Long postdocs are a modern phenomenon due to the oversupply of biomedical researchers. Historically people did shorter PhDs and skipped postdocs. There are stories of old timers saying they got their faculty position based on just one or two papers, unthinkable these days.
If you’re independently wealthy, you don’t need to go through the modem hazing ritual and you can start your own lab much earlier.
I’m not saying you can start immediately and be an effective researcher, you will initially suck like everyone else. But you will have a better time learning how to fail if your career/livelihood is not on the line.
If you’re independently wealthy, you don’t need to go through the modem hazing ritual and you can start your own lab much earlier.
I’m not saying you can start immediately and be an effective researcher, you will initially suck like everyone else. But you will have a better time learning how to fail if your career/livelihood is not on the line.