diamedic17

Thank you everyone for your input I am pretty much decided to just say that I'm interested in the project but I want to experience the other lab as well without making a commitment. Hopefully he takes it okay. After thinking about it I think it has something to do with his tenure. I can't confirm that but that's my opinion. Unfortunately the only person I could talk to about the situation is the professor for my next rotation and I don't want to cause any problems as I feel like one of two things would happen (I'd be burning a bridge in that lab by not giving it a chance or I'd cause a problem between the two professors which wouldn't be good for me either). All of that said, I don't think he is trying to be malicious in the recruiting, I think he's just trying to get his lab situated and make sure he's in a good spot, unfortunately i'm stuck in the middle haha. Another thought I had after my original post was it is pretty unethical to be the first author on the paper after doing a 2 pretty simple experiments. The other two students involved are no longer in the lab so that's why he says it would be my paper but they did the work and found the bulk of the findings. I'd be the person that actually wrote it and did two quick confirmatory experiments. I think tomorrow my conversation is basically going to be "I'd love to start work on it, maybe do one of the experiments but I can't commit to joining a lab until I have all the information available to me to make a decision"

So I was approached by my current rotation advisor today and offered something that on the surface sounds pretty awesome. He has some data for a paper that needs to be finished. Basically, I need to do two or three experiments and then write a paper. Afterwards I would very conceivably have a paper in a pretty high impact journal (PNAS, Plos Pathogens etc). The problem is, he wants me to commit to joining his lab for the remainder of my PhD work. If this lab was my only choice I wouldn't be questioning it at all but I have a somewhat unique situation in that I have my own funding and a lot of experience so several labs want me. I have to do a 2nd rotation regardless of what I decide and the lab that I have set up for my 2nd rotation has some really interesting work. I don't want to make my decision before having all of the information but he doesn't want to give me this project unless I commit to joining his lab. The lab in question isn't well funded (supposedly some money is coming). The second lab is very well funded. Basically what this boils down to is do I commit to a lab before I have the opportunity to see the other lab but also get a pretty high impact paper before the first year of my PhD is done or wait a bit and see which lab I like better and then make the decision. Any advice????

I went to SBU for a year and loved it...however, it is obscenely expensive to live on Long Island and while I did not do any work at CSHL (I was in a similar program that could go to CSHL) I have heard that the people there are difficult to work with as they are not used to having students. The reason I left SBU was not because of SBU itself. The institution is awesome and the genetics program is great. I know several of their students personally and consider myself good friends with them. I had to leave due to family issues so don't think I left SBU because of something the school was doing. Also though, don't just take SBU because of CSHL.

HAHA We did!!! The family issues sucked but these things happen sometimes. I'll say things did work out for the best though. I agree wholeheartedly with GMU, its just that some of those family issues were financial and neither myself nor my wife wants to have a similar situation happen again so we are being extra cautious. I really do think we can afford Northern VA but its a bigger risk than Florida. I agree and it more than balances out its just as I said above we don't want to risk some of the same problems again so we are being extra cautious and believe me I know grad school isn't about the money haha, if it was about the money it'd be a totally different situation haha Hi! Thanks for the congrats and the info. The two PI's at UCF are doing work with Ricin and Flu/Nipah. There are also a few TB labs there as well. It's not nearly as biodefense heavy as GMU but still close or BSL3 that can go on my CV for the future. If you don't mind could you PM me with your opinion on the school/program? I'd greatly appreciate the info. I think a PhD from either school would be excellent but I'm interested in hearing from a UCF student being that I didn't get a chance to actually visit campus and meet anyone. THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR ADVICE/RESPONSES!!

Hey everybody...just looking for some advice I've been admitted to a few schools but I've narrowed it down to two. The problem is I don't know which one to pick. Background: My career goals are to work for the gov't in some sort of biodefense capacity. I have a wife and a daughter with another one on the way (Due June). I've done a year of PhD work already but had to leave due to family issues that arose, some (but not all of which) were financial issues living on Long Island. My choices: George Mason University: Huge biodefense focus, a lot of great faculty and amazing facilities. Faculty has connections at USAMRIID, NIH, DTRA, DARPA, and the likes. They are also going to transfer my credits from my previous school so I will be able to finish much sooner than usual. Location in Manassas, VA is a pretty high cost of living and while it is nowhere near as expensive as Long Island, we worry about finances and don't want to have similar issues. University of Central Florida: Pretty awesome research, I'd have the opportunity to do some work on some biodefense agents but obviously not as much as GMU. Faculty connections I'm sure are there but nothing like they have at GMU. Cost of living is much lower and we know that we would not have any financial issues in Florida. Also it is further from family which is relatively important to us (not a deal breaker but important nonetheless). Note: UCF will consider transferring credits but they don't know what until I get there and meet with my advisor. Looking at the courses it really doesn't look like much would transfer but you never know. Basically it comes down to do I pick the school that is perfect for my education/career goals but difficult cost of living area or do I pick the school that has interesting work but is not nearly as perfect but has a much easier lifestyle on my family. Note: Stipend, tuition, and insurance are very similar at both schools. Both schools are just as interested in me as GMU gave me the Presidential Scholarship and UCF gave me the Graduate Dean's Fellowship and the Chatlos Doctoral Fellowship.

