The Scientist : Are We Training Too Many Scientists?
The Scientist : Are We Training Too Many Scientists? :
After three years of postdoctoral work at the Mayo Clinic, Crystal Icenhour was ready to embrace the life of an independent researcher in a tenure track position. But after more than a year of job searching, and only a couple of job interviews, she was bitterly disappointed. The first job was lost to another more qualified applicant. The second institution was hiring two faculty: one senior, one junior. “I thought I had that one … I was ready to pack my bags because the interview went so well and they asked for start-up requirements,” says Icenhour. But after the senior faculty hire negotiated his compensation, there were insufficient funds for the junior position. “He offered me a postdoc in his lab… I didn’t take it.”
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I don’t think people should take postdocs.. frequently they end up being just another form of underpaid labor. some prestigious postdocs are fine and good institutions, but not all are. postdocs narrow your options and i think, that most cut down on your capacity to seek future employment.