What makes two PhDs who escaped from grad school years ago want to revisit all the highs and lows of their training?  Short answer: Beer!

But the long answer: Grad school is no cakewalk – classes are challenging, experiments fail, and sometimes, PIs seem like they’re from another planet. We made it through one day at a time, relying on regular conversations and scheming over a beer at the end of a long week.

Hello PhD is your chance to join those conversations and benefit from the experience of other scientists who have made their living in, and out of, the lab.  We want to help you take advantage of all of the great benefits of your science training experience, and avoid some of the mistakes and pitfalls.

In this episode, we revisit the early days of Hello PhD, and look back on why we started the show in the first place.

Some things haven’t changed – admissions are still mysterious, PIs are still a pain, and experiments still fail.

But some things HAVE changed for the better, and we want to celebrate the demise of the GRE and the uptick in ‘alternative career’ training.

After 5 years ‘on the air’, it felt important to look back at the ground we’ve covered, and ‘renew our vows’ to make graduate training more effective and less likely to ruin your life.

There’s still so much to do, but we’re honored to walk that road with you, our audience. Here’s to the next 5 years of Hello PhD!

We raise a glass of Surf Melon by Oxbow Brewing Co to celebrate 5 years. It’s a Farmhouse Ale with watermelon, sea salt, and lime coming all the way from Newcastle Maine.