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?
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What field is this? In some it is no problem.– BuffyCommented yesterday
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1Is changing to a different institution an option?– Moishe KohanCommented yesterday
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1"Is it possible to finish a research project with no supervision from a PI?" Yes (depending on how independent a student you are), but you need to have an actual viable research project and get repeated feedback on it from experts. It seems like you have neither at this moment.– Adam PřenosilCommented yesterday
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3You ask whether there is hope of graduating, but the focus of your question is on missing publications. What is the relationship? Is it necessary to have publications to graduate?– Wolfgang BangerthCommented yesterday
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2@quark You should know what your graduation requirements are by your fifth year.– Azor Ahai -him-Commented 12 hours ago
1 Answer
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.
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Thanks, I have passed my qualifiers and also all first-year PhD courses with top grades. I have a few ideas that I am trying to work on, but I find it hard to write a manuscript from scratch without any external guidance or collaboration. And honestly I find it depressing to find almost all of my classmates proceeding much more quickly than me, so I feel like I am handicapped.– quarkCommented yesterday