What is it like being a research student with the Melbourne Dental School?
As a research student, you need to show independence, initiative, curiosity, persistence, intelligence, personal maturity and, most importantly, a keen sense of humour! After all, this is a challenging quest you are setting upon.
We have a relatively small group of PhD and MPhil students, 22 at last count. You will have a place to call your own at a desk and computer in a shared study room so you will be encouraged and supported by those around you and, importantly, you have access to some of the most amazing state of the art technology and equipment in the world.
Your supervisors are now also your colleagues, mentors, advisors - and, yes, at times, you will be challenged! This is all great fun but it only suits a certain type of person. You have to let go of being in a class and being handed ideas, data and knowledge.
You are in charge now. There is a lot of help around but you have to seek it out. You cannot be reluctant to ask for advice.
You might find these two articles about what it is to be a PhD student interesting:
The value of a PhD © copyright by Colin A. Sharp, PhD, September 2010.
Research Degrees an attractive option by Gavin Moodie, 4 September 2010