"A major overhaul of the academic training pathway for life-scientists is long overdue. Issues linked to today's financial and job markets are an indicator that the time is right for a serious self-appraisal on the part of academia. Are we training too many students? And what should we do with all the postdocs?" - Duncan Hull

Alternatively... postdocs are trained to specialized, and they should apply to things just outside there PhD studies.... metabolomics anyone? - Egon Willighagen

In many cases, I get the feeling that post-docs are holding positions - Rajarshi Guha

80% of postdocs never get tenured positions. Looks like use and dispose to me... - Björn Brembs

I seem to see a lot of things like this pop up, and it always makes me seriously consider whether to do a post-doc, if I'm going to have to change career a few years down the line. - Michael Barton

IMO postdocs should be paid and treated on par with faculty and the position should be eliminated in favor of research scientist/staff scientist positions. The whole postdoc system is the academic system taking advantage of highly qualified individuals. One reason I never did one. - Deepak Singh

I can't complain, and at the same time complain, about my two experiences as a post-doc. On the other hand my wife cannot complain about hers. IMO post-docs should be limited and replaced by staff positions in uni/institutes, with a limited contract or not, that can be linked to productivity (either in publications, grants, duties performed, etc). Give at the same time more responsibility and more freedom, so one can apply to grants, etc on her/his own. - Paulo Nuin

@Mike, you have to bear in mind the "80% never make it" figure is based on the United States, I think the situation in the UK is much better, though of course it can still be tough. - Duncan Hull

@Bjoern: http://www.sennoma.net/main... - Bill Hooker

@Bill: Yup! lol :-) posted: http://bjoern.brembs.net/news... - Björn Brembs

The company I'm with just hired a 5th year(!) postdoc. She would have been perfect for a staff scientist position, had there been one available at her university. - Mr. Gunn

5 years, pah, that's nothing - Neil Saunders

I got my PhD in 1998. I switched countries once and fields twice, and couldn't work for a year because immigration wouldn't let me, so I guess my circumstances are odd, but I know people who were 10 years a postdoc without any such upheavals. - Bill Hooker

My situation is remarkably similar to Bill, except I switched countries twice and didn't have the year off. Have to say for the first 5-6 years, the postdoc lifestyle was just fine. It can be good to be able to move around, chop/change, chuck it all in once in a while. There's a lot of peer pressure which aims to make people without clear career plans feel like failures; I think it's best to ignore it. - Neil Saunders

Agree with that sentiment. It's not a failure at all. I think the failure lies in a system that does not seem to give highly educated people more options and their due. - Deepak Singh