mpheels

It depends entirely on the culture of the department. For my master's program, the department registrar took care of the first semester, then we each had to register ourselves after that. For my PhD program, I have to meet with my advisor during orientation, then registration for the first quarter doesn't open until 6pm that night. After the first quarter, it's up to my advisor and me to figure out what works best. I would not recommend just registering on your own without checking first - find out who the registrar or student services coordinator is for your program, and ask her. These women (yes, almost always women) are a graduate students best friend.

Congratulations! I've really enjoyed my work with ARC so far. It's a great organization, and right now they are going through some transition that will make it even better, I think. I haven't been able to do as much as I hoped when I signed up - the disasters always happen at times I can't be away from home/work for two weeks.

Most of my furniture has sentimental value, plus it's pretty nice mid-20th century stuff. I could never afford to replace it with things that are as nice. So, most of my furniture is making the move. I also hate driving, and the thought of driving up I-95 in a Uhaul (with my cat) makes me want to cry, so I'm hiring movers. I got estimates a few days ago, and the POD/labor route is only $300 less than a real moving company, so I'm just hiring the full service movers and saving the stress. I'm selling the stuff I con't care about - sofa, Ikea bookcases, dishes, and lots of clothes. I already made $200 at a yard sale, and hope to get another $200 or so with a second sale after I know what I need and can fit in my new place. Between the yard sales, craigslist (sofa, washer/dryer), I think I'll cover about half of the $2500 estimate the movers gave me. I'm also selling my car and going care free, and I expect to get around $1500 for the car, which will help a lot.

Reviewers for journals are usually "blind" to the identity of the authors. Some journals are more serious about this than others, but in general papers should be accepted/rejected based on scientific merit, interest, and fit with the journal. A trusted mentor can help you polish the paper and identify the right journal for submission, but they can't (or at least shouldn't) vouch for you or your article - if they did, it would defeat the purpose of peer review, and make the journal a less trustworthy source. Journals also generally avoid having reviewers read submissions from past/current so-investigators. Several years ago I submitted my first publication as first-author. The journal required me to blind the article, deleting everything that would identify the authors or institution. i was using data from a pretty unique health registry, so despite the blinding, a reviewer could identify the research group based on the methods section. She made a couple of incorrect inferrences about the data set based on her pre-existing knowledge of the registry. I was able to address her concerns, but it was really kind of annoying when she wasn't supposed to know who I was in the first place.

I have all the financial stuff squared away, and my program has posted a tentative orientation schedule. Orientation is two days in late August, including lunch with my advisor. I can't register for classes until 6pm on the day of the lunch.

I've been in the work force for 7 years, so I'm just going to keep on working until two weeks before school starts. I do a lot of grant and manuscript writing as part of my job, so I've been able to keep my literature review and writing skills sharp. I'm a little worried about my analytic skills since I haven't really used them since my masters - I technically could place out of a few methodology classes, but will probably take them anyway to have the refresher. I also don't want to miss out on any differences in methology tendencies/preferences between my current insititution (undergrad, masters, and employer all in one) and my new academic home. I have been taking classes as a continuing ed student through my employer, so I've maintained the student mindset somewhat. I was able to meet with my advisor back in March, and we really clicked. I haven't felt the need to email him since then - I'm not one to send an email unless I have a specific question, and he seems like the kind of person who will be incredibly helpful when needed but happy to have an independent advisee. I don't make up questions just to have a reason to email/speak (that is seriously one of my biggest pet peeves, people who make up questions just to get participation points). I am going to be in town at the end of the month to look for an apartment, and I'm going to see if the program director will be around so we can meet. I wasn't able to attend the admitted students day, and he wasn't available the day I did visit campus. If it doesn't work out, we'll just meet in August.

How much do you love the car? If I were moving across the country and had that much paper work to deal with, I would just sell the car in NY and get a new (used, but new to me) car in CA. If you're determined to keep the car, it will probably be easier to transfer the title in NY, so it's already in your name once you get to CA. I don't know the rules in NY, but most states will let you transfer a car title from parent to child, child to parent, or spouse to spouse without paying taxes. My mom and I were both named on my car title, and when we transferred it to just my name all we had to do was go to the DMV with a notarized transfer form, the car title, and $40. Trying to transfer the title and change to registration from NY to CA at the same time could be really complicated.

