<p>I’m referring to a postdoc in my SOP. THe word limit is strict and I’m a little over. I’m to the point where I’m using postdoc instead of postdoctoral student. </p>
<p>Is postdoc considered slang?</p>
<p>If there is some stuffy, absurdly semantic professor around who would reject a student for using “postdoc,” I wouldn’t want to work for them anyway.</p>
<p>Yeah. </p>
<p>But is “postdoc” considered slang tho?
It shows up in the dictionary. Apparently postdoctor is not a word.</p>
<p>postdoctoral is technically correct. “I did postdoctoral research. I am a postdoctoral researcher.”</p>
<p>I would think that it’s okay to use shop talk as long as it’s general enough that anyone in the field would know what you are talking about. (So yes).</p>
<p>Couldn’t you just write “scientist” or “researcher”?</p>
<p>Just write postdoctoral scientist/researcher/fellow. (Postdocs are typically not students.)</p>