Thinking about a second ph.d.

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In my case I do something REALLY REALLY theoretical, such as interpretation of quantum mechanics and quantum theory of gravity, so I don't see how it is useful in the "real world".



I am not sure who have presented at the conferences I attended in the past. I didn't talk to anyone in my past conferences and was always very isolated (which is due to Asperger). I can try and socialize more in the conferences I am about to go this september. But still I am not sure what steps to take in terms of finding some organizations. It would look very weird if I were to ask that question directly. But if I just talk to people and pretend to just like talking, I would have to be very lucky for conversation to go in that direction. I guess it boils down to social skills.



If one can normally work "fast" outside of graduate school, why should they slow down when their work is part of dissertation? I mean, no one forces anyone to slow down; on the contrary everyone would be happier if graduate student were to finish faster. But I guess may be I don't understand something, so please clarify to me why it works that way.

Yes, I can see how applying that to real world areas can be difficult.



One of the keys to dealing with this that I have found is preparation. If you deal in theory, then you have experience with organizing your thoughts in writing, so writing out a plan of action may be helpful. I have two points to make here, however.

1. You are expected to speak with people about their work at professional conferences. It is appropriate to the setting, and one of the few places where they can speak with other people interested in their work. Talking to them about their work, and the work their organization does would not necessarily be problematic.

2. An easy way around your concern is to read through the programs and schedules of recent and upcoming conferences. The names of presenters are often associated with their organizational affiliation, whether it be a school, governmental organization, or private firm. Look at the affiliations of individuals who present work similar to your own and find out what organizations they belong to. These are the sorts of places that like to hire people like you.



Outside of graduate school, you do not have to adhere to the procedural structures of your department. These structures are in place to guide students through the research process, not to accommodate the research efforts of someone who is already an expert in the field. Secondly, research in this second field may or may not be exactly what you are used to in your current field. Those differences may require you to adjust your own practices as you familiarize yourself with the research culture of that field. Finally, a dissertation is not a publication, and has different requirements. For instance, a dissertation will typically require greater theoretical development than will a publication, simply because your committee will require you to demonstrate your competence in the field. A publication, on the other hand, may require less development, as the target audience may already be firmly aware of the key points informing your research. It is not, for instance, necessary in my field for an article to rehash the differences between the medical and sociomedical perspectives of research into social influences on health and well-being. Everyone who reads the articles is already aware of them. I could not, however, leave an explanation of the differences out of my dissertation.

I would not take a second PhD as I would like to have a life outside work.