Quashing The Erroneous Speculations About PhD

Truly, I am someone who has so much respect for PhD holders and doctoral candidates for their pursuit to contribute to the body of knowledge. I get inspired when I read compelling research works by Professor James Agbodzakey , Professor Fynnba Derby , Professor Emeritus Assibi Amidu , Professor Emerita Sheryl L. Santos-Hatchett Dr. Ike Tandoh , Dr. Albert Kobina Mensah , Dr. Bossman Asare and many research scholars in their field of specialty. I'm putting this writeup because of the conversation I had with a friend who always argue that PhD is a waste of time and that he knows people who have no education but making more money than PhD holders. The moment I heard his line of argument, I became numbed but had to compose myself.

It is important to state that pursuing a PhD is not really about the monetary concept of it but many get motivated by the intense desire to become a researcher, to perform original research, and to make significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge in their field of study.

PhD JOURNEY IS WORTH IT BECAUSE IT FUELS THE WORLD.

The amount of work required to earn a PhD far exceeds that of all other schooling. One must first earn an undergraduate degree, four years of work. Then go on to a master's (in most cases, but not always), two years. Gain acceptance to a PhD program, pass the qualifying examination which tests all the knowledge one gained in his or her undergraduate studies, and take all the advanced coursework and get an acceptable GPA (many PhD programs require maintaining a 3.5 or higher GPA in the coursework alone). This is just the beginning. The bulk of the work is to identify an original research topic, perform the extensive literature searches to prove your topic is truly novel and original, develop a research program in concert with your dissertation committee, perform the research, publish papers on the research, present at conferences, write the dissertation (many are some 300-600 pages), and defend it successfully. In the US, studies say more than 50% of those who begin PhDs do not graduate with a Ph.D. This is not for the faint of heart, nor is it a casual undertaking. You have to have the overarching love of learning and the advancement of knowledge in mind to be successful.

Even after one earns his or her PhD, postdoctoral fellowships/training, published work, and conference presentation are usually required to establish one as a true researcher with a track record of accomplishment.

WHAT PhD IS NOT?
A PhD is not vocational training nor is it done just for the purposes of making money. Some jobs require PhDs – research in an advanced industrial laboratory, government and national laboratories, and of course teaching and research in a university. Some PhD positions in industry are very well compensated. Not everyone is fascinated with the accumulation of money. For some, a research position which is a source of tremendous personal satisfaction to contribute to knowledge is worth everything in life. It is through research that we find solutions to daily problems in life. The COVID-19 pandemic which ravaged the world got a cure through research works. And I learnt that the cure for HIV/AIDS is still being researched on. When PhD holders do research, they get fulfillment from the fact that they are contributing to the body of knowledge in the world's literature by providing answers to problems.

If money is all one desires, you can do very well with far less work by becoming a plumber, electrician, a good auto-mechanic, etc. But, for those with the true desire to be the ones who will advance the state of the art in a field, and possibly make a significant contribution to the world and to mankind, earning a research doctorate is the highest of callings and at once the most satisfying, grueling, and life changing experience there is.

Researchers are the nightmare of the world's problems. They constantly work to provide answers to problems bothering humanity.