I’ve had no free time for the past four months of my life. Why? PhD work aside, I’ve been studying for the patent bar exam! My mind is swimming with all sorts of patent prosecution facts, such as the ways inventorship can be corrected at various stages of a patent or application, and what affidavits can be filed to overcome which rejections from the patent office. The patent bar exam is not the same as the bar exam for lawyers, but rather it allows one to be registered at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to prosecute patent applications. So the people that take the patent bar exam typically are, or will be, patent agents (no law degree) or patent attorneys (with law degree).
I didn’t know I would be at this stage when starting my PhD. One thing led to another (an internship panel, a technology transfer fellowship, an inspiring talk, and lots of information interviews), and here I am. Even with the thought of entering patent law, I didn’t know if I would take the time to study for the patent bar exam while in my PhD. However, that was one of the most common advice I got (take it, and take it early) from patent agents and attorneys alike.
Studying for the patent bar while also trying to finish my PhD has been consuming my present life. The PhD path in itself isn’t easy (see this from PhD comics which, as an aside, I don’t even read because most hit too close to home). For my case, I would say that the times of highest stress level are, in chronological order:
(1) just entering, since you have juggle graduate classes, teaching undergrads, rotating in labs, joining a lab, and starting your research, and learning as much as you can very early on.
Then, (2) preparing for the candidacy exam. Thoughts abound such as: do I have enough research for my exam, what should I write my original research proposal on, how am I supposed to learn all this research outside my field, what if I don’t pass and get kicked out of graduate school, what if I get asked a really hard question that I didn’t even consider, what if I get asked a really easy question I didn’t know the answer to, etc.
The last major high stress moment is (3) approaching thesis defense. While untangling all the nuances presented in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, I’m also caught up in thoughts of, what if I don’t pass, when will I defend, what will come next.
That’s not to say stresses will end after achieving goal x, because they never do. One step at a time is all we can ask for.
