How to cope with a problematic PhD supervisor

[@TacomaWorm]

Thank for your good advice. The fact of the matter is the PhD students are powerless before their supervisors and supervisors are members of a fraternity meaning supervisors in a university have solidarity with the other supervisors. Reporting a supervisor to a university board makes matters worse for the student, changing from one supervisor to another in the same university does not work well. The situation is much worse if the student is of a different race than the supervisor. This is a difficult situation, I am in that situation.

[@saliexplore3094]

Some good tips here. Something that is quite common and was not mentioned in the video is the problem of "clueless supervisor". This is a supervisor that was lucky to receive a research grant through some collaboration and chooses their research domain based on what is hot these days rather than what they are interested in/are knowable about. If you are a novice researcher and new to a research topic, it can take months (in my case years) to realise that your supervisor is clueless, and that their advise regarding anything technical is mostly misleading than helpful. If this happen to you, you're not alone.

[@James_Hayton]

Very true, sadly!

[@Soundjata153]

The least I can say is that I feel you my friend. I know exactly what you are taking about. Sadly that’s the reality.

[@LEARNWITHPANDA]

I was so lucky because my PhD supervisors were very nice and supportive. Thanks God!

[@mf1203]

I find your videos very useful because my supervisors are not supportive at all. Very little communication and I get all the blame. I already tried to switch supervisors after a few months when I noticed the unsupportive pattern (we really just don't "click" with each other) and the Head of Department denied the request. Have to mention I'm part of the first group you mentioned - doing it part-time and remotely. I'm also the first PhD student that my supervisors have ever had, which makes my feel that they are not 100% sure what to do, especially with timelines for someone doing it part-time, and working a full 8 hour day. The first time I mentioned my time constraints, they said I'm making excuses - my "excuse" being in hospital, on oxygen with pneumonia after Covid last year..... and it has been downhill since then. Now I just avoid talking to them, because all interaction is just so negative and unsupportive. These videos help because they don't. I'm too scared to ask them anything because they treated me like I'm stupid the previous times I asked them for help.

[@James_Hayton]

So why not leave? So many people think they have to be good enough for the PhD, but it's the other way round- If this specific PhD doesn't meet your expectations and needs, why stay in it?

[@za7607]

​@@James_HaytonHi James, your advice was very helpful. I'd like to mention that some people, like myself, pursue PhD opportunities in developed countries to seek a better life. Our home country may not offer good future, and I believe that some supervisors and departments are aware of this and might take advantage of it

[@galdossari3012]

“Speak up early”.... this was my mistake 😞 be careful guys! . . I was yelled & offended by my supervisor 😔

[@Lemurai]

I wish I had seen this earlier, I was working on a pharmacology PhD & opted out in favor of a professional doctorate, I turned tail and went to nurse anesthetist school instead of following through with the pharmacology PhD, and earned a DNAP, (doctor of nurse anesthesia practice) instead, it was a much better experience, the faculty was extremely helpful and our work and research was very specific, tangible & very hands on. This also satisfied several things: my curiosity & interest in pharmacology, allowed me to legally apply my knowledge & training in relation to pharmacology, earning a very sought after hard skill and a very well paying profession. Looking back, I don’t know what I was thinking, trying to get a PhD, when a professional doctorate actually allows one to use/apply what they’ve learned rather than being limited to just a researcher. I’d recommend anyone in a technical field to opt for a professional doctorate over a PhD, it pays dividends in more than one way. Lastly, some PhD supervisors, I feel would benefit from a freshman level management course, it could be business, HR, operations or logistics mgmt, they all operate off of the same relative principles, managing and moving people around & basics of communication in the professional setting, I feel a mandatory course in principles of supervision should be a pre requisite for a PhD supervisor. I recommend books by the late Eli Goldratt, also a PhD, his continuous process improvement theories can be applied to any professional, academic or industrial setting.

[@worldpeaceok]

Any and every problem that arises is actually due to the imbalance of power dynamics and a mindset of one party that they are virtually immune to any punity. Everyone knows which is which and what is what.

[@AffectiveApe]

Very clear presentation delivery and lots of relatable anecdotes. I wish I had all of these videos before I started! Invaluable information.

[@shshredder]

The supervisor I had was jealous of me, was chair of the group and lied to me about my project. Some students in the group were spreading rumours about me that I wasn't working much, when I was working more than 12 hrs at the least. While the university was offering alternatives after I filed resignation, I was exhausted by all the lies, games and politics. The science was least of my problems. Peer review from my experience is pretty much "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours". No wonder phd output in science is mostly same-old same-old. So many phds are given out for sticking around. Sorry about the rant!

[@James_Hayton]

in that kind of situation the best thing is usually to get out. Sorry you had such a bad experience!

[@shshredder]

@@James_Hayton Yup. Thanks for your reply :)

[@anastasiaokundaye9492]

What if the supervisor is also the HOD, what then?

