Getting a PhD
 

Well my girlfriend is Australian so i'm wanting to move to australia anyway. but i want to do a PhD in biomedical science, i'm going to have to apply for one as an overseas student to do one in Aus i think so i'm looking at applying for a scholarship (i cant afford to pay for it). anyone done this before? any advice on the subject?

Re: Getting a PhD
 

Have looked at doing a post grad and regardless of scholarships it is a VERY expensive.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

Its possible to get fees paid if you're doing research that is of interest for it.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

I did a PhD in Aus that was paid for, I paid nothing for Uni fees and got some living allowance. Try googling the JASON website - it lists all post-grad scholarships in Aus. Also check the individual Uni websites.

Good luck.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

A PhD is very much an academic qualification, so the value is reflected from the institution where the PhD is gained.........

I did a PhD in the UK, i attended a top institution, so worth it. Choose your Uni very carefully. A PhD from Bath UK is very different from say an ex polytechnic.

In your field i would go for the US or the UK.

Cheers Keith

Re: Getting a PhD
 

So a PhD from an Aussie Uni is low class and the equivalent of an ex-UK polytechnic? I don't think so. I agree about choosing your institution for IRS research and academic excellence but to assume a US or UK uni is better is ridiculous. My Physiology PhD from UQ is just as good as if I'd done it in the UK.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

Your assumption, you cannot quote me...................


Again your opinion, not mine.

The individual has a choice, my choice may differ from yours, but my outcome may satisfy me but not you, its all about our own realisation of what we want to use our PhD for and where we want to carry out our further research or work?

Cheers Keith

Re: Getting a PhD
 

Australia has some good unis but the rankings reflect reserach and man of the universities in Australia lack behind the UK and US.

Doing PHD's is very uncommon here although you can be awarded a salary if you do one.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

The uni you choose is not necessarily as important as the supervisor you pick. Do you have any idea of the area of biomedical science you want to do a PhD in? There are so many to choose from. Pick a supervisor that has a very good publication record and also some history of winning NHMRC and ARC grants and who attends conferences regularly. Email them and discuss the topic. Do not mention scholarships at this stage. Get a feel for the supervisor and find out how many students have successfully completed. Talk to those students if you can and find out what their thoughts were. I know a few supervisors who should never be allowed to have any students as they are just too half-assed. Some unis offer overseas scholarships but they are very competitive. If you don't have an H1, or an H2 (i) then you probably won't get into biomed. One way round that is a MSc and publications.

Any idea of which part of the country you'd be looking at?

Re: Getting a PhD
 

Only partially true- thought not entirely disagreeing with you. A research degree from any institution is valuable if the research is excellent and ground breaking compared to bland research from a high calibre university...

Re: Getting a PhD
 

This is exactly what my opinion is. I'm currently doing my PhD in Melbourne and found my colleagues are doing very good in their fields...though they did not complete their PhD from a top ranked uni. Apart from this, I believe, choosing your supervisor is as important as choosing the uni itself.

To OP: you can send me PM if you have any specific questions!

Re: Getting a PhD
 

Thanks for the advice so far. I'm looking at melbourne (where my gf lives) and i would be able to live with her, so i'd even be happy with just a fee remission scholarship if need be.

I have a few areas i'm particularly interested in (cancer biology, virology, proteomics) but i'd take a less inteesting topic if i could go to the right place.

I'm currently doing a masters at the university glasgow (i'm on course for a top grade) and i did my undergrad at bristol (2.1) so hopefuly i'm qualified enough.

I think it seems like talking to possible supervisors is the first thing i should be doing? maybe sending them a cv?

Re: Getting a PhD
 

You don't have to take a less interesting topic- you just have to convince a supervisor that your topic is interesting, the first thing to do is look at the potential supervisors in the department/faculties and contact them. Don't send them a CV, email them and have an idea of the kind of research you want to do and then try and get them on side, just a quick few paragraphs with the areas of interest should be enough to whet the appetite. Normally in these circumstances they would email you back saying whether they were interested and forwarding you on to someone they know who might be. I wouldn't email more than 1 or 2 people at a time- it looks bad (at least my friends think so, they're uni lecturers and professors).

Your academic background seems solid enough but it is just a case of finding a suitable super.

Good luck!! :fingerscrossed:

Re: Getting a PhD
 

I totally agree with Drell on this one.

I completed my PhD at a Melbourne Uni and I'm now working as a postdoc in cancer research and totally loving it. I would work for my boss regardless of which uni he was at, which goes to show that the people are the most important.

Good luck James and feel free to pm me as well.

Safaet, good luck with your PhD.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

mate I thought you enquired about taxi driving or security work when you come to Aus? Nothing wrong with that mate but not exactly using your PhD skills especially a supposedly good PhD:confused:

Re: Getting a PhD
 

You have several options, eg proteomics at:
University of Melbourne
Monash
RMIT

As the others have said, you need to do a lot of homework, even before you try contacting anybody (look at research section for that dept, current students, past students, publication lists). Have a look at the relevant pages for prospective PhD students - some require you to submit the research proposal with your application. There are also different timescales in terms of the academic year starting in Feb and ending in Nov, but PhD applications can take a long time to process. It can be a nightmare if you don't choose the right supervisor.

There may be job opportunities for you as well, eg RMIT have a 4 year PhD option if you teach at the uni at the same time. There's a job being just advertised on Seek: http://www.seek.com.au/Job/proteomic...burbs/19287381.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

We are all different mate, very different, and believe me, i am different; to unblock a drain can give a better sense of achievement than to solve an equation or understand a new theory/software package. Sometimes we choose career/academic paths which are not suited to one's personalities/needs; i did, i chose wrong. But to admit one is wrong, takes a wise individual; i am happy with my decision, so that makes me a very wise man in my eyes...........


Keith.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

fair enough. Did you get your PhD mate?

Re: Getting a PhD
 

To participate makes you a winner, to lift the cup is a function of participation, we do not all need to lift the cup to be winners, I will let you decide, am I a winner or a participant, have a nice day………….Solve the equation…………….

Keith.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

so thats a no then:lol:

Re: Getting a PhD
 

In addition to a good supervisor, I would have thought one's choice of research (field), original research and results are more important to any potential journal, audience or users than which university? Further, some universities, unknown to many, have international excellence in particular areas of research..... but end of the day it up to researcher.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

Most PhDs are funded in some shape or form. Find the staff pages on the University website, find the academics who have similar interests to yours then get in contact. Ask if they have research grants to fund the PhD.

You might stand a better chance if you are here so you can go to interviews and chats. Academics here already receive a large number of emails from overseas students asking after places, and are visited by local students wanting to do a PhD, so you have to have something good to convince the academic to take a chance on you. Meeting them in person for a discussion over a cup of coffee definitely helps.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

You keep smiling, you have achieved, you are moderating, keep moderating, i'm tired,................. nite my lovely..................:rofl:


Keith.:fingerscrossed:

Re: Getting a PhD
 

Quite.

You'd be hard put to find a better supervisor than David Chalmers. If he represents the quality of Aussie academics, then why bother with the Ulan Bator Technical College?

http://consc.net/chalmers/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Chalmers

Re: Getting a PhD
 

Australian Universities are not really as researched based as just say US and the UK.

Re: Getting a PhD
 

ANU is not too bad for that - The John Curtin School of medical reseach - neuroscience is :thumbup:.

if you want research based degree then go to the UK. - thats the answer. Its so different here.

am thinking of doing a PhD after 40. Not now. (hopefully UK if I can manage it financially)