r/scientistsPH

Hi. I have been been exchanging msgs with my potential PI for 2 months and he has helped me a lot in terms of PhD application and what to work on to get published. Eversince, I have always been feeling reluctant with this opportunity due to low stipend. (Dorm and tuition are covered).

Yesterday I got a much better offer in terms of funding, institution’s credibility, facility, and PI’s global contributions. It’s a big dream come true for me and it will leverage my potential + network much more.

But how do I turn down my first potential PI? I feel bad about disappointing him especially since he’s been really assistive eversince.

No contract or any sort has been formalized/ presented yet in both opportunities, which are btw within the same southeast asian country.

To organize my questions:

1. Does it make me a bad egg to leave my 1st potential PI hanging? Since September intake is coming.
2. Is it normal to be honest in turning down a PhD offer?
3. Should I just think of another alibi so things will feel lighter?
4. Should I help or offer help in finding a replacement instead?

Pls help :( Thank you :)

Hello! I'm a senior high school student from the Philippines helping fellow high school researchers who are currently developing their research projects.

We're looking to connect with professionals, graduate students, researchers, or faculty members who may be willing to answer occasional questions or provide guidance related to the following fields:

• Biochemistry
• Biotechnology
• Materials Science
• Nanochemistry / Nanomedicine / Nanotechnology
• Pharmacology
• Phytochemistry

We're also looking for individuals experienced in:

• Molecular Docking / In Silico Methods
• Diabetes Research

Also:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Computer Engineering / Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering

We're not asking for anyone to do the research—only hoping to build connections with people who might be willing to share their expertise or point students in the right direction when needed.

If you're interested or know someone who might be, I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a comment or send me a private message.

Thank you so much!

Hello po!! incoming bs bio student po me huhu, i just want to ask to the bio grads here specially those peps that were passionate in this program. Ano na po work niyo? Worth it po ba? Are you happy with your current work po ba? Hindi po ba kayo nagregret na bio kinuha ninyo despite being passionate about it?

Madami po kasi akong nababasa dito na nag r-regret daw sila mag bio huhu, yung papa ko po kasi ayaw na mag bio din ako kasi baka maging tambay ako. He said na wag nlng daw po ako mag aral kasi ayaw niya daw na masayang lng pera niya, okay lng naman po sakin kung hindi niya ako susuportahan sa pag-aaral ko since may scholarship na man po ako. I just want to hear the positive side of bio po huhu.

My plan po kasi is baka mag teacher po ako then mag iipon tsaka mag na mag med school 🥹.

Thank you po!

Hi everyone. I recently got accepted for a fully-funded PhD program abroad and would like to ask if anyone had a similar situation where they either opted to separate from govt service or returned as faculty scholar?

I know I don’t want to come back due to many situations in the country but everyone is holding me back, especially since they’re worried I might not like my situation abroad.

Here are the pros and cons:
Faculty scholar:
with stable monthly salary here
3 yrs study = 9 yrs return of service

Separate from service:
I can do post doc and plan my goal of permanent residency in a good country with better healthcare and all.

Hello everyone!

I hope you’re all doing well. I am currently preparing for the Chemist Licensure Exam, and to be honest, the closer it gets, the more overwhelming the coverage feels! 😅

I’m reaching out to this wonderful community to humbly ask if anyone who has taken the exam in the past might be open to sharing any reviewers, summary sheets, or study resources they’ve made or used? I would be incredibly grateful for any materials you’d be willing to pass along.

Aside from reviewers, I would also love to hear your wisdom! If you have any spare time, could you share a few tips on:

• High-yield topics: Which areas or concepts are really worth focusing on
• Study strategies: How did you manage your time between the major high-level branches (Analytical, Organic, Physical, and Inorganic)?
• Board exam advice/ how to review : What should I expect, and what are the crucial "dos and don'ts during the actual exam?

Any help, resources, or even just a few words of encouragement would mean the absolute world to me and to anyone else lurking here who is also preparing.

Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity! Padayon!

Hi! Just passing by for this. I've been seeing a lot of posts from JHS and SHS looking for consultants/lab outsourcing for their SIPs and capstone projects. Many of these proposed topics are highly specialized—challenging even for undergraduate students.

As a teacher, it is understandable that we want to have novel research topics. However, doesn't it defeat the purpose of research education if students end up outsourcing the methodology or conducting studies that are beyond their current level of understanding or studies that they still lack the foundation for?

Perhaps we should encourage research projects that we, as teachers, can effectively mentor from beginning to end, studies that our schools (or partner institutions) have the facilities to support, and that help students build strong research fundamentals before they move on to undergrad.

To our students, if you're looking for experts, start by reading the literature befor asking for outside help. Reach out to them.

Yun lang po.

I’m taking BS Bio from UP Manila and I’m choosing between Microbio or Biomedical Environmental Science as my track for next year, so I’ll be choosing between a career in microbiology or medicine in the future.

I planned on doing medicine, but I’m thinking that going abroad as a microbiologist after my master’s would give me better pay and quality of life overall. The thing is, if I don’t end up going abroad, I might have screwed myself over, since I’ll have wasted time I could’ve spent going to med school instead.

Am I being too optimistic about my chances of going abroad?

Hi! I am a grade 12 student from Pasig Science and I would like to know some best schools for the following programs.

- Geology

- Biotechnology

- Pharmacy (Research focuses)

I am currently considering UPM for pharmacy, but I have geology and biotech to commit on if I fail the UPCAT.

