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VENT - Advisor adding work

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AmberGretchen

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OK, so I know that this really won''t seem like a big deal in 6 months, and that its not the end of the world, but I just needed to get it out.

I''ve been working my tail off in a PhD program for almost 5 years. I''m now about 5 weeks away from filing my dissertation and being completely done. My advisor and my thesis committee have signed off on my graduation, and I was supposed to spend these final weeks just tying up loose ends, cleaning up my stuff around the lab, and writing my dissertation. When my advisor signed off that I was done with my lab work I practically threw a party - I''ve hate lab work with a passion the whole time I''ve been in grad school, and I really don''t like being physically at my lab - its in a very unsafe area, and you have to park far away and walk there (we won''t discuss that when I started in the lab he promised me parking nearby the entire time I was there and then went back on his promise when it was too late for me to switch labs
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), plus, all the friends/mentors I had in lab have left, and I''m not close with anyone there - I''ve made overtures, which have by and large been rebuffed (and I''m a pretty friendly person, in general, as those who''ve met me at PS GTGs can attest).

However, instead of being done like he said I was, because of a misunderstanding on HIS part (I was crystal clear - he acknowledges that I told him what I had done), he realizes he wants a few more data points for a paper I was supposed to be a co-first-author on. And guess who he wants to do those experiments, even though I told him I don''t think there''s enough time before I leave? That''s right, me.
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I don''t see any way to get out of it either, because he still has to sign my dissertation in order for me to graduate. I offered to show someone else in the lab how to do the experiments, but he would think that wasn''t "fair" even though I offered to give up my first authorship on the paper to do that so that I wouldn''t have to try to cram in a ton of extra work when I''m supposed to be finishing up and getting out of there.

And there''s really no wiggle room on my graduation date, as I have a firm, set in stone, start date with the company I''ll be working for, and we are moving out of state and I need a little bit of time to pack and get my life in order. I''ve told him this too, repeatedly, and I''m still not sure its sunk in.

I''m sorry this has gotten so long, its just a horrible feeling of powerlessness and helplessness, and I''m so angry that he thinks this is an OK way to treat anyone, let alone a graduate student who has been working so hard and is so close to being done.
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I''m so sorry. This is not the first incident of mentor/student graduation ''promises'' gone wrong, I can assure you. I myself had to leave with a MS instead of the PhD because my mentor didn''t want to bother with me any further (though I am published, post-comps, and have plenty of data). I know of some of my friends who are ready to graduate, with committees agreeing, only to have advisors back out on their promises.

You are almost done! I''m not sure you can get out of those few extra experiments, but know that your time is limited either way. I do understand your frustrations, though and hope you can be done asap.
 
That''s just plain silly. You''ve done your work. I left my lab about 6 months ago with a paper in review on which I was co-first-author. The journal sent it back and of course the reviewers criticisms and such have to be addressed, which means someone has to do additional work to address them. With most of the original authors gone, someone else has to do the experiments. I was more angry when I found out an old paper, which I ended up contributing to because of this same process never got my name on it and there were only 2 other authors.

PhD advisors have forgotten how eager they were to get on with their careers. I hated bench work too and that is what ultimately led me to graduate course work in a related but different profession where I can just hand over samples and let the lab monkey run them
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Gah, so sorry AG!
 
Amber, I have zero experience with this type situation, but wanted to tell you I''m sorry you''re going thru this all the same. It sucks. You''re right that it won''t seem like such a big deal six months from now, but I can only imagine how frustrated you must be to be so, so close to finishing, even think you''re done and then be told you''re not. I hope you''ll be able to work thru this last hurdle and be done with it all!
 
Date: 6/8/2009 12:40:01 PM
Author: jsm
I''m so sorry. This is not the first incident of mentor/student graduation ''promises'' gone wrong, I can assure you. I myself had to leave with a MS instead of the PhD because my mentor didn''t want to bother with me any further (though I am published, post-comps, and have plenty of data). I know of some of my friends who are ready to graduate, with committees agreeing, only to have advisors back out on their promises.


You are almost done! I''m not sure you can get out of those few extra experiments, but know that your time is limited either way. I do understand your frustrations, though and hope you can be done asap.

Wow jsm - that sounds horrible, I''m sorry your advisor was so horrible to you
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Thanks for the nice words - I keep telling myself exactly what you said, that at least I will really be done one way or the other, it may just be a much more horrible 5 weeks than I was expecting between now and then
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Date: 6/8/2009 3:40:53 PM
Author: annadragon
That''s just plain silly. You''ve done your work. I left my lab about 6 months ago with a paper in review on which I was co-first-author. The journal sent it back and of course the reviewers criticisms and such have to be addressed, which means someone has to do additional work to address them. With most of the original authors gone, someone else has to do the experiments. I was more angry when I found out an old paper, which I ended up contributing to because of this same process never got my name on it and there were only 2 other authors.


