Reply to Harvard slashing PhD programs + layoffs

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Focus on training US citizens and giving rural and city kids a chance. The US imports way too much foreign talent.[/quote]

I agree in theory, but the US K-12 STEM curriculum is sh*t in most places. It is really hard/too late to correct for a poor foundation once the students are at the college and post-grad level, when you are talking about cutting edge research. That’s how you end up with school like Harvard having to add remedial math courses like pre-calculus to get some of their admits up to speed. [/quote]

It’s not either/or.  We need to get our students better trained and we need to continue to attract the best from other countries. It’s what makes us powerful. [/quote]
We have lots of American students who could get a science PhD.  Most just choose not to because it's really really hard work, takes a really really long time and has very uncertain and not well compensated career prospects.  It's way easier to go work in consulting or for an investment bank than to spend 6 years making 40k/year during your PhD, then two 2-year post doc making $78k, only to fight for a possible faculty job in your 30s.  All of those years as a graduate student and post docs years you're grinding it out with 80+ hour work weeks, going into the lab 7 days a week.  If you don't get a faculty job, you have to try to find an industry job and those prospects really depend on your specialization.  Many end up working at Starbucks.  American students have other options.[/quote]

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