Janna B. Oetting, Ph.D.
ASHA, 2011
The MA: Cohorts by Year
Class of 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016…
The PhD
Read
Write
Ponder
The PhD
Read
Write
Ponder
Old School
The PhD
Increase fund of knowledge
Generate new ideas
Test new ideas
Disseminate new ideas
Drive change in our field and in our communities!!!
The PhD
Increase your knowledge
Generate new ideas
Test new ideas
Disseminate new ideas
Drive change in our field and in our communities
The New PhD
Walker, G.E., Golde, C.M., Jones, L., Bueschel, A.C., &
Hutchings, P. (2008). The Formation of Scholars:
Rethinking Doctoral Education for the Twenty-First
Century. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
The Role of Peers
Join you in your studies as you work to increase your
fund of knowledge.
Share their expertise and experiences.
The Role of Peers
Join you in your studies as you work to increase your
fund of knowledge.
Share their expertise and experiences.
Professors
School A
BA & MA
Professor s
School B
BA & MA
Professors
School C
BA & MA
Clinical Work
PhD Peers
Professors
School D
BA & MA
Clinical Work
Other Important Roles:
Sounding board for your ideas.
Best critic of your writing and oral presentations.
Never turn in a paper without having your peers read and edit it (a week
before not minutes before).
Givers of opportunities for you to read and edit work.
Best way to become a better writer is to edit someone else’s work (do
this over and over and over for each other).
Collaborators on projects (during and after your PhD program)
Research projects, clinical projects, teaching materials, service projects.
This can include the development or use of new software, new
interactive media, etc. This can include learning how to lead a team and
how to participate without being the leader.
Mental Health Role
Support a balanced life.
Provide respite from your studies.
Extra curricular activities such as exercise, social outings,
etc.
Listen to your concerns and insecurities.
Understand you because they are going through or have
gone through the same experiences.
Who is in your Peer Group?
Other PhD students who start at the same time as you.
Other PhD students who start before or after you.
Other PhD students at other universities.
Recent PhD graduates from your program.
Recent graduates from other programs.
Final Thoughts
Consider the availability of PhD peers when considering graduate programs.
Connect with current PhD students via email or phone. Meet them during a
visit.
Look for office space that is devoted to PhD students. Ask about the general
schedule of current PhD students.
Your PhD degree can reflect the quality of your skills but also the quality of
your department and PhD peers (can elevate but it won’t hinder).
If you choose a school without a strong peer group, actively work to build
for yourself a community of scholars with PhD students outside of the
department and school.