r/Physics • u/Cosmic_StormZ Undergraduate • 1d ago

Studying Physics with IBD

So i am 18m just going to start college, where you get to major in a science in year 3 which most likely I’ll do physics, and do an integrated BS-MS for five years. After this it’s PhD most likely and then I’d want to go into research as a scientist or enter fields like quantum computing that require advanced knowledge

But the other thing is I have Crohn’s disease. So I get flare ups often. I can’t be physically active for long hours and might need breaks here and there. I’m wondering if my career path is right considering my situation. My dad says CS would’ve been easier since it is a one desk job. But I was more interested in physics. I would also need a decent pay for medicines and stuff. Not extreme rich but above average.

Anyone with IBD, or any other chronic illness who are currently in the physics field, having done PhD or working, please do comment your views and even those who don’t, please tell me if the career would suit my situation. Would love to hear from people in similar situations pursuing this field and their experiences dealing with it.

Also for background I am Indian and want to move abroad for PhD or higher studies.

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u/mpnobivucyxtzrewq 1d ago

I have IBD and am a physicist. Depending on where you study, it’s more or less doable. American universities (especially larger/more well known ones) tend to have better disability accommodations. I have friends with disabilities who have been able to get their TA requirements waived, and I have accommodations that extend the attendance policy for me and give me extended time on exams, which was useful when I was still taking classes.

One thing I will say is that this is where your individual PI matters a ton. My PI is also someone who has experience with disability, and my work flows between lab and computational, which means that during flares, I am able to work from home for weeks at a time. My PI doesn’t know the details, but generally takes my word for when I let her know I’m at home (and is also generally okay with wfh as long as it’s being done).

My advice would be to vet potential universities on the following criteria:

  1. Your PI: are they a reasonable person who will work with you if you need accommodations? do they seem understanding?
  2. Stipend & existing medical infrastructure: having a higher stipend or better health insurance will be super important for managing illness
  3. Their disability office: you can reach out ahead of time (after you get in but before you commit) and see what accommodations are available and how they want you to prove it
  4. The type of research: I intentionally chose to do research that gives me more flexibility to work from home. Can you find a subfield or niche that gives you that so that you can take a day off during a flare, or go to an appointment in the middle of the day, without messing up your work.

Good luck. A PhD is hard, and doing it while disabled is even harder, but that’s where the support system and people around you matter a ton. I’ve had a great experience so far in my PhD, but can imagine a different world in which my disability would’ve caused me to drop out or abandon the academic path, and the difference between the circumstances for each one is scarily small.

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u/mpnobivucyxtzrewq 1d ago

I just reread your post and realized that you’re just starting college: there is so so much time to figure out if this is the path for you. Please don’t be afraid to study physics just because you fear the accommodation won’t be there, but the life of an academic is actually pretty similar to what college feels like, so you’ll know pretty quickly how doable it is.

College was much harder for me than grad school because my IBD flares up during periods of stress, so I was constantly flaring during finals week. Grad school is a bit easier in that the work is hard, but it’s more spread out and you can generally avoid the super intensive periods of long term stress if you commit to allowing yourself to prioritize work life balance.

Just notice how you feel in college, but I wouldn’t say that physics is any less of a desk job than computer science (I do software engineering for particle physics and I have friends who haven’t been in lab in months).

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u/liccxolydian 1d ago

Very few people are doing physical activity as a physicist. Can you do an hour's lecture or tutoring without a break?

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u/Cosmic_StormZ Undergraduate 1d ago

Hmm during flare ups it’s tough if I have to move around. But I don’t want to become a professor until I’m much older, I’d like to work as a scientist / researcher etc first

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u/liccxolydian 1d ago

If you're doing a PhD you'll be expected to TA.

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u/Cosmic_StormZ Undergraduate 1d ago

TA?

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u/liccxolydian 1d ago

Teaching assistant. You'll have to both sit through lectures and help teach. If you can't make it through an hour without stopping you may struggle during any taught degree.

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u/Cosmic_StormZ Undergraduate 1d ago

Oh yeah teaching happens during PhD right, forgot

I can sit through it, just not be very animated, that too during flares, otherwise I should be fine.

Flares may cause me to go on break, is that allowed? Or are they strict af

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u/liccxolydian 1d ago

If you're demonstrating in a teaching lab you might be able to get away with stepping away for a few minutes, but you'll be expected to be on your feet for an hour or two. In general teaching is done while standing, and you're expected to be continuously present.

I think you're getting ahead of yourself though, you can speak to your university about accommodations once you get through your bachelor's.

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u/Cosmic_StormZ Undergraduate 1d ago

Ah ok that helps but I was primarily asking about longer breaks like from the job , like a few weeks . Cause you may suddenly get flare ups in this illness.

Wdym ask my uni about accommodations as I just want to study here and go abroad after that

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u/liccxolydian 1d ago

You're going to be a student at university soon. What happens when you tell your university "hey, I've had a flare up, I'm going to go away for the month and miss the entirety of this lab course"? Do you think they'll magically pass you, or will you have to retake the course the year after?

Imagine a few years later you're a demonstrator in an undergraduate lab. Can you tell your professor "hey, I've had a flare up, I'm going to disappear for a month and leave these students with no guidance"?

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u/Cosmic_StormZ Undergraduate 1d ago

I will adjust ask for a bit of lenience and do the labs. Ig the same thing for the second then

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u/Banes_Addiction Particle physics 1d ago

I had a colleague as a postdoc who had IBD. It was never really a problem that I noticed. This was the UK so medicine cost wasn't an issue.

How much work is desk focused and not completely depends on what work you choose to do.

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u/Cosmic_StormZ Undergraduate 1d ago

What work that you can go into from studying physics involves the desk more? If you know.

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u/Banes_Addiction Particle physics 1d ago

Anything computer focused. For example, I spent a decent while writing Monte Carlo simulations of stuff, and didn't have to lift a screwdriver or climb a ladder for years.

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u/Cosmic_StormZ Undergraduate 1d ago

Is it possible to go into video game physics design after studying physics?

What about particle physics? Do you have to move around a lot while studying it?

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u/clintontg 1d ago

If I look up physics developer type jobs some of them look for people with a physics degree so it’s not impossible. Since it’s niche it could be a bit competitive to get into.

Depending on the particle physics work it could be very computer based. I have an acquaintance that does a lot of simulations of collisions as part of their work so it’s all computer work. I’ve also known a graduate student whose work was basically high level statistical analysis to find specific interactions in the data. Also very computer heavy. Getting into academia can be competitive and difficult to make a career out of though. But you can try to branch out into data science, machine learning or finance with the skills you get. I’m not positive how AI will affect these areas- it’s possible it may be like other physics adjacent work where workplaces require fewer people to do the same workload that takes multiple people now because of how AI improves productivity.