This is the place to ask questions about graduate school, training programs, or general basic career topics. If you are just learning about the field and want to know if it is something you should explore, this thread is probably the correct place for those first few questions on your mind.
Are there any programs that offer remote PhD's? The user is a therapy MS who recently passed ABR3. They would like to continue working while pursuing a PhD part-time. They love their current location and would hate to leave and give up the paycheck.
They are very interested in machine learning and automation and have a good amount of experience with this.
The user did grad school and residency at a well-known and respected university. They are thinking of reaching out to some old colleagues and advisors to inquire about their experience. They are wondering if it has become more common with COVID over the past couple of years.
Comment 1: The user is curious about whether it is recommended to go through residency first before pursuing a PhD if they are not 100% sure about wanting to do research. They are considering starting an MSc and going to residency right after for financial reasons. However, they eventually want to do a PhD and are unsure if they should pursue it before or after residency.
Response 1: The user in a similar situation, a few years ahead, wants to do research but also comes from a low-income family, making the financial aspect challenging. They completed their MS, spent a year doing research, and just matched into residency. Their thesis advisor and current PI advised that it can be difficult to let go of the money to pursue a PhD, as PhD stipends are notoriously difficult to live on. They suggest considering the rhythm and comfort of a stable salary before making a decision. They also mention that not having a PhD does not preclude one from research opportunities in an academic center.
Response 2: If the user is not 100% sure about wanting to do research, it is suggested to not pursue a PhD and focus on personal goals.
Comment 2: The user is a postdoc in academia with a background in physics but is currently more focused on computational biology and bioinformatics. They are considering switching to industry and are looking for examples of roles or companies that work at the interface between physics and biology. They specifically mention Philips and Siemens in Europe but are interested in other cool companies to explore.
Response 1: United Imaging is a newer group that works in healthcare technology and may be worth checking out.
Original URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/MedicalPhysics/comments/urjuyv/training_tuesday_weekly_thread_for_questions/