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2008 Survey

2008 Postdoc Survey Results

General

1. Age

2. Deparment 70 departments represented
Top 5:

Biological Sciences: 27

Pediatrics: 23

Pathology: 22

Microbiology and Immunology: 21

Developmental Biology: 15

Medicine: 15

Genetics: 14

Radiology: 13

Chemistry: 11

Psychiatry: 11

Biochemistry: 10

3. Gender Male: 51% (189)
Female: 48% (175)

4. Degree PhD: 90% (329)
MD: 13% (46)

5. Is your degree from a U.S. University? Yes: 60% (219)
No: 39% (144)

6. Number of months as a Stanford postdoc

7. Number of months as a postdoc at other institutions

8. Starting annual before-tax pay

9. Current annual before-tax pay

10. Funding source
Stanford traininng grant: 10% (38)
PI's research grant: 60% (219)
Fellowship: 40% (145)
Clinical fellowship: 3%(10)

11. Do you have student debt?
Yes:
No: 74% (270)

12. If you have student dept, have you made use of loan deferment
Yes: 20% (74)
No: 27% (100)

13. Are you a:
US citizen: 41% (152)
Visa holder: 51% (189)
Permanent resident: 5% (19)

14. If you are a visa holder, what kind:
F1: 2% (8)
H1: 10% (35)
J1: 40% (147)

15. Have you had a visa problem that Bechtel/Postdoc office were unable to help with? Yes: 5% (17)
No: 62% (228)

16. Are you:
single: 32% (117)
married: 57% (210)
in domestic partnership: 8% (29)
other: 2% (8)

17. If you have a spouse/partner, is s/he:
Stanford faculty: 1% (3)
Stanford staff: 2% (8)
Stanford postdoc: 10% (37)
Stanford student: 2% (9)
not Stanford affiliated: 52% (192)

18. How many children do you have?

19. If you have children, what sort of childcare service do you use (check all that apply)?
On-campus center: 4% (13)
Off-campus center: 9% (32)
Unlicensed home day care: 2% (9)
Licensed home day care: 5% (17)
Relative/partner: 10% (37)
Live-in nanny: 1% (4)

20. If you have children, how much do you pay for childcare per month?
< $500: 7% (24)
$500 - $750: 3% (12)
$750 - $1000: 4% (15)
$1000 - $1250: 5% (17)
$1250 - $1500: 3% (11)
$1500 - $1750: 1% (4)
$1750 - $2000: 1% (5)
> $2000: 3% (10)

21. How many non-child dependents do you have?

22. Have you delayed having children because you cannot afford the financial cost?
Yes: 41% (150)
No: 34% (126)
Rather not say: 9% (34)

Housing

23. What is YOUR SHARE of the monthly rent (or mortgage repayments) for you apartment excluding utilities?

24. If you have lived in the area for more than a year, by how much has your rent changed in that time?

Decreased: 1% (3)
Stayed the same: 15% (56)
Increased 0-5%: 11% (40)
Increased 6-10%: 19% (69)
Increased 11-15%: 5% (19)
Increased 16-20%: 6% (21)
Increased 21% or more: 6% (21)
Not applicable: 24% (87)

25. Are you in a shared living situation due to financial necessity?
Yes: 22% (80)
No: 73% (269)

26. What is your zipcode?

Career

27. What was your long-term career goal when you started at Stanford:

academic: 74% (272)
industry: 5% (20)
not sure: 17% (64)

28. What is your long-term career goal now:
academic: 52% (190)
industry: 16% (58)
not sure: 28% (101)

29. How long do you expect to remain as a postdoc at Stanford?
< 1 year: 20% (72)
1 - 2 years: 33% (122)
2 - 3 years: 28% (102)
3 - 4 years: 10% (37)
5 years: 5% (17)
Not sure: 2% (8)

To what degree are you satisfied with your Stanford postdoc experience:

30. Research mentorship
very satisfied: 30% (111)
satisfied: 40% (145)
neutral: 22% (79)
dissatisfied: 4% (16)
very dissatisfied: 3% (12)

31. Career Development Mentorship very satisfied: 14% (51)
satisfied: 40% (145)
neutral: 34% (123)
dissatisfied: 10% (35)
very dissatisfied: 3% (10)

32. Administratively (dept/school) very satisfied: 16% (59)
satisfied: 42% (154)
neutral: 26% (96)
dissatisfied: 11% (11)
very dissatisfied: 4% (15)

Are you satisfied with the postdoc benefits:

33. Medical benefits plan
Yes: 77% (283)
No: 20% (75)

34. Dental plan
Yes: 78% (288)
No: 18% (66)

35. Vision plan
Yes: 64% (235)
No: 13% (46)
Not applicable: 20% (72)

36. What are you biggest concerns regarding health benefits?
cost: 54% (198)
access to physicians: 34% (124)
choice of plans: 17% (61)

Opportunities for postdocs

37. If Stanford provided opportunities for postdocs to teach at the undergraduate or graduate level, would you be interested in getting involved? Yes: 61% (223)
No: 14% (51)
Maybe: 24% (89)

38. Stanford limits the time one can be a postdoc to 5 years. Do you think this rule is a good thing? Yes: 67% (245)
No: 24% (88)

Stanford University Postdoc Association

39. Do you feel that the SUPD represents your interests?
Yes: 53% (193)
No: 6% (21)
Don't know: 41% (151)

40. Describe your biggest concern as a postdoc at Stanford

41. Overall, how would you recommend Stanford to a prospective postdoc?

strongly encourage: 32% (119)
encourage: 47% (171)
neutral: 16% (60)
discourage: 3% (11)
strongly discourage: 1% (3)

