By Shayma, PhD Genomic Medicine
Pursuing a PhD can be a daunting and protracted endeavor. Nonetheless, with the right support, it can transform into a seamless and even thrilling experience, aiding you in clarifying your aspirations and passions. Here’s a basic guide for discovering a PhD that fits you, based on my individual journey of locating, selecting, and applying for a PhD at Imperial.
Why embark on a PhD?
Before initiating your PhD exploration, it’s essential to grasp why you wish to pursue a PhD. A PhD represents a dedication, and it’s vital to verify that it corresponds with your aims and preferences. It equips you to become an autonomous researcher, a crucial competency for the profession I aspire to.
In addition to technical education, I was attracted to the autonomy and innovation that academia offers. My passion for science can only extend so far if I’m engaged in subjects that don’t pique my interest and conducting experiments that don’t matter to me, so I chose a PhD project that genuinely fascinated me. The ability to direct my project as I envision it is also a significant advantage for me and stands out as one of my preferred features of pursuing a PhD.
Therefore, as straightforward as it may seem, I recommend creating a pros and cons list regarding pursuing a PhD before commencing your search to ensure it’s something you genuinely wish to do – what do you believe a PhD will offer you?
The PhD application journey
The application journey generally consists of several phases:
- Search for a PhD
- Initial submission of application
- Shortlisting
- Interview(s)
- Conditional or official offers
- Funding options
Interviews commonly concentrate on your motivations for applying, your comprehension of the project, your previous research experiences, and your approach to overcoming difficulties. While preparing for interviews, I revisited my application, reviewed pertinent literature, and contemplated my experiences to articulate them clearly and confidently during interviews.
Locating a PhD
Finding a project starts with discerning what type of research inspires you, what kind of work environment you excel in, and what skills you wish to acquire during the PhD. Some resources that can assist you in finding your PhD include:
- University websites, such as that of Imperial – look for dedicated department pages that outline all open PhD opportunities
- Centralized PhD platforms and job boards like FindAPhD
- Research group and supervisor web pages
- Academic networks and suggestions from professors or supervisors
- Websites of funding bodies and doctoral training centers
My application journey might vary from yours. For my PhD, I attained funding from my home country, so I simply had to locate a research group engaged in a project that interested me. To accomplish this, I navigated through the Imperial website, discovered lists of researchers and their respective groups, reviewed descriptions of their work, and delved into their research outputs.
Since I was already a Master’s student at Imperial while looking for PhDs, I also engaged my lecturers about which research groups they believed would suit me well. I found my current project supervisor through a list of research groups provided by my MSc course leader.
The key is to communicate with EVERYONE and strive to gather as much feedback as you can. I know a fellow PhD candidate who identified their project through conversations.