You past work experience will depend on how well you can spin the experience as related. You need to present well thought ties between what you have already done, what you are learning now, and what you want to do in the future. I would lean towards envrionmental health because that has a more specific methodology. You can fill out yoru global health knowledge with electives and work experience.

I've decided to fly with my cat in a carrier that will fit under the seat. I'm fortunate that Southwest flies from where I currently live to where I'm going, so it's only $75 extra for the cat. I would never fly with her as cargo, especially in August. A one hour flight will be much nicer for both of us than the 6-8 hour drive. I'm also not taking my car with me, so flying is much cheaper than the $300+ I would have to pay for a one way car rental.

One of the great things about public health is how broad the fields can be. I wouldn't call your experience in the residence system mental health programming, but you could definitely write about it in your personal statement. As far as your resume/CV, I prefer to be straightforward and list relevant details honestly. When you write your statement, you can go into more detail about the programming you worked, and explain how that relates to public health (as you see it). Embellishing the description of a job is bullshit. Making connections from your experience in one field to another is a sign of analytic and reasoning skills. I also think public health is a field where jack of all trades types do well - In my job I have to be able to meet with department heads and discuss funding, but also have to be able to assemble the new book shelf.

Every IRB is different. They all work with the same laws and standards regarding research and ethics, but every institution has their own process and IRB culture. One of the few universals is that the IRB wants you to be able to do your work. Call them. They should have a study coordinator who can help you. Chances are you can tell the coordinator exactly what you are planning to do, and he/she will tell you how to answer each question.

I used to use Staples and Office Depot for school supplies, but I'm going car free and won't have access to either one without using a ZipCar. I'm planning to order the basics on Amazon.

I'll be working on a PhD in Health Services Research, and I'm super excited! I'm planning to work through August 16th, then move on the 19th/20th. I just finished my IOL course today, and can't believe I have to wait three months until orientation!

I volunteer with the Red Cross in the disaster services division, but learned a bit about the Armed Services division during volunteer orientation. The primary function the Armed Services division is to assist in contacting armed services personnel serving overseas when there is an emergency at home. For example, if an immediate family member is ill or injured, the family at home contacts the Red Cross, who in turn contacts the military unit and makes arrangements to get person serving overseas home. All emergency leave arrangements are made through the Red Cross - if a family member contacts the military unit directly, they are referred to the Red Cross. Once arrangements are made, the Red Cross will stay in touch with the family and make sure everything works as smoothly as possible, and they have everything they need. Red Cross may also help with referrals to other services (finding a hotel, vouchers for parking or gas), similar to the work of a hospital social worker. The division also organizes a lot of events for military families. I live in a state with a lot of military installations, so we may have more of these events than other parts of the country. My chapter is constantly helping out with picnics and other family events for active duty military.

I think this bears repeating. I've never been on an admissions committee, but I have hired quite a few employees. When I see a CC and a university on a resume (or some other combination of two institutions leading to a BS/BA), it tells me the applicant had some kind of challenge that kept them from going straight to a four year college, but they pursued education in a planned, deliberate way. It's a good sign that they will be able to plan and work towards long term goals. When I see more than two institutions on a resume, it tells me the applicant approached education in a haphazard way, and may be inclined to rash decisions and failure to plan and/or follow through. Not a good thing.

It is standard practice for moving companies (both car and home) to ask for contact information. They aren't going to give you a quote online. They will have someone call and get all the details to prepare the quote. It might be worth setting up an email account and google voice number just for the moving process, so you can turn them off when you're done.

Can I ask where you will be living? $780 for a two bedroom sounds pretty good to me, but rates vary quite a bit. I currently pay $750 for a one bedroom (Chapel Hill, NC, mid-size college town), and have been looking at paying $800ish for a studio in Baltimore.

I bought a Timbuk2 tote several years ago from the REI.com outlet, and love it. It's waterproof, which is great when I have to walk in the rain to/from the bus. It came with a luggage strap, so I carry it like a messanger bag most of the time, but can carry it as a shoulder/tote when I need to look a little more polished. I went with a blue/gray color scheme - it isn't especially dressy, but is simple enough to work in most situations. I wouldn't carry it to an interview, but have no problem toting it around conferences and professional meetings. I also have a North Face bookbag, purchased mostly to use as a carryon for long plane trips. I plan to use it for school during the first two years when my schedule is course work heavy, and light on everything else.

