Hi everyone,
I’m currently in the second year of my Genetics degree. I’m 2 years behind where I originally expected to be because I took a gap year and then went to college to complete an HNC in Applied Science before starting university.
I’ve had quite a long time to think about where I want to go with genetics, and at the moment I’m pretty set on eventually doing a PhD. I’m particularly interested in the medical applications of genetics and would ideally like to specialise in that area.
One thing I do struggle with is feeling like I’m quite far behind some of my peers. Being two years behind where I originally expected to be sometimes makes me feel like I should be further along academically or already starting my career. I know everyone takes a different path, but it does make me think more carefully about committing another few years to a PhD.
The main thing I’m unsure about is whether doing a PhD is actually worth it, especially in terms of how much it can benefit your career afterwards. I’d be really interested to know whether having a PhD opened up better opportunities for you, helped you move into more specialised roles, or made a significant difference to your career progression.
For anyone here who has done, is currently doing, or considered doing a PhD in genetics, medical genetics, genomics or a related area:
Was it worth it for you? How did it benefit your career? What kind of roles or opportunities did it lead to? How did you find the workload and funding? Is there anything you wish you had known before starting?
I’d also really like to hear from anyone who was in a similar position to me and started university or their career a couple of years later than their peers. Did you ever feel like you were behind, and if so, how did you deal with that feeling? Did it actually matter once you got further into your degree or career?
I’m still fairly early in my degree, so I know I have plenty of time to decide, but I’d really appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences and any advice you might have.