The Carnegie Foundation commissioned a collection of essays as part of the Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID). Essays and essayists represent six disciplines that are part of the CID: chemistry, education, English, history, mathematics, and neuroscience. Intended to engender conversation about the conceptual foundation of doctoral education, the essays are intended as a starting point and not the last word in disciplinary discussions. This essay suggests that a number of practices common in doctoral education in chemistry are less than optimal and may be evolving in counterproductive directions. It discusses the need to integrate more professional skills and knowledge into the doctoral program, to reduce the time to degree, and to prepare the next generation of mentors for the academy. (EV)