Grad student -- first year help!

[treckingon]

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My advisor seemed like such a good person to work for when I was applying, but now she seems like a pretty cold person. She's abrupt, sometimes obnoxious and sometimes even inappropriate. I have tried talking to her and letting her know what I feel (while still being respectful and open to ideas) -- I told her I feel there's a tension between us that I wish weren't there.

I have these ideas for research that I feel all excited about, and she either outright shuts me down or she does so passive-aggressively. I asked her a couple questions that apparently were psychodynamic questions, so now she has labeled me the psychoanalyst in the lab. I feel like she hardly knows me, but she judges me a lot and says very closed-minded and black and white things. She's very hot and cold.

Is it a terribly bad idea to try and transfer to another phd program? I keep thinking back to the decision last year of what school to go to, and I feel full of regret. I don't really like to program that much -- even thought it's a well known school, I feel like the faculty don't always really care if we're learning, and the classes aren't really all that great. I thought the school was very organized, but it turns out it's just rigid. I have found some other students and a couple faculty members that I like, which feels good, but I still don't know if that out ways the negative. I really thought I would like graduate school, but it seems to just suck. I know I want to be a psychologist, and so I will hang in there if I have to. My question is, do I have to? Do PhD clinical grad students transfer schools? How would I go about doing that?

 

[AnnoyedByFreud]

Is it possible to stay in the program and switch advisors? I know a couple of students who did that. I know you said you don't like the program, but what about the faculty members that you did like... do they have similar research interests?

 

[treckingon]

Thanks for your reply!

Well, I have thought of that. There is one professor I seem to like, however he does not really do research in the same area. My prof does personality disorders, and she is the only one here who does that. The dept is pretty small too, so she would def be able to screw me over if I did that. Politically, I'm worried that would be suicide. I don't know... I'll think about it.

 

[Psycho732]

Don't leave and cause yourself the headache. Just switch professors. If this is your first year, it's going to be a long haul if you stay w/ this one. You'll thank yourself later, even if you will be doing research a little out of your scope of interest.

 

[psychgrad]

Sorry to hear your trouble with your supervisor. I just read a book on the statistics, causes and consequences of leaving graduate school. One of the biggest reasons graduate students leave is because of a difficult/strained relationship with the advisor. The book is called "Leaving the Ivory Tower" by Barbara E Lovitts. The book is a research project was written by a PhD who tried two times unsuccessfully to complete her doctorate but succeeded the third time.

I am starting my first year Clinical this fall and I just wanted to read up on it to be prepared graduate school. I found the book helpful in directing me to focus on integration myself academically and socially into the program (factors that were attributed to student success). The book lists ways to do this.

There were a couple of students who transferred schools and successfully completed their PhD elsewhere, so that is definitely an option for you. It's much easier though to try to work out the problem with your supervisor or switch supervisors.

Have you tried asking her what her expectations are of you? Does she just want you to do her projects or projects she's interested in? Try asking her what you can do to make the relationship work and see what she says.

 

[AnnoyedByFreud]

Thanks for your reply!

Well, I have thought of that. There is one professor I seem to like, however he does not really do research in the same area. My prof does personality disorders, and she is the only one here who does that. The dept is pretty small too, so she would def be able to screw me over if I did that. Politically, I'm worried that would be suicide. I don't know... I'll think about it.

You're welcome 😉

Hmm, both of the students I know who switched labs are still on good terms with their "original" advisor. They didn't leave the lab on bad terms, they just came to the realization that this particular lab wasn't for them and switched out in a respectful manner. I think switching advisors is semi-common, just because one can't expect to be 100% right with the fit between themselves and an advsior. I don't think you would necessarily be burning any bridges.

 

[Boston2k]

While it's not ideal, I wouldn't worry too much about going to a good adviser whose work isn't directly what you want to do. Many parts of graduate school are the same from program to program and adviser to adviser (learning statistics, clinical skills, how to choose a journal to publish in, etc.). You can then do a postdoc with someone in your field of interest and then you're at the same level or ahead of people who had a graduate adviser in your field of interest. Your quality of life is important and you can specialize in postdoc anyways - I'm not saying that it doesn't matter that you pick a graduate adviser who matches with you a priori, but given the situation it seems like you could keep your sanity while still pursuing the field you want in the long run. I think sometimes people overemphasize their specialty they are pursuing as grad students - you only have so much time to do work on your field of interest anyways as a grad student, you do many of the same things from lab to lab, and you'll spend your postdoc and career pursuing full time whatever you want to do as opposed to part time as a grad student. Do other students in the lab or other department faculty feel the same way you do? Maybe the department will understand about why you would switch advisers.