Why You Do Everything Right and It Still Ends up Wrong

In 2015, I graduated college with a degree in psychology and I wanted to conduct research to reduce health disparities. First, I needed more research experience if I wanted to get into a doctorate program. I took a year off to apply, and then spent the next two years earning my master’s degree in research. I applied to 13 doctorate programs: I got one offer. After five years of intensive training, I graduated in 2023 with my doctoral in experimental psychology and a passion for addiction science. Eight years after I graduated from college, I was finally ready to enter the workforce as an independent scientist. Right?

Wrong. In psychology, it’s uncommon for people to become professors or independent scientists immediately after receiving their Ph.D. Most people, me included, complete additional training, called postdocs. It was frustrating to find myself still inching toward my goal after so much time, but if my goal is to conduct research that makes the world a better place, what’s a couple more years?