Hey everyone, first time posting here sorry if this is not the norm.

Currently I’m in an excelerated masters program (4 1 to be specific). I love the work and enjoy my project but it’s becoming a lot bigger than me or my advisor anticipated. She and another grad in my lab have been pressuring me to switch to a PhD for a while now and I’ve just been going along with it.

However, I’ve begun to think of my other options and I’m not sure what the correct move is for my career. I’ve been attending this school since freshmen year of undergrad and I love the location and some of the research/facilities. Additionally, my project is engaging and impactful and straddles both biology and chemistry perfectly. On top of all that, my lab has plenty of funding and my advisor pushes me hard (which I find very helpful).

For reference, I love biochemistry and my project focuses on microbiology and analytical chemistry. So not exactly the same thing but maybe plenty of overlap? If you have insight on this it would be super helpful.

What made me start questioning everything is the fact that I’ve been in the same place for so long and I don’t know what else is out there. Would I enjoy other programs, and would it benefit me to explore new places? Is the program I’m in good or are others better? Would I be a competitive applicant? What are some resources I could look at for guidance? I just can’t escape the feeling that by staying for a PhD I’d be choosing the most convenient, and not necessarily the best, option.

TLDR: I did my undergrad at this school, and am doing my masters. Do I stay longer for a PhD or look somewhere else? It’s a good place but it doesn’t feel like “the one”.