I too am a graduate student pursuing my doctorate. As a science major, this will not be a four year degree, but perhaps 6 or (hopefully not) 7. I obtained a masters before going this route, and after the traditional B.S., I am asked often "how long are you going to be in school?" "When are you going to get a real job?" "Whew! you're going to be/have been in school forever!" and on and on and on. I have found that the quickest, easiest, painless method of avoiding the unimaginable pain that questions bring me is to offer simple answers:

"I am a scientist."

"I teach."

"I do research"

It stops people cold. It is not pretentious, and it is not a lie. I am a scientist, I do teach, and I do conduct research. On the merits of my masters degree alone I eligible to teach as an ADJUNCT or VISITING professor at any college I so choose while pursuing my doctorate full time. The title of FULL professor is irrelevant unless you are talking pay grade and job security. ASSISTANT professors don't have the same pay as FULL professors, and they don't have the job security either. You have to work your way to the level of FULL professor....you always start at the bottom in academia but you are still a PROFESSOR.

If I had chosen to work in industry, I could have stopped with my B.S. and attained work as a science researcher in many companies and not have had my credentials questioned nor be made to feel inadequate or immature when I say I'm a grad student. Why should I not acknowledge what it is that I do at the present time-especially post B.S. degree?

I work on a scientific project that I designed all day and half the night sometimes and I'm paid for it. It is my job. My insurance is paid for by the research grant that pays my salary, so as far as I'm concerned, I also have benefits. The biggest benefit of all is that when I am done, I will have a piece of paper that will allow me to ask for a raise quintuple my current salary and twice that of industry standards and obtain even more benefits. If I make any significant discovery, it is published in the leading journals in my field. If I create an invention, it will be patented and I will receive the windfall from its use. How is this any different than any other job I would work? The only exception now is that I receive credit for my work and not a company, I hold the patent and not a company. To have chosen industry and not academia would have netted me significantly more money now, but less over time and certainly less credit for my work. It was the smart choice as I saw it. A trade off .

The doctorate is, in all estimations, a degree one obtains while actively working in a career field. Schools, fellowships, and/or private companies provide you with an income while you conduct work at a university. The work that you do is USEFUL, has MERIT and IS a job. I find it incredible that 'dissertation' can diminish herself and forcibly attempt to diminish her companion in this manner. By doing this, you are attempting to diminish me and I will not tolerate it.

-Worthy of respect