<p>I was mainly getting at the fact that there are still many problems to be solved in physics, and many more fields of interest rather than particle physics, like gthopeful said. A common misconception is that physics research has slowed and that there isn’t much to do in the profession beyond teaching…just trying to dispel rumors.</p>
<p>A pretty large minority of my biochem professors hold advanced degrees in physics, and biochem is a booming field right now. People with PhDs in physics don’t always end up doing physics after grad school. There is a need in almost every science/engineering field for people with integral knowledge of physics. And I can’t speak for the OP but I’m pretty sure that someone from Georgia Tech is going to get one of those limited number of physics PhD positions before someone from, say, UColorado does.</p>