My guide is incompetent, what can I do

Nathan1987
Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Hi,
I’m Nathan, doing a PhD somewhere in Texas.
I’m working in a CS department. I picked my guide 1 year ago, and I’m sorely disappointed.
I’m supposed to be working on algorithm design for new cheminformatics tools, but I’m really not because:
-My PI is incompetent. He can’t code in any language (not even MATLAB), let alone open e-mail
attachments. I have no idea who gave him the job of managing 8 grad students who happen to be
pretty good UNIX programmers.
-He doesn’t realise just how incompetent he is. With no formal training in the field, he designs half-baked
‘algorithms’ that he expects his students to code into reality. They’re plain absurd, but he doesn’t listen
to criticism.
-These programs can be published (which adds to his funding) but no one in their right mind will ever use
them. We’re pretty much writing bullcrap that no one will use, so that the agencies give us even more
funding to code even more… and the cycle goes on.

He appears to be a good guide, who writes papers and gets funds, but he’s not.

Essentially, if I continue here, I’ll publish a lot, but mostly in obscure little journals that no one reads.
They won’t help me find a job after graduation.

I’m up *****-creek, but I can take action:
-Leave now. Do something with only an MSc degree, or find another PhD program.
-Ignore my guide, and do what I please. It may anger him, and maybe delay my graduation,
but I’ll have a future.
-Do what my guide says. We’ll be on friendly terms, and I’ll get done fast, but at a great cost.

What would you do if you were me?