Hard disagree on dropping quals. Quals were one of the only times where we were forced challenged to reexamine our ideas from a reasonably outside perspective,

Hard disagree on dropping quals. Quals were one of the only times where we were forced challenged to reexamine our ideas from a reasonably outside perspective, both to see that we actually knew the material and that we could work outside our little niche. This also happens in the group, at conferences, etc but quals are one of the only institutional opportunities to enforce outside perspective. Part of the point of the PhD is learning how to approach problems that have no established solution, and someone who lacks breadth or depth will likely find it challenging to be a professional researcher.