Approaching the halfway point - Lisa Duff

Halfway Point and things are going well

In general, I have loved doing a PhD so far. I’m approaching the halfway point and things are going fairly well. By the end I hope to have produced a workflow that others can use to repeat my analysis in clinical practice. I recently got a rough first version to work so that was a highlight for me. On the other hand, I have been trying to get step one of this workflow to be fast and reproducible since day one. If I don’t manage this it will most likely not be transferable so this has been a massive source of frustration. There will be lots of different versions of this workflow to see what works best so there is still a long way to go but I’m hoping this progress means things are looking up and I will work out the difficulties soon. 

Reflecting Back and seeing progress

A PhD can be difficult but as cheesy as it sounds I have learned from the hard bits. Unlike other jobs or degrees that I have done in the past, this is the first time I have noticed myself growing as I go rather than just reflecting back and seeing progress. This is the case for technical knowledge but also soft skills like organisation, and more personal qualities such as taking care of my mental health. It has definitely been a baptism by fire though. Another big benefit over other careers is the variety of skills I have been able to develop. I really feel like I have been invested in and I have been given the opportunity to grow as an all-rounder whereas in other careers I may have only had opportunities directly relevant to that job. I’m excited by the doors this has opened for me after I finish – even if that time feels so far away.