“Graduate Students Don’t Know Everything About Science,” – PhD Candidate Chloe Kirk Hopes to Break Down Scientist Stereotypes

We assume if you are a lawyer you know every aspect of the law, if you are a scientist you know every aspect of science. But similar to how lawyers specialize in contracts, the same is true but often misunderstood about scientists. 

Biochemistry PhD candidate at the University of Miami,Chloe Kirk, is passionate about correcting these kinds of misconceptions, assuming scientists are experts in all of science, which paints an inaccurate picture of what science research and training looks like.

Scientists are often stereotyped as know-it-alls or walking encyclopedias, yet Chloe quips “my cell biology background would probably be just as useless to understand quantum physics or rocket science as anyone else who hasn’t studied those fields!” 

In science research, you specialize in a subsection of science, like contracts in law, and by learning how to master this area of science you can apply these techniques to other areas. Chloe argues this is one of the biggest tools you learn in science research, “learning how to learn”.

Not knowing all the answers is natural, but entering science and being bombarded by the misconceptions scientists should know everything is an impossibly high standard to live up to. These inaccurate assumptions fuel rampant imposter syndrome in academia, the belief you do not belong in the field, and can lead others to not want to join the field to begin with thinking they do not or cannot live up to these standards. 

It feeds a false notion that entering a PhD program you will magically be well-versed in all science topics. Chloe recalls her expectations when starting her PhD course, “Coming into my PhD, I expected to master all the science concepts out there. Three years in, and I realize how unrealistic and daunting this expectation sounds to people considering grad school.”

Chloe realized the flaws of this approach after a seminar with a PhD department alumni, who pointed out that PhD candidates and holders are not authorities in science but “experts in a tiny part of science equipped with the tools to learn as much as we want.”

Now, Chloe advocates for breaking the stigma around not having every fact and solution in one’s fingers’ grasp. She tells graduate students that it is normal not to know everything – “We study a small part of science related to our research project. But, by studying that small part of science, we learn tools we can apply to studying anything else we want! We learn how to read scientific papers better, analyze data, critically think through arguments and what evidence would be needed to support the arguments.”

The PhD candidate aims to correct misconceptions about graduate school. Contrary to the stereotype, you learn how to problem solve, how to process information, and how to learn better in graduate school. 

Chloe has more tips and advice for graduates on her STEM Instagram blog. You can also visit her website for a more thorough glimpse into her life as a research student.