Patricia Gosling & Lambertus D. Noordam 
Mastering Your PhD 
Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond

‘Mastering Your Ph D: Survival and Success in the Doctoral Years and Beyond’ helps guide Ph D students through their graduate student years. Filled with practical advice on getting started, communicating with your supervisor, staying the course, and planning for the future, this book is a handy guide for graduate students who need that extra bit of help getting started and making it through. While mainly directed at Ph D students in the sciences, the book’s scope is broad enough to encompass the obstacles and hurdles that almost all Ph D students face during their doctoral training. Who should read this book? Students of the physical and life sciences, computer science, math, and medicine who are thinking about entering a Ph D program; doctoral students at the beginning of their research; and any graduate student who is feeling frustrated and stuck. It’s never too early — or too late! This second edition contains a variety of new material, including additional chapters on how to communicate better with your supervisor, dealing with difficult people, how to find a mentor, and new chapters on your next career step, once you have your coveted doctoral degree in hand.

Table of Content

Preface.- Choosing a Research Group: Pluses and Pitfalls.- Getting Started.- Setting Goals and Objections.- How to Think Like a Scientist.- Designing Good Experiments.- Charting your Progress Month by Month.- Dealing with Setbacks.- Mentors, Leadership and Community.- How to Get Along with Your Labmates, et al.- Group dynamics: Dealing with Difficult Colleagues.- The Art of Good Communication.- Mastering Presentations & Group Meetings.- Searching the Scientific Literature.- Your First International Conference.- From Data to Manuscript: Writing scientific papers that shine.- Celebrate your Success.- How to Make the Best of your Annual Evaluation.- The Final Year: Countdown to your Thesis Defense.- Writing your Doctoral Thesis with Style.- The Final Act: Defending your Thesis with Panache.- Putting it all Together: A Ph D. . .So What’s Next?.- Is Industry Right for You? Opportunities to Explore.- Exploring Non-Profit Organizations.- Lessons Learned.

About the author

Dr. Patricia Gosling has worked in several science-related fields since earning her Ph D in Organic Chemistry, including medical publishing and medical communications. She currently works in the Scientific Affairs department of a leading biotechnology company. Prof. Dr. Bart Noordam is Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Amsterdam. As Professor of Physics he supervised several Ph D students. He has also worked for Mc Kinsey & Compnany, a Regional Audit Organization, and in the semiconductor industry.