1. How to obtain a PhD?
By Carolina Montañez Miranda
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is a postgraduate degree and one of the highest academic
achievements. The Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences focuses on the
Biomedical Sciences Doctoral Program, with an emphasis on scientific medical research.
Using this research, students investigate health issues and disorder prevention through
experimenting in special laboratories with human volunteers, animals, or models. By
forming Ph.D. candidates, the institution impacts the health and wellness of patients, and
broadens their understanding of medical topics so they can achieve a higher level of
knowledge.
After finishing their Ph.D.’s, a lot of students continue in the postdoctoral program
commonly called “postdoc”. In the post doc students continue with new research after
finishing their doctoral studies. In order to complete your PhD, you will have to be focused,
hard working, always on track, and self-disciplined. A very important aspect in the science
fields is networking with different colleagues, mentors and professors because it will help
you establish and maintain new relationships that will help you later on in the future. Some
different workplaces can be laboratories, hospitals, pharmaceutical or biotechnological
industries, government and public health agencies, medical publishing companies, and
colleges and universities.
During the discussion panel, I think it would have been better if they had explained much
more about the roles at the different Ph.D. workplaces.
After the recent visit to the PSMHS, I learned from a new area of the scientific fields I had
little knowledge about. I realized the great passion they have for what they are working on.
When you have a B.S., Medicine is not the only alternative. You have the option of
completing a Ph.D. As Mr. Porter said, being in a Ph.D. program lets you be creative in the
laboratory transforming Science into Art.