42. Any other comments:

General
1. Age
2. Deparment	70 departments represented Top 5: Biological Sciences: 27 Pediatrics: 23 Pathology: 22 Microbiology and Immunology: 21 Developmental Biology: 15 Medicine: 15 Genetics: 14 Radiology: 13 Chemistry: 11 Psychiatry: 11 Biochemistry: 10
3. Gender	Male: 51% (189) Female: 48% (175)
4. Degree	PhD: 90% (329) MD: 13% (46)
5. Is your degree from a U.S. University?	Yes: 60% (219) No: 39% (144)
6. Number of months as a Stanford postdoc
7. Number of months as a postdoc at other institutions
8. Starting annual before-tax pay
9. Current annual before-tax pay
10. Funding source	Stanford traininng grant: 10% (38) PI's research grant: 60% (219) Fellowship: 40% (145) Clinical fellowship: 3%(10)
11. Do you have student debt?	Yes: No: 74% (270)
12. If you have student dept, have you made use of loan deferment	Yes: 20% (74) No: 27% (100)
13. Are you a:	US citizen: 41% (152) Visa holder: 51% (189) Permanent resident: 5% (19)
14. If you are a visa holder, what kind:	F1: 2% (8) H1: 10% (35) J1: 40% (147)
15. Have you had a visa problem that Bechtel/Postdoc office were unable to help with?	Yes: 5% (17) No: 62% (228)
16. Are you:	single: 32% (117) married: 57% (210) in domestic partnership: 8% (29) other: 2% (8)
17. If you have a spouse/partner, is s/he:	Stanford faculty: 1% (3) Stanford staff: 2% (8) Stanford postdoc: 10% (37) Stanford student: 2% (9) not Stanford affiliated: 52% (192)
18. How many children do you have?
19. If you have children, what sort of childcare service do you use (check all that apply)?	On-campus center: 4% (13) Off-campus center: 9% (32) Unlicensed home day care: 2% (9) Licensed home day care: 5% (17) Relative/partner: 10% (37) Live-in nanny: 1% (4)
20. If you have children, how much do you pay for childcare per month?	< $500: 7% (24) $500 - $750: 3% (12) $750 - $1000: 4% (15) $1000 - $1250: 5% (17) $1250 - $1500: 3% (11) $1500 - $1750: 1% (4) $1750 - $2000: 1% (5) > $2000: 3% (10)
21. How many non-child dependents do you have?
22. Have you delayed having children because you cannot afford the financial cost?	Yes: 41% (150) No: 34% (126) Rather not say: 9% (34)
Housing
23. What is YOUR SHARE of the monthly rent (or mortgage repayments) for you apartment excluding utilities?
24. If you have lived in the area for more than a year, by how much has your rent changed in that time?	Decreased: 1% (3) Stayed the same: 15% (56) Increased 0-5%: 11% (40) Increased 6-10%: 19% (69) Increased 11-15%: 5% (19) Increased 16-20%: 6% (21) Increased 21% or more: 6% (21) Not applicable: 24% (87)
25. Are you in a shared living situation due to financial necessity?	Yes: 22% (80) No: 73% (269)
26. What is your zipcode?
Career
27. What was your long-term career goal when you started at Stanford:	academic: 74% (272) industry: 5% (20) not sure: 17% (64)
28. What is your long-term career goal now:	academic: 52% (190) industry: 16% (58) not sure: 28% (101)
29. How long do you expect to remain as a postdoc at Stanford?	< 1 year: 20% (72) 1 - 2 years: 33% (122) 2 - 3 years: 28% (102) 3 - 4 years: 10% (37) 5 years: 5% (17) Not sure: 2% (8)
To what degree are you satisfied with your Stanford postdoc experience:
30. Research mentorship	very satisfied: 30% (111) satisfied: 40% (145) neutral: 22% (79) dissatisfied: 4% (16) very dissatisfied: 3% (12)
31. Career Development Mentorship	very satisfied: 14% (51) satisfied: 40% (145) neutral: 34% (123) dissatisfied: 10% (35) very dissatisfied: 3% (10)
32. Administratively (dept/school)	very satisfied: 16% (59) satisfied: 42% (154) neutral: 26% (96) dissatisfied: 11% (11) very dissatisfied: 4% (15)
Are you satisfied with the postdoc benefits:
33. Medical benefits plan	Yes: 77% (283) No: 20% (75)
34. Dental plan	Yes: 78% (288) No: 18% (66)
35. Vision plan	Yes: 64% (235) No: 13% (46) Not applicable: 20% (72)
36. What are you biggest concerns regarding health benefits?	cost: 54% (198) access to physicians: 34% (124) choice of plans: 17% (61)
Opportunities for postdocs
37. If Stanford provided opportunities for postdocs to teach at the undergraduate or graduate level, would you be interested in getting involved?	Yes: 61% (223) No: 14% (51) Maybe: 24% (89)
38. Stanford limits the time one can be a postdoc to 5 years. Do you think this rule is a good thing?	Yes: 67% (245) No: 24% (88)
Stanford University Postdoc Association
39. Do you feel that the SUPD represents your interests?	Yes: 53% (193) No: 6% (21) Don't know: 41% (151)
40. Describe your biggest concern as a postdoc at Stanford
41. Overall, how would you recommend Stanford to a prospective postdoc?	strongly encourage: 32% (119) encourage: 47% (171) neutral: 16% (60) discourage: 3% (11) strongly discourage: 1% (3)
42. Any other comments: