Host: The Japanese Society of Toxicology
Name : The 52nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Toxicology
Date : July 02, 2025 - July 04, 2025
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is the highest academic degree awarded to individuals who have successfully passed review of their doctoral dissertation. It serves as a certification that verifies advanced expertise and research capabilities in a specific field, especially internationally. However, for working adults to obtain a Ph.D., they must first find a graduate school that will accept them. Even after that, balancing work and family responsibilities, financial burdens and pressure from the progress and outcomes of the research, are involved. These issues often lead to hesitation in pursuing a Ph.D.I had been engaged in toxicology research from 2005. From 2019, I pursued a Ph.D. as a working adult student under the guidance of Prof. Yoshinari in the Laboratory of Molecular Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, upon the recommendation of my supervisor. During this process, I encountered various hurdles such as balancing work and family responsibilities, unrealistic expectations regarding the research outcomes and the impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking back, it was a challenging period but obtaining a Ph.D. by seriously engaging in basic research, supported by Prof. Yoshinari and my colleagues, was an invaluable experience. This experience and having a Ph.D. have significantly influenced the deepening of my research activities and career development, including promotion. In this presentation, I would like to share my experience of obtaining a Ph.D. and also talk about the benefits and challenges.