I want to be a nobel Prize winner in the future, but before that I need to find a job related to my interests that can pay a suitable wage for me.

What do you think?

Hello po. I just wanted to share this here because I feel like my sentiments might resonate with some people in this community.

I'm currently a DOST-ASTHRDP scholar pursuing my master's degree at one of the top universities in the country. I failed two subjects in my comprehensive exam, and recently, I've been feeling completely burned out. Lately, I've been questioning if this path is really for me.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if I want to pursue a career in academe after finishing this degree. Aside from dealing with overwhelming imposter syndrome, I constantly feel like I don't know what I'm doing. It's hard to feel like I truly belong in this field. Most days, it feels like I'm just trying to survive rather than actually learn and grow.

I have a presentation coming up. My PowerPoint is done, my script is ready, but I just can't seem to find the motivation to practice or move forward. I feel mentally and emotionally exhausted.

Will I eventually get the hang of this? Will the spark come back? My plan has always been to return to the industry and build my career there, but right now I just feel stuck. If I weren't bound by the scholarship, I honestly think I would have chosen a different path by now. I know I have responsibilities to fulfill, but it's been really difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Has anyone else gone through something similar during their master's? Did things eventually get better? Did you regain your motivation and confidence? Or is this just a normal part of the journey that I have to push through? Thank you in advance!

BS Biology graduate here. I'd like to ask if pursuing a research career in the Philippines is worth it in terms of job prospects. How difficult is it to land a research-related job? Do you usually need connections to get hired? I'm also curious about what the job market and career opportunities for researchers are actually like. I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thank you!

I know delikado yung chemical na ito pero is it possible to purchase this anywhere in Philippines?

Molecular docking is typically performed between a ligand and a protein. Is it possible to perform molecular docking between two ligands instead?

If yes, we need an expert to validate our work this is for our thesis and our study was not approved and was up for redefense because the panels are not expert in this field and would like a validity of an expert. We desperately need help.

Molecular docking is typically performed between a ligand and a protein. Is it possible to perform molecular docking between two ligands instead?

Hello! I am bs bio fresh graduate (major in microbiology) with rmicro license. I thought if I have an rmicro license it would lessen the burden of job hunting, but it is not. Even QA/QC roles, companies don't choose me.

I am still stuck in this unemployment era many months. I am feeling frustration, depression and anxiety. I just want to consider if I should focus choosing jobs unrelated to my course or fight for this meaningless degree. I stopped job hunting last year due to allocating my time for studying. I just want to find hope if my degree still has a purpose or not.

Please tell me need na need ko na siya huhu

is it alright to leave a company that doesn’t align with my values as a person and as a professional? for context, i am employed for an ~important~ position and resigning from this job will somehow crumble our department. the pay is good, the proximity, the schedule suits my liking, but the overall culture is what makes me want to find better opportunities for my peace of mind. i am so drained with office politics, power tripping, backstabbing, vulgarity, name it, our office has it. i am only 3 months in to say the least. 🥹🥲

hi! planning to do voluntary laboratory internship at any laboratories at up. is it possible na icold-email sila? second, if wala talaga, any ngos na you can suggest?

I’m an incoming bs biochem freshman but I’m still discerning if I will pursue UPM or UST biochemistry. I have done my personal comparisons between the two schools and UST has an edge when it comes to its facilities, international connections, and being the first to offer the biochemistry program since the 1950s (so established na talaga ang UST biochem compared to UPM)

I hope to pursue a research-related career and proceed to grad school after college. Careers in the natural sciences are known to be severely underfunded in the Philippines so for one to land a stable path, they must know how to leverage the opportunities around them.

I hope to hear experiences from biochem grads of UPM and UST biochem graduates who are now pursuing careers in research, academia, or anything related to grad school. What can you advise to an incoming biochem freshman who hopes to flourish in the hard sciences? (e.g. grants and scholarships for exchange programs/internships to look out for, organizations for networking opportunities, conferences to join, etc.)

Also, for UPM Biochem graduates, was landing a career overseas difficult for you? How did you manage to leverage the opportunities around you despite the facility limitations?

I hope to hear any form of insight from you, be they success stories or cautionary tales, ito yung karera na nakikita ko ang sarili ko in the future, and hopefully, kaya kong ipaglaban against all odds :))

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get some insight regarding a job offer from TnT Industries Corporation in Taiwan.

My friend applied for a position called "Application Customer Service" and recently received an email stating that she had already been selected for employment. However, there was no interview, phone screening, video call, assessment, or any other form of evaluation before receiving the offer.

According to the email:

• Salary: NTD 33,000/month • Company-provided accommodation • Meals provided when working at the factory in Taoyuan • Training before final department assignment • Possible placement in either the Quality Control Department or Application Department

The email was signed by someone named "Aashir Azhar."

We're trying to determine whether this is a legitimate employment opportunity or a potential scam. The lack of an interview before being selected is what concerns us most.

Has anyone here:

Worked for TnT Industries Corporation in Taiwan?

Applied for a similar position?

Received a similar email?

Know if this hiring process is normal in Taiwan?

Any information or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Hello. I'm currently planning what master's degree to take next year. I'm currently considering Master of Statistics, but I'm also interested in MS Biochemistry in UP Manila, so I'm picking one of these options.

I want to to ask po kung meron po sa inyo na nag take ng MS Biochem sa UPM po? And if ever po kamusta po yung curriculum, schedule, culture, etc. Bale yung specifics po.

Any input will be highly appreciated po. Thank you! 🙏