NeurosciMRI

Thanks everyone for all of the responses. They have been more than helpful! I will be having a phone conversation with a potential advisor this Friday, which is good! Although prospective students day has passed, I have had a chance to talk with current students who have recommended that I also consider another faculty member to be my potential advisor. On prospective students day, this faculty member was really nice, funny and talkative and actually completed her masters degree at my alma mater which was really nice. This specific faculty member is also on my list of potential faculty members. The last faculty member on my list is very accomplished and is notably an expert in the field that I am going into, however I was told to not go for the "big" names. I had a chance to communicate with this faculty member via email and he responded to one of my emails at 6 in the morning which I have never experienced before (I went to a large public university as an undergraduate). He not only talked to me about my interests, but he also talked to me about things not really related to school as well. He seemed very supportive early on, but I was told that because he is so accomplished that he may not have time for a masters student like myself, although this was not the impression that I got based our email conversations. My mind is all over the place and I have hesitated to submit my list to the program coordinator because I want to be sure that the potential faculty members that I will list (we are allowed up to three to list) will be somewhat of a great match for my personality. I have until next week to submit my choices and I just really want to be matched with someone who will help me develop into a competent masters student and investigator. I apologize for the vague response. In terms of personality, I am the type of person that goes after what I want. I am not hesitant to ask for help. I am very receptive to constructive criticism and don't mind criticism as long as it makes me a better investigator. Sometimes my morale might get messed up but I eventually pick my head up and continue. I continually seek feedback from individuals and strive to be better. I can work independently when I understand my responsibilities really well. I don't need regular feedback but if it is possible for me to schedule meetings on a biweekly basis that would be ideal. I have heard that some faculty members hold weekly meetings and I am not sure if that is commonplace. I was told by a prospective student at visitors day that this specific professor (the expert in the field) is busy, and that the students that he mentors are students that don't have to be coddled. You have to have a "go getter" mentality. I feel like I have this type of personality when it comes to my academics and I also really like the work that he is doing. I have read countless of threads on GradCafe about "bad advisors" and I really don't want to have experiences like that if they can be avoided. That is why I am taking a long time to research potential advisors, their research interests and learn more about their personalities. To answer the questions above: My graduate program does not have a rotation type of program.

I will be starting my graduate program in two months and I received an email not too long ago about picking a possible faculty member to serve as my advisor for the duration of my graduate studies. Although I have an idea of faculty members that are conducting research that I am interested in, I don't know if certain faculty members will be a better "fit" than others. What are factors that I should look for in picking an advisor aside from similarities in research interests. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I was a neuroscience major (housed in the department of psychology and biology) and I was accepted into an epidemiology program this past application cycle. I only had one public health related research experience on my application. The rest of my research experiences were in behavioral neuroscience and cancer. I talked about specific classes that I took on health disparities (social determinants of health) and environmental health. I think you may want to get experience and that getting a job as a public health inspector will help your application. I think you should start to focus on defining your reasons for wanting to go into epidemiology and public health. Admissions officers want to see that applicants know what public health is, have some experience in the field (they recognize that many institutions may not offer these types of experiences) that they can expand on, and how public health will contribute to an applicants career goals. You can also try to look into AmeriCorps, HealthCorps, PeaceCorps and other health related service jobs like the ones that you have listed. Public health is very broad and so as long as you can clearly articulate your interests and have decent grades and test scores (3.0 or above and 50th percentile on standardized tests), you should be fine.

Thanks for answering my question. The professors in my program want their students to master the coursework during the first year and be devoted to research almost full time during the second year with the exception of taking courses that will aid in the progress of the research conducted. Although some students do begin their research in the first year, I guess I am overly anxious and want to make sure everything is lined up and ready to go. I guess I'll be patient!

I was wondering when is a good time for first year masters students to start getting involved in research? I have emailed professors to discuss my research interests, however I was told that the first year (usually all coursework) can be academically challenging and rigorous and that I should wait until later in my first year to formulate an adequate research question and plan. I have not been assigned my faculty advisor yet so I am not sure what to do from here. Any thoughts?

Although I have done that before (on some weeks) when I was studying for the MCAT, I think to be putting in 80 hours per week between studying and research is absurd. It seems that the consensus is that graduate school is pretty manageable.

How many hours per week do you think most masters students spend studying in science/health related disciplines from what you have seen?

