Biomedical Phd: The Largest Academic Degree

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The doctorate is the highest academic degree that a University can award to a student. In recent years questions arise about the purpose of the contemporary biomedical PhD: What is the doctorate for? Which are the goals and components required for a doctoral education in biomedicine? Defining the PhD is a difficult task, since criteria for a successful PhD seem to differ among disciplines, institutions and countries. As a common element successful PhD candidates are expected to produce an innovative and original piece of research that contributes to the knowledge within their field (thesis). In addition, within the biomedical sciences PhD students are usually required to: (i) participate as a member of a research group, (ii) work on problems …show more content…

Traditionally, doctoral training has been seen as a way to regenerate the academic staff, and those graduates who opted for careers in industry have been considered as not good enough for academia. However not all students aim for a career within academia [2,10]. A variety of factors may play a role in the students’ decision to embark in a PhD, including the career perspectives, intellectual stimulation, personal satisfaction and other personal, social and/or economical conditions. As PhD supervisors it is vital that we acknowledge and accept this reality. This will allow us to openly discuss with our students their ambitions and expectations and to set up career and learning outcomes for their degree. Such communication is critical to develop students’ awareness of the importance of skills development, in helping them to identify their strengths, the possible gaps in their skills and how to address them. One of the tools that can help students and supervisors in this regard is the use of a “personal development plan” (PDP) within PhD programs [14]. The PDP is ‘a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development’ [14]. By defining specific skills and time frames the PDP will provide PhD students and supervisors with a basis for discussion about personal and professional

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