To Do or Not to Do a PhD?

This book prepares and guides those who are about to embark (or already have embarked) on a health/medical PhD journey, especially a PhD in Public Health. Based on the author's experience as a recently graduated Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student, she analyses the different aspects of a Public Health doctoral degree, to provide the reader with tips and guidance on how to go about this journey from the initial phase of choosing a research niche up until the oral examination (also called defense). All throughout the book, the author shares examples from her own journey in order to show that there is always a light at the end of a long dark tunnel, so as not to discourage readers from pursuing the degree.
In this day and age, it has become almost obligatory for health/medical professionals to enroll in a PhD program as part of their career progression. A PhD is a must-have academic degree for anyone choosing to continue their careers in the academic world, where this degree is the basis of an academic application. Earning a PhD also can pave the way to governmental and private sector jobs. Although it is an easy decision to apply for a PhD, it is a long journey that requires sacrifice, hard work, and determination. Having an understandable family and friends are important ingredients in the life of a PhD student, as is a supportive supervisor. Throughout the doctoral study, a PhD student makes acquaintances that may act as assets and can be truly helpful; however, human nature always takes precedence, with many curves and hurdles along this research path that lacks easy shortcuts. Although there are various fields of research, the journey each student needs to endure shares the same backbone and an eventual (hopefully) positive outcome.

Using an informal style, the author provides a step-wise guide, from chapter to chapter, on the various essential aspects that need to be considered, such as applying for a PhD, constructing the proposal, identifying the best research design for your research question, achieving permissions, securing grants, setting up the fieldwork, having an understanding of descriptive and analytic statistics, putting the results in a scientific paper format for publication, writing the thesis, and finally preparing for the oral examination.
Intended to be a compact go-to guide for students throughout their PhD journey, both from an academic and personal perspective, To Do or Not to Do a PhD? should engage readers who are about to enroll in or who already have started a PhD, especially in public health, epidemiology, and health/medical fields of study, through its practical tips and guidance on how to master this degree. Both postgraduate and undergraduate students also will benefit from this text's content on how to write a research proposal, draft a scientific paper for publication in a journal, or prepare a thesis.