So when are you done?

I don't know if this question is like nails on a chalkboard to all PhD students, but it sure is to me. It seems I am hearing it and its variations (e.g. Did you graduate already? Are you finished with school now?) more and more now that I'm about HALF way through my program. I know that the questions are well-intentioned, but when I hear them I want to reply "No, I'm not done. I have no idea when I'll be done. Now leave me alone." To anyone who is afraid of being left out of the loop when I finally graduate, rest assured I will not let that event happen quietly. When I put on that cap and gown for the 6th (yes, 6th) and final time in my life, everyone will know it. There will be phone calls, texts, e-mails, facebook posts, tweets, and of course a blog post to inform everyone I know that they may now start calling me Dr. Doughty.

In the meantime, I will provide an update for anyone genuinely curious about my progress. Not much has changed since my last post. I did complete an online class over the summer and I now have 2 required courses remaining. One, Nutrition and Chronic Disease, I will take this fall. The other, intermediate biostatistics (shoot me), I will have to take in the spring. If I have a dissertation project to work on by then, I may be able to start doing some research while finishing that final class. After my coursework is done I have to take, and pass, comprehensive exams. Then, I will submit defend my dissertation proposal, complete the dissertation research and writing, and finally defend the full dissertation. I do not know for sure how long this sequence of events will take, but I am hoping to be finished by May 2013.

For this fall semester, which begins in 2 weeks, I am taking 2 elective courses in addition to the required courses so that I can maintain my full-time status and eligibility for an assistantship. I have chosen Statistical Methods for Clinical Trials and Advanced Methods in Epidemiology. They may not be the most enthralling of subjects, but they fit into my schedule nicely. And I believe they will be valuable and maybe even a little interesting.

One major thing that is changing for me this semester is my role as a TA. I will still be a TA for the same introductory nutrition course, but I will not actually be teaching discussions. Instead, I will be responsible for setting up and managing the course website and supporting the other TAs, among other activities outside the classroom. Part of me is a little sad about this change, because I did enjoy interacting with students and playing a larger role in helping them learn. However, I think the shift will be a good thing overall. It will mean easier work and less stress. The snowstorms of last semester, which seemed to always occur on the morning I had to be in Massachussetts to teach an 8am discussion, helped to convince me that giving up the classroom teaching was a worthwhile trade for not having to worry about how I was going to get to campus alive and on time.

There you have it. Now, I'm going to attempt to enjoy my last 2 weeks of summer vacation before yet another school year begins.