Decisions. Help?

So my second year of graduate school is coming to an end. My last "class" is on Monday, and we’re developing a microarray and I wish I could just not go. Taking this class was a stupid idea. I’ve managed to learn about a ton of techniques that I will most likely never use, and if I do use them, I’ll have to relearn what they are anyway. It was interesting enough, I suppose.

So after about a year of wondering precisely what department I am in, I am now officially allowed to make a decision. Except all of a sudden I have no idea what I want, and I don’t know what the benefits are of one degree versus the other. I mean, my research won’t change, just my technical title. I’ve been ‘accepted’ into the Experimental Psychology program, which originally I planned to just give them the theoretical finger if they ever made a decision on me, but now my mentor adds that I would also be considered part of BBIP (behavioral biomedical interface program), which is an NIH funded training grant. It’s one of three such programs in the country. She tells me having this on my CV is a big plus, and I’d be paid out of that grant for 2 years versus off of her grant. (Which is obviously appealing to her, not to mention she’s the chair of this program) I would have to take more classes though (beyond the year of statistics that she wants me to take regardless of what program I choose), but I would be given my Masters in the fall. As opposed to if I stayed in Biomedical Science, I’d be [basically] done with classes and would not be getting a Masters.

So I need opinions. What do you think would be more useful: a PhD in Experimental Psychology or a PhD in Biomedical Science. The only advice my mentor has given be about the job outlook is that psych is a little more defined. But I don’t know if I liked that definition. Help.

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April 23, 2011

if your project and advisor is going to be the same either way, i doubt it matters that much in the long run what you call your phd. i would just take whatever gives you the most grant money

April 23, 2011

Think about the money as far as grants, but also think about what you want to do post-graduation. If you don’t have funding, you can teach and still do research, so graduate school it’s not necessarily the end of the world to not have research funding. More importantly, which degree will open more doors? Which will be more versatile (because minds can change)?

May 10, 2011

ugh, i never noticed the PNAS thing until now and now i’m never going to not see it. that’s like my favorite journal, too. i h8 you so much right now. i’m going to make a general comment along the lines of “your sentences are too long, brah” but i won’t point out every single incident. that’s probably what editors are for. gonna rail on their materials and methods section, though.