DejaVu all over again! + All PhDs are not born equal. + Familiar vs Unfamiliar field of PhD + Why not shoot for the stars?

Now that I am researching PhDs, it feels like deja vu all over again. Ok, I know it is punny. Chill! Why do I say that it is deja vu all over again? That is because I had the very same questions on my mind before joining the MBA program!!! Am I doing the right thing? Is this the school / University for me? and so on. I shall have to ask these very questions, while getting into a PhD program. Have to choose the University / program that is the BEST FIT for me!

The dilemma here is this:
* Start a PhD immediately, with any available program? (most programs start in September. I am already kinda late. I thought of a PhD only 2 days back, bro! Had not planned it before that. LIfe is like that).
* Or go for a well recognized PhD program?
* You see, I am set in Toronto right now. This is home. Relocating to a new place is not going to be easy.
* At the same time, I am also looking at PhD programs in USA. I already looked at PhD in SUNY, Buffalo, NY and in Detroit, MI. And now, I am thinking, why not a PhD from a prestigious university, darn it? Why not Ivy League (Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Princeton, Yale, UPenn, ).
* All PhDs are not born equal. There is different level of prestige associated with them. There are many different fields in which you can do a PhD.
* This also begs the question: Should one do a PhD in a familiar field or an alien field?
* Personally, I choose to do a PhD in an alien field (not something related to Medicine - I am a Medical Doctor). I want to learn from a PhD first and teach later. A field like Economics and Finance is ideal for me.
* Here is another thought. Instead of rushing into a PhD this September 2012, why not plan for a PhD in September 2013 from a prestigious University?!
* Some PhDs can be completed in 3 years (eg: McMaster University). Some take 5 years compulsarily (eg: University of Toronto)! That factor should also be kept in mind.
* More later. My thoughts are still new regarding a PhD. As my thoughts mature, and as I come to a conclusion, I shall post new blogs.

Gerry.