I'm not sure how it works for Psych but I imagine its similar to Bio. Most likely you will be a research assistant, or teaching assistant. Research means you basically work in a lab (toward your dissertation) and teaching means you have to help teach courses while working towards your PhD. In Psych you may also have to hold sessions with patients if that is the program you are trying to enter. I'm not terribly sure though on that end. It is absolutely acceptable to ask about the details of the assistantship before accepting. If there is something in there you don't want to do then you obviously wouldn't want to accept it if it is something you wouldn't be happy with. Good Luck!!

Is there anyway to get a school to up their funding offer? I Was awarded a scholarship for 22k plus tuition and insurance that supposedly only one person a year gets from the school. However, every other place I've been admitted has funding at least 5k more per year. I really like this school and they have exactly what I want to research. They are also in an excellent location that is somewhat pricy to live in. Normally 22k wouldn't be bad but I have a wife and two children to worry about as well (wife is primary breadwinner but my salary is definitely something we need). Any advice?? This is for a science program if that makes a difference.

I have a question for anyone who might know about the George Mason University Presidential Scholarship. I have been awarded this scholarship (in one of the biology programs). Is this in addition to a stipend or is it in place of the stipend? Does anyone know?

Thank you both for your responses. I am not going to be looking for an academia position when I complete my PhD, my goal is to be a government researcher in a biodefense program. We both have talked several times and have agreed that we want to move to the Washington DC area when I am done with my schooling, I do have the fear that she will do this again however if we do end up moving there. I know that this is a decision we both have to make. I do feel like I had no choice in the decision though, she decided it and no matter what I said we were moving. It is what it is, I still and always will love her I just am worried I won't get into another school and I don't want to have to start over from scratch again. Long distance isn't an option, I refuse to miss my daughter's childhood just so I can go to school, we've talked about it and I am the one who said no to that. Again I thank you for your advice, it helped more than you may realize as I didn't look at it in some of the ways you brought up.

Hi, I have been enrolled in a PhD program for the past year and have been doing well in my classes and seem to be on track with my research project. I joined a lab in May after my rotations were finished and feel like I am on the way to a good career. My wife is unhappy with where we are living and wants to move away. I've exhausted every possible option that I can think of and when I tell her I want to stay she tells me I am being selfish. Her reasons for being unhappy are that it is obscenely expensive to live here, we both want to have another child (we have a two year old girl) and we have no family support here. I tell her that if we can suck it up for 4-5 years we will be home free but it hasn't made a difference. So I've been essentially given the choice of stay in grad school and lose my wife and daughter, or leave grad school and keep my family. It really isn't much of a choice since I will pick my wife and daughter 100 times out of 100 but I am extremely unhappy about leaving school. I'm 30 years old and while I plan on applying to schools closer to family, I really don't want to start again and I really like my current research project. That all said, the decision has been made and we will be moving come early August. I've applied for a few jobs and even interviewed for one so that I can have a source of income until next year when I hopefully get into school somewhere else. My questions are: When and how do I approach the subject with my PI and program director? Do I stand a chance at getting into another program next year being that I will have already done a year of grad school and withdrew? Does anyone have any other advice they'd like to send my way? Thanks for the help!!

Thanks guys...I will go and ask him next week. I appreciate it!!

Hi!! So I have a question and thought maybe I'd come on here for some advice. I'm currently doing my rotations and have been hearing rumors (a 3rd year grad student, and a post-doc from the lab in question) that my 3rd (and final) rotation is not going to be taking students this year. The PI has taken 3 rotation students on from my program and he has not mentioned this whatsoever to either of us. Unfortunately when I set up the rotation I did not ask him if he'd be taking students because I assumed (incorrectly and naively) that he wouldn't take a rotation student if he wasn't going to allow any in his lab. I know he has funding because he is the PI on a huge grant within the program among a few others as well. I'm worried because I wasn't a big fan of my first rotation. I loved the people and atmosphere but it wasn't what I thought it would be on the science end of things and I just wasn't as passionate about it as I would like. This means if my 3rd rotation isn't taking students, I'm basically putting all of my eggs in one basket with my 2nd rotation. I'm very interested in the research and extremely excited about it but I don't want to have only one option. A few people have said to just directly ask the PI if he's taking students but I don't know if it's bad form seeing that I've already set up the rotation. Any suggestions???

thanks!! is ''on long island'' better? any suggestions as to where to look for inexpensive housing? i have a wife, baby daughter and two dogs.

Rejected post interview from Drexel...not sure why, I did get a bad feeling from one of the interviewers on the board but I'd really like to know why or what I said....Looks like this guy is going to Stony Brook. My first choice school but last choice location so I'm pretty happy in regards to the school but am scared to death about surviving in Long Island!!

So I emailed my number one choice and asked if they had an update as to when I would know about a decision and I got no response (1 week ago) so today I called and the coordinator said she didn't know and would have to ask the director of the program and would then email me back today. She did not email me with an answer. I interviewed there mid January and last year most acceptances were out by February 17. Is this a bad sign or am I just being overly anxious?