoknot, you out there?

WOOHOOO 😀 That's awesome Dr. Q. Yup, I defended last week as planned on May 2, then I started my week-long MS3 Orientation on May 9. I now have almost a month of vacation, since my first clinical rotation doesn't start 'til June 12. This is SOOOOO cool 😀 I'm finally near the light at the end of the tunnel 👍

Lots of luck to those still preparing to defend

 

[QofQuimica]

WOOHOOO 😀 That's awesome Dr. Q. Yup, I defended last week as planned on May 2, then I started my week-long MS3 Orientation on May 9. I now have almost a month of vacation, since my first clinical rotation doesn't start 'til June 12. This is SOOOOO cool 😀 I'm finally near the light at the end of the tunnel 👍

Lots of luck to those still preparing to defend

Awesome, congrats! Enjoy your well-deserved time off. 👍

 

[pseudoknot]

That's "Dr. Q" to you. 😉 I'm graduated, folks. 😀 How are the rest of you spring defenders doing? Everyone got quiet all of a sudden. Pseudoknot, you out there?

Yes, I'm here. I'm defending on May 23rd, so I suppose I ought to finish my dissertation draft by this Tuesday to send out to the committee. I have to update my three-year-old intro and do a little more molecular modeling. Unfortunately, I'm stuck on shift tonight at the suicide hotline, so I don't know how much I'll get done tonight, and then tomorrow I'll be tired.

I got accepted to VCU off the waitlist on Thursday, so I'm withdrawing from Drexel. Still on eight more waitlists though, four of which I would certainly pick over VCU.

So yeah, life is busy but good. This looks like the most eventful year of my life: finishing my PhD, getting married, and starting med school, all within less than four months.

 

[QofQuimica]

Yes, I'm here. I'm defending on May 23rd, so I suppose I ought to finish my dissertation draft by this Tuesday to send out to the committee. I have to update my three-year-old intro and do a little more molecular modeling. Unfortunately, I'm stuck on shift tonight at the suicide hotline, so I don't know how much I'll get done tonight, and then tomorrow I'll be tired.

I got accepted to VCU off the waitlist on Thursday, so I'm withdrawing from Drexel. Still on eight more waitlists though, four of which I would certainly pick over VCU.

So yeah, life is busy but good. This looks like the most eventful year of my life: finishing my PhD, getting married, and starting med school, all within less than four months.

Wow! Congrats on VCU, and for the 23rd and the other waitlists. 🙂

 

[Hard24Get]

I just wanted to say congrats to all and ask whether you had any advice for those of us just beginning to write? I am enjoying giving my own perspective on the field, but I am not sure how much of myself I can be. Any websites with sample dissertations that you have found?

Thanks!

 

[QofQuimica]

I just wanted to say congrats to all and ask whether you had any advice for those of us just beginning to write? I am enjoying giving my own perspective on the field, but I am not sure how much of myself I can be. Any websites with sample dissertations that you have found?

Thanks!

I downloaded previous dissertations from my department to look at. You can probably find electronic copies at your library. Also, your PI probably keeps copies of previous students' dissertations, and you can look at those as well. Then the grad school puts out a manual explaining the format rules. My advice is to actually read and follow the thing, because while it's a pain in the butt to follow their stupid rules, it's an even BIGGER pain in the butt to have to go back and re-do everything later after NOT having followed all of their stupid rules. Or so I've heard. 😀 😛

 

[Hard24Get]

I downloaded previous dissertations from my department to look at. You can probably find electronic copies at your library. Also, your PI probably keeps copies of previous students' dissertations, and you can look at those as well. Then the grad school puts out a manual explaining the format rules. My advice is to actually read and follow the thing, because while it's a pain in the butt to follow their stupid rules, it's an even BIGGER pain in the butt to have to go back and re-do everything later after NOT having followed all of their stupid rules. Or so I've heard. 😀 😛

excellent point!

 

[pseudoknot]

Wow! Congrats on VCU, and for the 23rd and the other waitlists. 🙂

Well, I defended on Tuesday. The talk went well, and I survived the celebration that night too (if barely). I never really understood how draining this all could be. It's great to be getting close to finishing though.

 

[dr.z]

Well, I defended on Tuesday. The talk went well, and I survived the celebration that night too (if barely). I never really understood how draining this all could be. It's great to be getting close to finishing though.

Congrats!

 

[QofQuimica]

Well, I defended on Tuesday. The talk went well, and I survived the celebration that night too (if barely). I never really understood how draining this all could be. It's great to be getting close to finishing though.

WTG, Doc! Congrats!