Thanks for everyone's input. I will be starting my masters in epidemiology. I have noticed that many of you are doctoral students, but I would assume that the advice given above applies at the masters level as well. I will be applying to doctoral programs or medical school after my first year so although grades will matter, I don't want that to be my sole focus. I will apply to be a volunteer at the hospital since I enjoy community service activities for my down time and also participate in journal clubs, research seminars, grand rounds and interest groups at the school that I will be attending. I will use these opportunities to network with faculty and other students and to figure out what my research interests are going to be. I think its just about balance like what has been stated above. During undergrad, I participated in many extracurriculars and often my grades would suffer as a result ( I completed the premedical curriculum). This time around, I just want to engage in one or two things (volunteering and research), while focusing on my coursework, making new friends and occasionally going to meaningful social events if I have time. Sounds like graduate school is similar to undergrad, however there seems to be a stronger emphasis on forming strong relationships with faculty and staff and not solely studying to get the best grades. I agree that there is only a certain amount of studying that you can do until it becomes almost pointless. You can't do everything so its important to do things efficiently.

I think it would be pertinent. I am pursuing a degree in epidemiology with the hopes of attending medical school afterwards. My goal is to be able to use epidemiological methods and biostatistics to engage in research on health disparities, but I also believe obtaining knowledge in clinical medicine will help advance my goals. I also want to be a practicing physician. I think as long as you are obtaining an MPH with the goal of using the knowledge and skills you will gain from your respective program in your career is all that matters. Some individuals who pursue an MPH ultimately get a PhD, but others use the MPH as their terminal degree as well. It all depends on your career interests. I hope this helps.

Hey everyone, I will be starting my first year of graduate school this fall and I wanted to ask current graduate students in any graduate program/field for advice on making a successful transition from undergrad to graduate school. I am often critical of my academic potential as a student and I wanted to ask current students for advice on studying for classes (if this is done differently from undergrad), making connections with faculty and forming a good relationship with my assigned advisor, utilizing resources, school-life balance, finding a research topic and preparing my academic and professional profile for applying to doctoral programs. I also wanted to know if there are habits, attitudes or behaviors (aside from the obvious ones) that first year graduate students should avoid? Thanks!

I'll be attending Johns Hopkins for their MHS in clinical and cardiovascular disease epidemiology. Finally this application cycle and journey is over. Good luck to everyone at their respective schools! I was deciding between UofM and JHSPH and at the end it came down to which school offers a greater depth and breadth of resources, name recognition and the fact that I went to UofM for undergrad and how I needed to explore new places. Money was roughly similar at both schools, in fact JHU might end up being slightly cheaper. Also utilizing some of the resources offered at Johns Hopkins Hospital was a major push for me as well.

For all University of Michigan Epidemiology admitted students: "Congratulations on being admitted to the Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology program. The Dean's Awards have been determined and those students have been contacted." I contacted the department about a month ago and this was the response that I got. I am waiting on JHU now for their financial aid package. I have applied for GSI positions already and received an RA position, but I will attend the cheapest institution since I plan to go to medical school afterwards. I have heard though that if people who have received merit awards do not attend, they disperse the remaining funds to other admitted students.

Anyone have any thoughts or insight into JHU's MHS program in epidemiology? I am currently struggling to decide between the University of Michigan and JHU (both programs are in epidemiology). My goal is to become a physician scientist. I am strongly considering apply to the MSTP program for medical school or just regular MD, but still conduct research.

Just got into Johns Hopkins for Epidemiology (MHS). Excited but stressed out. I hate making decisions.

I don't think it would hinder your experience drastically. You could always go on another day but faculty might not be available. Also, there is always orientation, however you could possibly miss out on some early opportunities by not attending admitted students day. Admitted students day at the University of Michigan (where I will be attending), gives students a chance to talk and connect with faculty who might share their research interests, answer questions a prospective student may have, and it also gives students a chance to experience a glimpse of what the university they will attend has to offer while meeting some of your future classmates. I think it is important to attend if possible so that you can get a feel for whether the school is really a fit for you and your interests. I am going to the University of Michigan's admitted students day even though I attended the school as an undergraduate. I am trying to network and hopefully secure a research position well in advance of school starting so that I know what I will be doing and can plan accordingly (since I am applying to medical school afterwards). That is my goal whether I achieve it or not. It all depends on what you are trying to get out of admitted students day. I am sure schools have an agenda for that day and I think if you have the means to attend, by all means attend. If not then don't worry too much as if you will be behind or something. I would definitely try to keep in contact with individuals in the department, especially with those you may want to do research with if you can't attend.