When I do a PhD, what do I live on?

tallaght01

I've been outside the irish educational system for quite a while now, so excuse me if this is a bit of a stupid question.


In about 2 years, I'm hoping to start a PhD in TCD. I don't know a lot about PhDs though.

The school I have my eye on runs a 4 year PhD. They charge fees, which is fine, and I'll have the cash to pay them.

But how do people doing PhDs survive?Like day to day expenses? I have a mate doing one in England, and his grant covers his wages as well as his research. But is this the norm? I'm a simple man, and don't really need much to get y except the basics.

I'm in a job where I can pick up work casually with relative ease. but I'm not sure what the working week is like either...will I have to be in monday-friday all day?

Basically, all I know is where I went to study, and what I want to study. But I know nothing else. So, any advice would be really appreciated

Ostrom

If you want to finish on time, you're looking at 9-5 Monday to Friday. Depending on what you do in that time (intensity etc...) you may take less. My days are flexible, I do 9-6 most days. If I have some things to do around the house, I do 11-7, or just catch up that evening. I live off my funding, which is good for another year, but you can pick up odd jobs everywhere.

Tutorial work pays well, I got some contract lecturing work to save for my unfunded final year. Life is simple, but living with my partner makes expense management easier. We dont drink or smoke, which is a huge weight off (or so I'm told ) You can live on very little if you love your subject (little time for anything else), and are aware that it will occupy your life for its duration. I still have plenty of free time with good time management.

You're med right? I'm sure you could pick up tutorial/demonstration work - Trinity are usually good for support work - many of their undergrad staff are contracted, which is the way things seem to be going across all faculties. Good for poor research students - bad if you're looking to make a living in the Uni system afterwards. Faculty admin work, exam supervision if you can stick it...

You will be fine! Keep it simple, and grab whatever odd jobs you can.

tallaght01

Thanks for the reply efla. Yea I'm a med graduate, and will be a consultant when I start my PhD hopefully. So, I could get locum work. But preferably I'd be close by the uni, so tutoring work would suit me a lot. Is that a common thing to do?

Hopefully I can source a grant, if I get in. Though 6 months of year 1 is based in the U.S where I won't be licensed to practice, which is gonna be pricey as they send you to NYC.

Ostrom

tallaght01 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply efla. Yea I'm a med graduate, and will be a consultant when I start my PhD hopefully. So, I could get locum work. But preferably I'd be close by the uni, so tutoring work would suit me a lot. Is that a common thing to do?

Hopefully I can source a grant, if I get in. Though 6 months of year 1 is based in the U.S where I won't be licensed to practice, which is gonna be pricey as they send you to NYC.

You should contact your potential supervisor and ask him/her to refer you to the group teaching coordinator (if the departments have one) - most faculties should have an appointed manager for the respective stages of study.

I have heard (from friends, I'm not in science) of doctors assisting with bloodwork on other projects, helping out in the lab etc... I'm sure you would pick something up easily enough. I dont know how it works, but could you lecture at consultant level - do all medical lecturers need to have PhD's? If so, contract work could be the way to go - it pays well and is not too demanding on your time, dependig on the level taught. If you're out in James's, it might be easier. Have you considered applying to IRCSET?

Jessibelle

Just out of curiosity, if you get a PhD and are already a medical doctor, do you still get awarded a doctorate or is it just recognised as an additional qualification?

Dr Strange

Jessibelle wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, if you get a PhD and are already a medical doctor, do you still get awarded a doctorate or is it just recognised as an additional qualification?

The PhD is quite different to an MD or doctorate you get after a medical course. So, yes, you still get awarded a PhD as it qualifies you as an independent researcher.

tallaght01

You Don't get to call yourself Dr Dr though :P

There are lots of docs with a PhD too. But you never know as their title desn't change. Not that I ever really refer to myself as Dr. Tallaght01.

Efla, what's IRCSET? I could probably do some lecturing. Someone told me recently that a lot of medical lecturing is on a contract basis these days. So while that doesn't suit my long term aims, it suits my short term aims as most medics who lecture probably wouldn't have a PhD.

El Siglo

tallaght01 wrote: »

You Don't get to call yourself Dr Dr though :P

There are lots of docs with a PhD too. But you never know as their title desn't change. Not that I ever really refer to myself as Dr. Tallaght01.

