FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: jed on May 13, 2008, 11:25:00 PM
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I am thinking of becoming a Doctor of All
things. Any of you who did this, how did you choose the school/exact program to apply to? Right now I have made a short list of people I think I would like to study with and coupled that with a few places in the area that would allow me to not move to the midwest for the next six years. Should I email faculty I am interested in studying with before applying? Also, how much should I have/pretend to have a specific area of research planned out? I mean, I have a few ideas but am not set on any and each program would probably lead me to different areas. Any other advice?
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Where's the Shameful, off-the-record responses to non-FOT Chan posts thread when you need it.
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Congratulations on your plan.
Maybe you could go to open houses for nearby med schools - NYU School of Medicine and Columbia? Might be more general info than what you're looking for, but maybe they could answer your more specific questions too.
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Congratulations on your plan.
Maybe you could go to open houses for nearby med schools - NYU School of Medicine and Columbia? Might be more general info than what you're looking for, but maybe they could answer your more specific questions too.
Just to clarify, I don't want to be a medical doctor. And now I am imagining me as an MD for the first time and realizing that it would be the worst thing I could ever try to do. I would be the world's worst doctor.
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Where's the Shameful, off-the-record responses to non-FOT Chan posts thread when you need it.
You are right. I'm going to go post something about celebritities.
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oh . . a doctor of all things. got it.
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Do you have a masters?
I don't know about the sciences, but in the humanities, look at the sub-disciplines within the larger field you're interested in and you'll probably be able to ID the 4-5 schools that focus in that area. You'll also want to look for scholars whose work you're interested in and could serve as a mentor & dissertation committee person. After doing internet research and phone calls to the department chairs, I'd highly recommend making visits to 3 or 4 potential schools. Getting to sit in on classes and talk with current students can really help figure out which school would be the best fit.
If money's a consideration, some schools might be able to make stronger offers (assistantships, in-state tuition wavers, etc), which could help make up your mind.
And the Midwest is a fine place with many top-notch institutions, so don't rule it out. Once you're done with your coursework (2-3 years), you can go back home and write your dissertation.
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"Master of all" sounds much more impressive than "doctor of all." In fact, a doctor of all might as well be a pizza slave. Way too much work.
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Do you have a masters?
Yes.
If money's a consideration, some schools might be able to make stronger offers (assistantships, in-state tuition wavers, etc), which could help make up your mind.
Money is no object.
Yeah right. Is it possible to do this with a wife and kid and not take any more student loans on? As far as scholarships go, I'm smart, but not the smartest.
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It might help if you were a little more specific about your area of study. I am merely a Master of
Mystic Fine Arts, but I do know that programs vary wildly.
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I've got a friend who is working on a degree called "master of taxation."
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if you can find employment with a university, you are sometimes eligible for tuition remission.
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It might help if you were a little more specific about your area of study. I am merely a Master of Mystic Fine Arts, but I do know that programs vary wildly.
This is a good question because it has made my process a little more difficult than maybe it would be otherwise. I have a Master's in Divinity with a historical theology emphasis. I basically want to continue down the American intellectual history route. A lot of University History PhD.D. programs don't work for me because they focus almost entirely on social history. If i go with their philosophy departments I usually find a bunch of people immersed in Postmodern Continental philosophy that is beyond my focus. UPenn has a guy that would be perfect for me to study with but I probably can't get in (should I email him and introduce myself?). Universities with theology faculties are ideal (e.g. Fordham, Notre Dame, Yale) but I am concerned with cost. I wonder if I would be better off trying to get into a small and/or local school that will let me do what I want even if it doesn't fit what they are used to.
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What about the religious studies program at UVA?: www.virginia.edu/religiousstudies/ Charles Marsh is doing some interesting stuff - don't know if it's as far back in history as you're interested in
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should I email him and introduce myself?
Why not? What do you have to lose?
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I picked my doctoral program solely based on the professor I wanted to work with. The person should be (1) interested in a specific topic that absolutely fascinates you, (2) nice, and (3) available. The prestige of the school and the prestige of the professor are less important. My wife got her doctorate with a guy who had a great name for himself, but he was a crank and he was hard to access. Her experience was miserable. Mine was blessed.
Forget the school. Forget the program. Go for the professor.