[@SteveAlesSidfuhao]

Hi James, you are definitely saving some students here. I would have taken this tips seriously if I were still a student then. Fortunately, I have just received my PhD degree after overcoming at least one of the tips here.

[@James_Hayton]

How did you handle the situation?

[@al_musofirmotors]

I got stuck in a Korean lab. In our lab, professor is making competition btw Korean students and foreigners, whoever wins will have the first authorship of papers, and mostly Koreans win. At the same time he told me that his requirement for graduation is having at least 5 first author paper. After three years, still I could not even publish one paper. I am really worried about my situation. The topic of my thesis also has not been fixed yet. This the forth time I am starting a new project in the hope of finishing it and publishing my own paper. Here, every things are for koreans. Papers are for koreans. Business meetings are for koreans, incentives are for koreans. International conferences are for koreans. Even lunchs and dinners are for koreans. Can you believe it? In a lab with 23 students, they only order lunch and dinner for 18 korean students, not for 5 foreigners. I got really exhausted. I wish I could find another phd position or a job in another country.

[@merdekaagussaputra1504]

Thanks for sharing this. Hope you are doing well. In my view, you deserve a better environment. You can also find another PhD opportunity and move on with this racist and unkind academic environment. It can pollute both your spirit and mental health. Take care :)

[@al_musofirmotors]

@@merdekaagussaputra1504 Thank you. I am doing my best to move on, either by finishing it or finding another position. It not only damaged my mental health, but also my physical health. I have no other option but moving on

[@merdekaagussaputra1504]

@@al_musofirmotors please do contact mental health therapist nearby if necessary. I hope you'll find the way out of this issue.

[@sl5008]

Korean graduate school culture is the worst. Most professors are super abusive and acting like they are God. They are like "What I say is the law. Just do whatever I tell you to do." often asking graduate students to do their personal tasks that students should not do. Also many professors take the money from projects that should be distributed to graduate students. Moreover, most universities in South Korea never help those students being abused by their advisor, which makes graduate students have no choice but to be silent to get a degree.

[@pistolover-qz3yi]

​@@al_musofirmotors Sorry for your experience, but I can totally picture it out. I am a S.Korean. did my masters there, and did PhD in the UK. I recently filed my formal complaint about workplace bullying and discimination here in another UK university as a research associate. I am determined to fight whatever it costs. I could have done this since I still have faith in some system in the UK, but I think you have little chance to win, especially if you are a non-Korean. There are still ways to address, but still better leave. I hope you made an exit.

[@yyjadeja]

Hi James, This video is very helpful and save many PhD students life.

[@larasayed01]

Brilliant, insightful and helpful, as usual! Thank you ever so much!

[@kmensa5301]

There must be a way to sue ; just a wish, but i wish

[@adrianameneses5762]

Unfurtunately, even though I demostrated the disconnection between my research and supervisors, and made a complaint with our coordinator. The response ended in asking me to quit to the University. It is very sad.

[@flystehu]

Thanks for sharing. There is generally a lack of governance for phd programs. The supervisors have too much power over the students. The strategies for a year-1 phd candidate cannot be the same as a year-5, because the opportunity cost to quit differ significantly.

[@James_Hayton]

The sunk cost is greater for sure. This is why it's so important to try to address issues early.

[@jilokizito1705]

I'm dealing with one that gets angry over nothing and spews dirty slurs right left and centre. Sometimes she does diarrheas words but then realise that it was her mistake. Ironically, she never owns up. She nevre apologizes. She just says, "Ooh, I had not seen it" or "I did not see." And stops there. No sorry. No apology.

[@kukud44]

The politics and power imbalances in academia is so scary. Don't make the mistake of assuming that your supervisor's collegues will be on your side.

[@James_Hayton]

Very true- but if it's that bad then you should get out as quickly as you can.

[@amithks8]

How do i manage the situation where in supervisor has told that he would meet me without specifying time of meet. Further, as I wait in the lab , he has also waited for me in his cabin for an hour. By the time i call him stating that is he in his cabin ,he has already left to home. When i messaged him as "Extremely sorry" ,he said to meet on Monday. Is this serious ? How would he think as a supervisor and what action he would probably take. ?

[@James_Hayton]

Just talk to him. If in doubt about when and where you're meeting, just ask. It sounds like a simple misunderstanding

[@amithks8]

Thank you for your inputs

[@honghuali9519]

Hi thanks a lot of sharing. I’m curious what kind of work your supervisor can assign you? In my case, my supervisor let me do the work that is not related with research at all.

[@James_Hayton]

It depends. In my case I wasn't expected to do anything other than research (though I did help out in the undergrad labs). In some places it's expected that you take on some teaching duties or you may be asked to help with some other things. It might be perfectly OK for your supervisor to ask for your help (and some of it might be useful experience)- the question is whether you are able to do it while still prioritising your research. If not, it's OK to say so. Some students are terrified of saying no so they take on far too much other work. Ultimately, you're there as a student, not an unpaid assistant.

[@lifehodgepodge1342]

@@James_Hayton Thanks a lot!