From Master's Degree to Doctoral Program

[LeAnn]

So I love you guys and I thought I would share my wonderful news!

Some of you already know, but I am working on a Master's degree in experimental psychological research with a focus in aging.
Well, 1 year ago I started a thesis that was looking for a correlation between death anxiety and intentions for plastic surgery in women age 50 who had already completed plastic surgery. (BTW, the death anxiety scale does not CAUSE death anxiety, it is just used to measure your pre-existing anxieties, if any)
I worked with a local plastic surgeon getting the wording and the questions just right, got it through the committee, and through the Institutional Review Board (protects people so that our questions don't cause them undue harm).

However, when I went to take it to the other surgeons who agreed to participate, they kept backing out. Leaving me to wonder if it would even be possible to collect data.

SO, I started a second similar but not the same thesis project. (once again had to go through all channels) This one looking at Female college students intentions for plastic surgery, again with the correlation of death anxiety, regardless of their age or if they had surgery (basically a sample of convenience). So after running over 100 participants I finally got an email from the first surgeon who has been working with me but MIA for almost 9 months.
He has collected enough data for me that I am able to complete that first study!!!
YAY!!!
SO this means I will be the first person in my school's program's history to successfully complete two thesis projects for their master's degree.

I am really hoping that 1. this will show my determination, 2. will get published, and ultimately catch the eye of a PhD school so they will pay for me to attend.

I just really really wanted to share.

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by LeAnn

So I love you guys and I thought I would share my wonderful news!

Some of you already know, but I am working on a Master's degree in experimental psychological research with a focus in aging.
Well, 1 year ago I started a thesis that was looking for a correlation between death anxiety and intentions for plastic surgery in women age 50 who had already completed plastic surgery. (BTW, the death anxiety scale does not CAUSE death anxiety, it is just used to measure your pre-existing anxieties, if any)
I worked with a local plastic surgeon getting the wording and the questions just right, got it through the committee, and through the Institutional Review Board (protects people so that our questions don't cause them undue harm).

However, when I went to take it to the other surgeons who agreed to participate, they kept backing out. Leaving me to wonder if it would even be possible to collect data.

SO, I started a second similar but not the same thesis project. (once again had to go through all channels) This one looking at Female college students intentions for plastic surgery, again with the correlation of death anxiety, regardless of their age or if they had surgery (basically a sample of convenience). So after running over 100 participants I finally got an email from the first surgeon who has been working with me but MIA for almost 9 months.
He has collected enough data for me that I am able to complete that first study!!!
YAY!!!
SO this means I will be the first person in my school's program's history to successfully complete two thesis projects for their master's degree.

I am really hoping that 1. this will show my determination, 2. will get published, and ultimately catch the eye of a PhD school so they will pay for me to attend.

I just really really wanted to share.

Wow sounds like you put a lot of time, work and effort into this. I guess all that's left to say is...what does MaCruz think?

[pokefan]

That's awesome LeAnn Congrats!! Although I don't envy all the work that you put into it!

[LeAnn]

Thanks guys!
He is really happy for me! of course!
It was a lot of work, but I am really hoping that it pays off.
Since I am the first to do two thesis projects at the same time, they are trying to decide if I need to defend them both, or if I should pick one to defend, or try and combine them.
My professor thinks that since I am the only who is looking at this field and since I have done both the age 20 and the age 50 range, that I have a really good chance of being published.
YAY YAY YAY!!!!

[DJ Manyak]

Congrats I'll take you to claim jumper

[Blu-Benny]

congrats leann!!! good for you!!

[Adrock]

Originally Posted by LeAnn

Thanks guys!
He is really happy for me! of course!
It was a lot of work, but I am really hoping that it pays off.
Since I am the first to do two thesis projects at the same time, they are trying to decide if I need to defend them both, or if I should pick one to defend, or try and combine them.
My professor thinks that since I am the only who is looking at this field and since I have done both the age 20 and the age 50 range, that I have a really good chance of being published.
YAY YAY YAY!!!!

Congratulations, LeAnn! That is amazing! Of course MaCruz is happy for you, at least he better be! It is so rewarding to see one's sacrifices and hard work actually pay off, and being published (or even potentially published) is certainly an enormous success unto it's own, let alone the fact that you apparently are a pioneer in your field of study!

Remarkable!


Bravo, I say!!! BRAVO!

[LeAnn]

Thank you! I can't wait until I get all the data entered to see if I actually have a significant correlation!!!
My friend is defending her thesis tomorrow and she is super nervous! We both hate speaking in public so that is the only downfall.
I hope though to know my topic so well that my enthusiasm will keep me from being nervous.

[MaCruz]

What do you want? A cookie?

[DJ Manyak]

Originally Posted by LeAnn

Thank you! I can't wait until I get all the data entered to see if I actually have a significant correlation!!!
My friend is defending her thesis tomorrow and she is super nervous! We both hate speaking in public so that is the only downfall.
I hope though to know my topic so well that my enthusiasm will keep me from being nervous.

just picture everyone in there underwear

[jkwest]

freaking sweet!!!

good job, Leann!

[JJ]

::Must remember to make a thread about his own thesis next time, since it's due in 2 weeks::

::realizes it wouldn't get any attention because he's not a woman::

::kicks rocks::

[Q?]

First of all, congrats

So.. you're studying women who are afraid of death and try to cheat themselves into believing they're young and get plastic surgery?
Sorry, I'm slow...

[MaCruz]

Originally Posted by Q!

First of all, congrats

So.. you're studying women who are afraid of death and try to cheat themselves into believing they're young and get plastic surgery?
Sorry, I'm slow...

Yes pretty sums it all up right there! HAHA!

She spends at least 12 hours on campus Monday through Friday and drives 60 miles one way trip. All she knows is school.

I need to figure out what to get her when she graduates.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by LeAnn

SO this means I will be the first person in my school's program's history to successfully complete two thesis projects for their master's degree.

Congrats, that is a big deal. That's going to be a "feather in your cap" further down the road. Nice work.

[Clark Kent]

The psychological research sounds interesting. Hopefully you will get published.

[Q?]

Originally Posted by MaCruz

Yes pretty sums it all up right there! HAHA!

She spends at least 12 hours on campus Monday through Friday and drives 60 miles one way trip. All she knows is school.

I need to figure out what to get her when she graduates.

You could finance a surgery for her as a gift

sorry that was a bad joke...

[jstutman]

Congrats!

Keep up the hard work, and sounds like you found some good people to help you. Here is to your thesis getting published

[LeAnn]

Thank you all! I am very excited. I sat with my friend this morning before she was to defend and we were formulating my game plan to get everything in on time in case I do need to defend both of them before graduation.

Hey Macruz, I guess we are going to the bakery for my cookie today eh?

[MaCruz]

Today is her big day to present her thesis. She has less than hour. All the time, hard work, and extra effort will pay off today! Wish her the best of luck!