PhD advisors have forgotten how eager they were to get on with their careers. I hated bench work too and that is what ultimately led me to graduate course work in a related but different profession where I can just hand over samples and let the lab monkey run them
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annadragon - I think my advisor wasn''t actually particularly eager to get on with his career, that''s part of the problem. He''s fond of saying how much he loved grad school and how much he wishes he could go back and do that forever
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I''m glad you found a different career - I actually did as well, and once I leave, I will never (with any luck at all) have to do another second of lab work ever again, as I''m going into the business side of things. I can''t wait.
 
Date: 6/8/2009 3:43:46 PM
Author: swimmer
Gah, so sorry AG!

Thanks swimmer! Definitely pretty high up there on the list of craptastic for me, although I recognize that many people have it worse. I just wish he hadn''t gone back on his word (yet again) and/or that he could have figured this out two months ago when we first discussed it and he gave his OK.
 
Date: 6/8/2009 3:55:31 PM
Author: April20
Amber, I have zero experience with this type situation, but wanted to tell you I''m sorry you''re going thru this all the same. It sucks. You''re right that it won''t seem like such a big deal six months from now, but I can only imagine how frustrated you must be to be so, so close to finishing, even think you''re done and then be told you''re not. I hope you''ll be able to work thru this last hurdle and be done with it all!

Thanks April20 - that is totally the frustrating part, to have been TOLD that I was done, and then be told, at the very last minute, that I''m not...
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Date: 6/8/2009 7:49:19 PM
Author: AmberGretchen

Date: 6/8/2009 3:55:31 PM
Author: April20
Amber, I have zero experience with this type situation, but wanted to tell you I''m sorry you''re going thru this all the same. It sucks. You''re right that it won''t seem like such a big deal six months from now, but I can only imagine how frustrated you must be to be so, so close to finishing, even think you''re done and then be told you''re not. I hope you''ll be able to work thru this last hurdle and be done with it all!

Thanks April20 - that is totally the frustrating part, to have been TOLD that I was done, and then be told, at the very last minute, that I''m not...
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THat''s just so WRONG. GRRRRR. HUGS AG. I hope you get this sorted out and soon.....
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xx Lisa
 
AG- That is so incredibly frustrating! Unfortunately, it seems that you probably have no choice but to try to get it done. He can''t make you LONGER, can he??
 
Date: 6/8/2009 8:28:17 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Date: 6/8/2009 7:49:19 PM

Author: AmberGretchen


Date: 6/8/2009 3:55:31 PM

Author: April20

Amber, I have zero experience with this type situation, but wanted to tell you I''m sorry you''re going thru this all the same. It sucks. You''re right that it won''t seem like such a big deal six months from now, but I can only imagine how frustrated you must be to be so, so close to finishing, even think you''re done and then be told you''re not. I hope you''ll be able to work thru this last hurdle and be done with it all!


Thanks April20 - that is totally the frustrating part, to have been TOLD that I was done, and then be told, at the very last minute, that I''m not...
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THat''s just so WRONG. GRRRRR. HUGS AG. I hope you get this sorted out and soon.....
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xx Lisa

Thanks Lisa - I couldn''t agree more
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Date: 6/8/2009 9:45:35 PM
Author: icekid
AG- That is so incredibly frustrating! Unfortunately, it seems that you probably have no choice but to try to get it done. He can''t make you LONGER, can he??

Icekid - he better not, I''ve only been telling him for MONTHS that this was my absolute end date. And in fact, if he tries to make me do work for him after I''ve started my new job, that would be illegal (violation of my employment contract with new company), so I''m going to do this and then just remind him what I''ve been telling him for months, that I really have to be finished when I say I do.
 
I am so sorry AmberGretchen, huge {{{{{hugs}}}}}; how frustrating!!!
 
Date: 6/8/2009 11:30:29 PM
Author: Skippy123
I am so sorry AmberGretchen, huge {{{{{hugs}}}}}; how frustrating!!!

Thanks Skip - it is definitely super frustrating, but I''m trying really hard to focus on the fact that I''ll be done soon, no matter what, I just have to survive until then...
 
OK, and get this - now he is complaining about how much the additional experiments are going to cost for supplies. Um, seriously?!?!!
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Date: 6/9/2009 11:56:34 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
OK, and get this - now he is complaining about how much the additional experiments are going to cost for supplies. Um, seriously?!?!!
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I''d make sure it costs more. But I''m spiteful like that.
 
Date: 6/9/2009 11:56:34 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
OK, and get this - now he is complaining about how much the additional experiments are going to cost for supplies. Um, seriously?!?!!
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I have no words... Oh I''d be soooo
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What the heck is his deal???? Is he dealing with a full deck?? I don''t get it...GRRRRRR
 
I''m so sorry, AG. My last job was as a lab manager in a university research lab, and watching my boss and other faculty members continually pull crap like this on their grad students completely put me off from getting my Ph.D. Combine huge egos with horrible management/social skills, add the pressure to publish, and presto, YOU get stuck doing extra work. I hope it all goes well, and you get the credit you deserve!
 
