The past seven days have been very special and unforgettable. I am proud of myself for successfully defending my thesis and for passing the viva with minor corrections!
I am writing many thank you messages and emails every day. I feel deep, deep gratitude for the people who have supported me over the time of my studies. The first half of this year was very difficult, and everything I experienced gave me so many emotions and hope, and now I am happy and grateful for everything.
My supervisors and I had a meeting a week before the viva. It was very nice to meet them online for the first time in six months. We immediately started discussing what questions my examiners were likely to ask. My supervisors explained potential general questions and asked me, “So, what would you say are your contributions?” Suddenly, my brain became blank, and I couldn’t respond properly. This made me feel even more nervous, and I had to admit I was scared.
The night before my viva, my nervousness was extreme. Before sleeping, I imagined that I was on a roller coaster, and it started sliding and moving faster and faster. I grabbed the safety bar, but then decided to release it, and I raised both my arms up and surrendered to the ups and downs of the roller coaster… I think, at that point, I decided to let it go. I had done all the preparation that I could do.
During the viva, my examiners’ questions were mostly specific rather than general. I felt as if they were giving me a chance to explain more fully what I had done and what I already knew. I felt as if they were encouraging me to be comfortable and relaxed and tell more. They never asked me anything impossible. Overall, I had a very, very positive experience of a PhD viva. My supervisor joined the viva after the examiners’ decision, and I was happy to see that my thesis was received very positively by the examiners, and they called me “Dr Kondo”!
After passing my viva, I made phone calls to my parents. They cried.
Do not hesitate to ask experts for support
One of the questions my examiners asked me was whether I had any advice for a new PhD student with no personal contacts in the field that he or she is investigating but who wishes to do as I did. I answered that I would never hesitate to ask experts. Some offer help, even when you don’t have a personal connection with the person.
My supervisor encouraged me to find an academic in my field and contact him or her to get in-depth advice. I searched, and found a female academic who recently published a book relevant to my topic. I emailed her and received a positive reply.
In addition, I sent emails to medical schools, introducing myself and explaining my reason for getting in touch. One medical school replied with what I was searching for and invited me to sit in a seminar. I went to the school building and observed the session. There, I was introduced to a medical doctor, who later became the gatekeeper in my PhD research.
In my studies, eight doctors gave me support in the end, but it started with zero personal contact at the beginning. Without the support, help, guidance and encouragement from others, this piece of work would never exist.