Here's the consumer products safety commission page for asbestos in the home: http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Safety-Education/Safety-Guides/Home/Asbestos-In-The-Home/ In short, as long as the asbestos containing materials are in good shape, you should not have a problem. Asbestos mainly becomes a problem during renovations, then abatement measures are necessary. If the place looked to be in good repair and you aren't planning to knock down walls, you should be fine.

Any advice on when/how to look for apartments in Baltimore? I'm coming from a mid-size college town where the rental market is dominated by the academic calendar. I've been in the same town for 13 years and 4 apartments, so I'm used to committing to a property 6-8 months before moving in. I know the Baltimore market will be different, but I'm having a hard time getting a handle on the timing. I've contacted a couple of places and confirmed they require 60 days notice. Can I really wait until mid-June to find a place for mid-August? I'm looking for a studio or one bedroom in Mount Vernon, if that makes any difference. I was thinking about a trip to Balitmore over Memorial Day weekend to look at apartments (on Friday and Saturday) and get a feel for the city - is it worth visiting then when many properties won't have definitive availibility for two weeks? I could visit later, but like the idea of having the holiday weekend to relax and get to know the area.

Hugs, MammaD. I know how upsetting that is - I was rejected across the board a few years ago. Afterwards, I found out that most of the people I know with doctorates were also rejected during their first round of applications. Definitely take a year (or more...) and regroup. I waited two years before applying again, and was able to get a few more publications through and worked on a few successfully funded grant applications - that experience definitely strengthed my application the second time around.

Everything Eigen said... I will also add that are rules about including raises in a grant. Grant budgets have to use current salaries and project effort of investigators and staff. Generally, you can include annual cost of living increases in the 1%-3% range. You can also typically bump salaries by 5% in the first year because it is assumed you will go through more than one COL cycle by the time the grant is actually funded. If one of the investigators already has 90% of their effort earmarked for existing projects, you can only put them in for 10% (or they can reduce their effort on the other projects). There are ways to get around it, like listing staff at TBD at a higher salary than existing staff, but then you risk losing the competitive edge of established research support staff written into the grant. Institutions are required to keep track of the distribution of effort for faculty and staff paid through federal funds. Each institution has their own system, but the bottom line is that you can't use grant funds to pay yourself above and beyond a 12 month, full time salary.

Don't worry, I will! I know it's a big dream, but I did run with a very political crowd in college, and some of the college pals are starting to run for state-level office at least. A few others are starting to make a splash as political advisors. Honestly, I hadn't really thought much about it until I really started planning this move to Baltimore. Now I'm really processing the idea of summer internships in DC and working with the Departments of Defense and Veterans' Affairs (through my advisor-to-be's research), and re-awakening some of my laten political ambitions.

You do not need to read every word of every article. I always read the abstract, results, and conclusion/discussion. If I find something especially novel in those sections, then I'll skim the intro and methods for more detail. When I'm working through a pile of articles for the background/intro section of an assignment, I'll make a spreadsheet to organize the information. One column for the basic citation info, one for the study design and sample size, and one for the most salient findings. For me, the process of distilling articles down to those basic points helps me retain the important stuff and it serves as a guide for skimming/speed reading. I go back and forth on printing artciles. I prefer reading on paper vs. a computer screen, but hate printing so much. Now I'll do the initial skim on screen, and only print if I think the article will be heavily used for studying or writing. I also have a nook, which is great for reading articles on the bus if I remember to download them. I prefer hand writing for in class note taking, but I'm old school like that. I find it is easier to engage in the class when I don't have a screen in front of me. If ppt slides are available before class, I print 6 slides to a page and write notes in the margins. When my notes are right next to the slide, I only have to jot down a few key words to remember the point. I keep my annotated slides in a binder, and use that like a text book.

I'm moving in August for the Health Services Research PhD program. I've been looking at places in Mt. Vernon, so I can get a studio or one bedroom, and hopefully make it work without a car.