Date: 6/9/2009 5:31:37 PM
Author: April20
Date: 6/9/2009 11:56:34 AM

Author: AmberGretchen

OK, and get this - now he is complaining about how much the additional experiments are going to cost for supplies. Um, seriously?!?!!
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I''d make sure it costs more. But I''m spiteful like that.

Sadly, I''m sure he''d probably check the prices on the company''s websites. Grrr...this steams me so much
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Date: 6/9/2009 5:33:51 PM
Author: Kaleigh
Date: 6/9/2009 11:56:34 AM

Author: AmberGretchen

OK, and get this - now he is complaining about how much the additional experiments are going to cost for supplies. Um, seriously?!?!!
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I have no words... Oh I'd be soooo
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What the heck is his deal???? Is he dealing with a full deck?? I don't get it...GRRRRRR

Lisa, I don't get it either, except that he is bizaarely cheap - even though he has a very well-funded lab, and the costs of this would be basically a drop in the bucket. And more importantly, the experiments are exactly the same as the ones I've been doing for the last several years, and will cost exactly the same. I tried to explain that as patiently as I could, but I haven't heard anything back yet...
 
Date: 6/9/2009 7:18:47 PM
Author: Selkie
I''m so sorry, AG. My last job was as a lab manager in a university research lab, and watching my boss and other faculty members continually pull crap like this on their grad students completely put me off from getting my Ph.D. Combine huge egos with horrible management/social skills, add the pressure to publish, and presto, YOU get stuck doing extra work. I hope it all goes well, and you get the credit you deserve!

Thanks Selkie - I can totally see why working in a lab would have completely put you off a PhD - I almost wish I''d had that same experience so I would have known better what I was getting into. Honestly, at this point, I don''t even care about getting the credit - I''m so far beyond that, I just want desperately to be done and as far away from all of this as possible...
 
Date: 6/9/2009 11:56:34 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
OK, and get this - now he is complaining about how much the additional experiments are going to cost for supplies. Um, seriously?!?!!
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Maybe this will force him to decide that the experiments are not necessary after all! I bet you can make him think this was his idea
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HI:

AG--what a business! I recall my pal venting about her supervisor--Ph.D Chemical Eningeering--who kept adding.....just...one...more...thing...it drove her to distraction....she did finish and graduate "on time" but she had a hard time forgetting...that....just....one...more.....thing....

KIT (keep it together!!) girl--you are almost there!
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. Doctor AG will sound SO good!!!!
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cheers--Sharon
 
Amber, give me the word, and I''ll have the professor taken care of, for a modest fee.

We''ll plant him next to Jimmy Hoffa.
 
Date: 6/9/2009 11:56:34 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
OK, and get this - now he is complaining about how much the additional experiments are going to cost for supplies. Um, seriously?!?!!
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Ok, this is getting weird!

One argument: Yes, professor, you are right, it is dreadfully expensive and since we already have ample data in this area, perhaps we can do without this additional expense......

That seems reasonable to me.
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Date: 6/9/2009 9:17:34 PM
Author: Beacon

Date: 6/9/2009 11:56:34 AM
Author: AmberGretchen
OK, and get this - now he is complaining about how much the additional experiments are going to cost for supplies. Um, seriously?!?!!
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Ok, this is getting weird!

One argument: Yes, professor, you are right, it is dreadfully expensive and since we already have ample data in this area, perhaps we can do without this additional expense......

That seems reasonable to me.
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Sounds reasonable to me, but this guy is without reason.... NO?? I really don''t get it. I am so frustrated for you...
 
Date: 6/9/2009 7:51:31 PM
Author: icekid
Date: 6/9/2009 11:56:34 AM

Author: AmberGretchen

OK, and get this - now he is complaining about how much the additional experiments are going to cost for supplies. Um, seriously?!?!!
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Maybe this will force him to decide that the experiments are not necessary after all! I bet you can make him think this was his idea
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Sadly, no. With him, if anything, its more likely that he''ll think of some ridiculously difficult and more complicated way to do it, just so it will save some money
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Date: 6/9/2009 8:24:01 PM
Author: canuk-gal
HI:


AG--what a business! I recall my pal venting about her supervisor--Ph.D Chemical Eningeering--who kept adding.....just...one...more...thing...it drove her to distraction....she did finish and graduate ''on time'' but she had a hard time forgetting...that....just....one...more.....thing....


KIT (keep it together!!) girl--you are almost there!
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. Doctor AG will sound SO good!!!!
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cheers--Sharon

Hehe thanks Sharon - I know exactly how your friend must have felt. What''s sad to me is that I''ve really lost the respect and even liking for my advisor that I had when I started this whole process. At the beginning, he really made me feel like he was in my corner and wanted me to succeed, and now all I feel is that the still thinks I''m an inexperienced (and perhaps slightly stupid) child, and that I want to get as far away as possible as fast as possible...
 
Date: 6/9/2009 8:36:31 PM
Author: Richard Sherwood
Amber, give me the word, and I''ll have the professor taken care of, for a modest fee.


We''ll plant him next to Jimmy Hoffa.

LOL don''t tempt me
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