> Yes, it is possible to complete a PhD in 3-4 years, but it's not really good for your career.

this is such a "trust me bro it's good for you" con.

i graduated in 3.5 years and went directly to FAANG where i make 2x the highest paid TT at the T10 school i graduated from. do you really have the gall to tell me that it wasn't good for my career to accelerate my PhD and thereby minimize its cost (i.e., opportunity cost).

> A PhD is more like an apprenticeship

the vast majority of advisors have no skills other than how to hack the pub game. they literally have zero clue about the research. the remainder are the "exceptions that prove the rule".