Subscribe to Papa PhD 

About David Mendes, PhD

Producer and host

David Mendes’ story is one many PhDs know. At the end of graduate school, the prospect of an academic career had lost its luster along with his initial goal of becoming a professor. With virtually no professional network and plans to start a family, David had to scramble and figure things out fast. Eventually, he found that his life sciences background could be leveraged in the medical and science communication space. Since 2019, and out of a wish to give back to the young researcher community, David produces and hosts Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD, a weekly podcast where he shares the stories of guests with the most varied post-PhD career journeys and experiences.

About the Podcast

“What career can I aim for with a graduate degree?” “Will I be unemployable outside academia as a PhD or after a postdoc?” These are questions young researchers ask themselves everyday and that you may be asking yourself if you are finishing graduate school.

The mission of the Papa PhD podcast is to create a community and a safe space for graduate researchers and young researchers to explore professional avenues after obtaining their degree, one conversation at a time.

How is this safe space created? By bringing you the career journeys and insights of graduates and specialists around the world on job searching, skills development, networking, entrepreneurship, mental health, and more.

Our hope – that David’s conversations with his guests will inspire you on your career readiness journey and to have productive conversations and informational interviews of your own.

Happy listening!

Press