Some facts...
1. I have three national research awards
2. I have 7 publications, most of which are first authored, two of which are sole authored.
3. I have two more pubs in the works.
4. I have a 4.0 in all of my classes in my doctoral program
5. I got the highest grades in my stats class
6. I did a presentation all by myself at a major conference
7. I completed all coursework
8. I have extensive clinical experience
9. I have done 3 studies on my own.
10. I was on faculty for 2 years at one of the top universities, with one of the top psych programs, and also taught at another top psych program.
I say these facts to remind myself that I did a good job in grad school.
But what do I do now? What do you do when your entire life changes due to one email from one's advisor sent late on a friday? How do you cope? What kind of job can I find? How do I even find a job (seriously, where do you look?)? If all I've wanted to do is be a shrink, how can I do that without a PhD? What do you do if what you have wanted for your entire life is something you have failed at?
I am not contesting this - I will not fight it. I want to ensure I get good letters, and connections.
That said, in the spring they kicked out 3 other female students, and it looks like at least one other female student will be kicked out this semester too. 5 female students in one year. Something's wrong there! I'm surprised that my department seems unconcerned about how this looks.
posted by shrinkykitten @ 12:41 PM
12 Comments:
I understand about wanting good letters. I am disappointed that you did not get the mentoring and support you deserve. I think your department is idiotic for letting you go.
Your list of achievements is incredible. What in the world is your department thinking???
what reason did they give? If you appeal, perhaps they can give the decision more individual consideration ??
it's so strange!
:(
echoing Limon de Campo.
By the way, my doctor said she didn't have a PhD.
xx
It's so obvious that you are a highly intelligent and enormously talented woman, and this setback is just that: a setback on your overall journey - it doesn't have to mean you have to give up on any of your dreams, it just means that the path will look different than what you thought it would.
I'm a bit shocked by the number of female students who are kicked out. Were male students also kicked out?
I'm not sure how psych works -- because in my field they would more than likely cut your funding but allow you to continue with your dissertation work -- maybe by paying tuition or something... so the, 'go away' part is new to me. Have you looked into a transfer to another program?
I don't understand why they'd want to kick you out at all. Is there anyone impartial you could talk to for advice? Someone you worked with at a different university or something?
If you don't want to contest it, I think you still have a lot of different options:
I don't know how psych works, but as ITPF says, you could try and transfer to another program.
You could look for clinical work where you don't have to have a PhD. As you pointed out, you've done it before.
You could look for teaching work where they don't require a PhD.
You could look at retraining for another, related field.
You could keep publishing and build up a record so awesome that universities will be begging you to come and write your dissertation with them. (Although, from your list in this post, I say you already have that!)
You could emigrate to Australia :)
You haven't said why. Did they give you a reason?
It seems like figuring out what's next is going to be dependent on knowing why.
I don't know exactly how this works, but I don't see a reason that you couldn't finish your PhD at another University (one that gives you better support.) I have heard of people who had trouble in one program finishing at another. Also, if it's just your advisor what about taking to someone else about being your advisor? It's pretty rotten of him/her to kick you by email without any warning. Aren't there official procedures or something?
Shrinky, you rock!!!
I know all this is awful, but you rock nonetheless. I'd reached that conclusion long before you posted this list, but seeing your list of accomplishments just reconfirms it.
Cannot. Compute.
Makes no sense at all.
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