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Doctoral Scientists and Engineers in the United States
TABLE 29 Relevance of Most Recent Postdoc to Principal Job for Science and Engineering Ph.D.s, by Selected Field of Doctorate and Years Since Doctorate, 1995 (in percent)
Field of Doctorate
Years Since Doctorate and Relevance of Postdoc
All Fields
Chemistry
Physics and Astronomy
Biological Sciences
Psychology
Engineering
Total (No.) *
159,400
26,900
16,900
56,900
19,200
13,400
Subject Matter
84.5
77.2
77.0
87.5
92.6
82.0
Specific Skills
72.6
62.1
66.9
75.4
77.2
69.4
Contacts With Colleagues
79.6
72.0
75.6
81.9
86.5
77.4
Use of Equipment
58.4
61.9
56.3
69.5
46.2
52.4
General Approach
90.4
90.0
92.0
91.9
91.8
89.0
5 Years or Less
22,600
3,500
2,000
5,700
3,300
3,700
Subject Matter
90.7
89.1
84.2
90.6
98.2
87.1
Specific Skills
80.3
76.1
74.9
76.7
87.3
79.1
Contacts With Colleagues
86.3
83.2
75.0
86.7
96.5
82.8
Use of Equipment
64.9
76.6
73.3
72.5
49.8
61.3
General Approach
93.1
97.5
93.3
90.5
96.4
91.8
6-10 Years
30,300
4,700
2,800
11,500
3,800
3,100
Subject Matter
89.3
80.7
85.7
92.5
95.5
86.4
Specific Skills
80.9
71.7
80.3
83.0
86.4
79.5
Contacts With Colleagues
85.2
75.8
87.5
88.5
89.2
81.9
Use of Equipment
69.2
69.6
67.5
80.7
57.3
62.4
General Approach
93.0
92.4
95.6
94.5
90.0
95.0
11-15 Years
27,000
3,400
2,200
11,400
3,900
**
Subject Matter
87.1
83.6
77.5
89.8
92.3
**
Specific Skills
75.1
65.6
71.2
78.7
74.4
**
Contacts With Colleagues
81.8
73.4
80.5
83.9
83.4
**
Use of Equipment
62.2
63.5
65.0
72.9
48.7
**
General Approach
91.0
91.9
90.3
93.5
90.6
**
16-20 Years
25,400
3,200
2,900
10,300
3,400
1,500
Subject Matter
82.1
75.3
69.1
86.3
89.7
78.1
Specific Skills
71.1
58.6
65.7
75.1
72.0
64.1
Contacts With Colleagues
77.4
68.1
69.1
81.5
84.4
70.6
Use of Equipment
54.5
61.2
52.0
66.4
38.2
53.2
General Approach
90.4
89.7
92.9
92.5
90.6
86.2
21-25 Years
22,800
4,800
2,800
7,800
1,800
2,100
Subject Matter
77.5
67.6
69.8
83.0
85.7
74.6
Specific Skills
61.0
50.7
54.8
67.2
66.9
44.3
Contacts With Colleagues
72.2
60.7
73.4
75.1
82.8
72.4
Use of Equipment
49.4
52.8
48.5
61.2
39.7
31.5
General Approach
87.8
88.2
89.4
91.7
92.2
79.4
More than 25 Years
26,300
7,400
4,100
10,200
3,000
1,700
Subject Matter
80.0
73.3
77.9
82.1
90.8
77.3
Specific Skills
66.3
56.7
60.6
69.2
70.1
68.4
Contacts With Colleagues
74.6
72.6
71.4
75.1
80.7
68.7
Use of Equipment
49.8
55.5
44.0
61.0
38.0
39.7
General Approach
87.5
85.2
90.8
87.4
91.3
88.0
NOTE: Percentages represent those who said the aspect of postdoc training was “a great deal” or “somewhat” relevant to their principal job.
* Includes those who held at least one postdoc, but whose principal job was not a postdoc in April 1995.
** Too few cases to estimate.
SOURCE: National Research Council/National Science Foundation, Survey of Doctorate Recipients, 1995.
