[LabRat01]

Hi,

I want to move to the USA. I'm a British citizen. But I'm now in a tricky situation, and I'd like anyone who'd care to give their advice, to give it.

A little background on me: I completed my undergraduate degree last year in chemistry. I obtained a 4.0 GPA and I've been offered several fully funded PhD's in my area of interest (analytical chemistry). At the moment, I work as an analytical chemist for a chemical company in Germany, simply because they pay me nearly double what I would get in the UK (I wanted to work in industry before contemplating a PhD, and besides, I needed the money!).

Late last year, I went on a holiday to Alaska, and I absolutely loved the place. I want to move there, and start a new life. I'm 22 and I figure I'd better try do it sooner rather than later, in case I meet some nice girl over here. 

Unfortunately, it seems Alaska doesn't have pharmaceutical industry (who would have thought ? ), but my question is, what other kinds of work can I get as an analytical chemist in Alaska?

Additionally, I haven't looked into it yet, but do you guys think it's worth looking into getting my PhD in the states? Where would this leave me with regard to citizenship when the PhD ends?

Thanks!

[DevaDevil]

I can only relate a little bit to my situation which was similar, yet different in one aspect:

I am a Dutch citizen, who worked for the first 3 years of his PhD in the USA (Argonne, IL) on a J1 "exchange visitor" visa. Then I went back to graduate in Leiden, Netherlands (degree is from Leiden University).

Therefore, I am still a Dutch citizen, not a US one. Now I am back at Argonne for a post-doc, with a H1-b specialty worker visa.

I presume you would hold such a J1 visa as well when you do your PhD in the USA.

[LabRat01]

I can only relate a little bit to my situation which was similar, yet different in one aspect:

I am a Dutch citizen, who worked for the first 3 years of his PhD in the USA (Argonne, IL) on a J1 "exchange visitor" visa. Then I went back to graduate in Leiden, Netherlands (degree is from Leiden University).

Therefore, I am still a Dutch citizen, not a US one. Now I am back at Argonne for a post-doc, with a H1-b specialty worker visa.

I presume you would hold such a J1 visa as well when you do your PhD in the USA.

How did you go about getting your PhD?

[DevaDevil]

I had already agreed with my graduate professor in Leiden (and the head of department) to do this 3-year stint in the USA before I left in the first place.

So I did keep in touch, and when I returned after 3 years I just had to work a bit more to fulfill the training/teaching requirements as well.

A PhD in the Netherlands is research only, very limited obligatory classes (such as writing course, presenting course etc.)

[LabRat01]

I had already agreed with my graduate professor in Leiden (and the head of department) to do this 3-year stint in the USA before I left in the first place.

So I did keep in touch, and when I returned after 3 years I just had to work a bit more to fulfill the training/teaching requirements as well.

A PhD in the Netherlands is research only, very limited obligatory classes (such as writing course, presenting course etc.)

It's the same in the UK. Is this not also the case in the USA?

The only advantage of doing my PhD in the UK is that it takes only 3 years.

[Borek]

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=465110

[LabRat01]

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=465110

That's certainly disappointing. But I still hold the view that I should be able to get a decent job. I was recruited by a German company who came to the UK because they were desperate for technical people. I got a salary of £36K/year (as an undergraduate during my placement year, i.e I hadn't even gradutated yet and they spent 1/4 of the time training me) that's about $58,000 for the year, and I now earn ever more as a graduate. Bear in mind that we in the UK finish our degrees usually by the age of 21-22.

.

I simply don't believe all this crap about chemists not being able to get good jobs. If you're intelligent and hard working companies will come to you.