Efla, what's IRCSET? I could probably do some lecturing. Someone told me recently that a lot of medical lecturing is on a contract basis these days. So while that doesn't suit my long term aims, it suits my short term aims as most medics who lecture probably wouldn't have a PhD.

This is IRCSET. If you can cobble together your proposal, outline etc... you should definately apply to this crowd. Considering you've medical qaulifications etc... you'll probably get funding.

Dr Strange

tallaght01 wrote: »

You Don't get to call yourself Dr Dr though :P

In Germany they do. "Herr Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Tallaght01" for example. Or just Herr Dr. Dr. Tallaght01.

StudentC

As somebody else said, IRCSET funding might be an option. At the moment it gives you €16,000 per year, plus money for fees etc. Easy enough to live on if you have a cheap lifestyle. They tend to fund more engineering and 'hard sciences' but they do fund some biomedical projects as well.

Having said that, as far as I understand their aim is to fund future scientists, so if you are planning a career as a consultant with research being only part of your career, I'm not sure if they would look favourably on it. I have no idea, it's just a possibility.

HRB might be another source of postgrad funding.

And then as others have said, picking up whatever teaching hours you can get is a good way to make ok money. But it can be unpredictable - i.e. it just depends if anybody gives you hours or not. I'm in science, not medicine, so I've no idea how teaching in the medical schools works though.

Somebody else mentioned taking bloods/doing medicals for other people's research etc. Definitely an option because there's always demand for that, but again not exactly a reliable steady income or anything.

dudara

Preusse wrote: »

In Germany they do. "Herr Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Tallaght01" for example. Or just Herr Dr. Dr. Tallaght01.

That's because of the secondary PhD thing that they've got going on.

OP, while doing my PhD, I had funding for the 1st 3 years (about €1000 a month which was plenty at the time). I supplemented this with giving official UCC grinds and tutorials (organised through the Access office for disabled and disadvantaged students). In addition I gave private grinds (a real money earner).

My funding only lasted 3 years, so later, I lectured part-time for 2 years in the CIT as well as working for a few months on an electronics assembley line. I was also still giving grinds and tutorials. I also picked up money at the end of the year by supervising practical examinations, eventually being the lead examiner for my department.

There's always money to be earned in college - you just have to find your way to it.

tallaght01

That all sounds pretty encouraging. I'm glad I found this forum, as it's put my mind at ease. Sounds like I should be able to survive without turning tricks down by the canal. The advice is much appreciated.

Very friendly lecturers in Ireland, too (N=1 is my sample size). I emailed the one of the P.I.s the other day, and explained my situation. It's a quite competitive PhD programme, so I wanted to get a feeling about whether I'd have a chance of getting accepted. I gave him a it of background, and he told me he'd be happy to look over my application before I submit it. It was never like that applying for my masters in Oz!

anotherlostie

Sorry to butt in on this thread, but my situation is kind of linked. I am considering going back to study next year, 15 years after getting my primary degree.

From a funding perspective, is it any more difficult to be a 'mature' PhD student? I read the IRCSET stuff, and I think I interpreted it that you had to be within 5 years of getting your last qualification to qualify.

Fragglefur

usually I think all you need is to be accepted on to a PhD programme and have a supervisor that is willing to support your research, ie provide a reference for you. The IRCHSS and IRCSET often run training days in many of the universities, so it's a good idea to attend one of these.

Age or maturity doesn't really come into it, its more on the quality of your research proposal and the institutional support you have behind you. Your best bet is to approach the university/ department that you would like to study in, and ask their advice.

monosharp

tallaght01 wrote: »

But how do people doing PhDs survive?Like day to day expenses? I have a mate doing one in England, and his grant covers his wages as well as his research. But is this the norm? I'm a simple man, and don't really need much to get y except the basics.

Well I'm starting a PhD early next year in Asia and have to say I'm very happy doing it out here.

Because I'm a foreigner;

- Free Tuition
- Free Health Insurance
- Grant of 300 euro per month for 3 years (may not sound like much but over here its a 1/4 of a good professional job months salary) i.e > Its enough to live on re food/beer/mobile phone/coffee and a little extra on the side for the month. Or could be used for rent but rent isn't an issue for me.
- Getting paid more for working in a lab (don't know details yet)

And language is no problem. i.e > Speak English OR the local lingo and your fine.

Plus the University I'm going attending has a pretty good name worldwide (120th-ish in world rankings).