5th year PhD student with no publications. How to proceed?

Question

I am doing a PhD in physics at a US school in my 5th and I would like to seek some advice. My PI provides absolutely zero guidance and it is not possible to have any technical discussion with him. Guidance is "at least on paper" provided by the postdocs. I have no publication up to now and I feel like I don't have an actual working research project. During the last two years, I have asked other professors if I can switch to their group, but they refused. I do not really want to drop out. Is there a hope in my situation or is it very likely that there is no hope in submitting a dissertation? What should I do in this situation? Is it possible to finish a research project with no supervision from a PI?

Answer 1

To me, the most important issue in your post is that you don't have a research project and the advisor seems unwilling or unable to get you to a viable one. In a highly theoretical field (mine was math) the lack of publication may be less important, but I'm guessing there for theoretical physics.

If you have passed comprehensive exams you are in a fairly good place intellectually, though without a viable project perhaps in trouble for finishing.

I had an unhelpful advisor after four years and changed institutions to succeed. It was to a higher ranked institution, actually, and a wonderful advisor, full of ideas. The change in institutions was facilitated by another professor who was able to attest to my likely success, but it wasn't my advisor.

The quickest path might be to find another group at the same university, but it that is impossible, as you suggest, moving might be necessary. Look to other trusted faculty for help and advice in that, as in other possible options.

Some people can succeed without guidance, but I think they are rare. I was not. I don't think I was really a mathematician until after I'd earned the doctorate. I had some skills, but hadn't yet achieved the capability for self guidance and problem/project insight and evaluation. If you are like that, then you may need to take drastic action. The lack of a project after five years is an indicator.

In highly theoretical fields, the highest level is insight about "what might be true" and how to go about obtaining evidence (proof in math) about the correctness of the insight. A good advisor should have that.