[DrCMS]

As Dan has said here in the UK doing a PhD you go into the research lab on day 1 and stay there for three years.

I would disagree with the statement "most respected undergrad chemistry courses in the UK are 4-5 years"  Oxford may do it that way but a lot of other highly rank uni's do not; Imperial where I completed my PhD did 3 year degree's followed by 3 year PhD. 

I did a 4 year degree because I wanted to do a sandwich course with two 6 month placements in industrial labs which I did in the 2nd and 3rd years of my BSc. degree.  I did take nearly 4 years (3years ~9months) to complete my PhD.   In my defence my supervisor moved from one uni to another part way through my PhD and I lost at least 3 months or so packing the lab up, moving to London,  setting everything up again and then figuring out how to get things done in a new department.

I've posted before that the UK chemistry degree is more rigorous and focused than in the USA with a lot more lab and lecture time with much less scope to pick and choose the bits you like or are good at while missing out other fundamental parts.  Friends from the UK went to America to postdoc in various labs and all reported that the new PhD starters they were looking after did not know that much chemistry and in particular did not have much lab experience.  By the time they had finished their PhD's my friends did say the USA students were as good if not perhaps slightly better than a UK student but then they had been at uni for 2-3 years more.

[Dan]

I would disagree with the statement "most respected undergrad chemistry courses in the UK are 4-5 years"  Oxford may do it that way but a lot of other highly rank uni's do not; Imperial where I completed my PhD did 3 year degree's followed by 3 year PhD. 

Sorry I meant "The most respected..." i.e. longer courses offered by the top institutions (of course including Imperial) are held in higher regard.

E.g. Imperial's courses starting this year are:

Chemistry (F100)   3FT Hon BSc
Chemistry (F103)   4FT Hon MSci
Chemistry with a Year in Industry (F105)   5FT Hon MSci
Chemistry with Med Chem & a Yr in Industry (F125)   5FT Hon MSci
Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry (F124)   4FT Hon MSci
Chemistry with Research Abroad (F104)   4FT Hon MSci

Most PhD students I've met have done these longer courses rather than a 3 year one.

[DrCMS]

Most UK chemistry PhD's I know did a 3 year degree followed by a 3 year PhD.

[Dan]

Fair enough, it must be more common than I thought.