lisa8191

Hi all, I know this question has been asked a lot of times and I'm wondering if the below plan I have would work out...? So I'm attending master Biostats this fall. I was wondering if I plan to work in research institute for 2 years after master and maybe 2~3 years in CRO, would it be possible to get into pharma industry? or in anyhow I still need to have a PhD? 2. I know that PhD is required to get to higher level management in pharma industry but I was wondering if I only have a master but have 5 years (+) experience with an MBA degree, would that help to move into management level? Thanks,

okay thanks! Additional question: My goal is to work in industry eventually and it seems like in most pharmaceutical industry, PhD in biostats seems like a must. I was wondering if this is the case, 1. Would the prestige of the school matters a lot for industry? 2. If the school I complete my master isn't in a good state (as not a lot of pharmaceutical companies around, hense, less networking), would you guys recommend me finishing phd in the same university (get 2 yrs off) or apply to other phd programs in states that a lot of companies gather (ex: NJ, PA, NC) but only get 1 year off? Thanks,

Hi all, So I applied for master Biostats and I'm starting the program in August. I'm planning on working (academia or industry) during my OPT 2 years afterwards. If I would like to go back for PhD Biostats, usually how many years of school can I waive? Also, since I'm international student (degree in US) and biochem major (switching field), would be help (a lot) if I have Master biostats with couple years of research? (hopefully?) Does anyone here have similar experience before? (applying phd program with master degree, preferably also international students?) Thanks,

nope. no word at all.

I'm not exactly sure but you will likely be dropping out from school 1 and enroll school 2. You will need to transfer your SEVIS record to school 2 and get I-20 for school 2. I think there will be no problem but if you decide to go to school 2, why are you going to school 1? Is it caz you are scared if you do not like school 1?

This is not math/stats but biostats: I got accepted into Vanderbilt Biostats master. They only accept 4 masters/year but all with 80% tuition waiver.

I think that prob meant you are on the waitlist...

@DancingHeel, I PMed you!

@pyar23, I was in the same situation! I applied to 7 MS/MA Biostats and got into 5 by far and rejected by Berkeley. I was intended to go to Duke or UCLA but after visiting Vanderbilt, I really like the program. I'm also intending to go into industry after graduation (don't want to pursue a PhD). Till the end, I chose to attend Vandy, well they have good courses and teaching environment, but largely due to the scholarship I will be receiving. (only need to pay 20% tuition). It's fortunate that I really like the program and I also can save a lot of money. For me, yeah, Yale, Duke, UCLA, they are really big names. However, I wouldn't want to be in large debt after graduation from Master; especially not sure if you can get a job right after. (The interest from loan is def NO fun). I think financial situation plays a big role to me. P.S. I'm an international student, so, I was surprised that I can get into the program with this much scholarship and I enjoy the surprise! Will definitely grab the chance I have. Also, I found myself no regret not choosing those better ranking programs Hope you are also satisfied by your choice

Anyone willing to share apartment/housing?? I'm not intending to bring a car so thinking of living somewhere near the campus (walking distance) Female roommates only

Me too! haven't let them know yet but will let them know soon. I heard there's off campus housing referral service available if we can get the Vandy NetID thing. I heard the off campus housing is expensive

I will be going to Vandy this fall for MS Biostats program!!! Who will also be going to Vandy??? I now worry about the housing most...

I was invited for a campus visit/interview for the master program I applied to. I was invited, though, before I received the admission offer. I'm not sure about your case, but for my case, the trip was fully paid by the program. (Airfare & Hotel). I talked to 5 faculty and had lunch with current students. I think it was a big factor for me when making decision since this is the only program I had 'physically' been there and got to know more about the program. I think in your case, the open house is not required but it would be advantageous to know how the department feels like for you before you make a decision.

I was a biochemistry major. I love biology but decided to pursue something related to data analysis and statistics also. So, I applied to biostatistics. I'm going to start the program this fall!

Really really inspiring words. Thank you @hgp

sorry, to be more clear, I'm going to master program not PhD.

Thanks for your advice! I'll consider applying for TA language job only if I can't find a research assistant job. Maybe during the first year in MS.

I once talked to a professor about leaving with terminated MS in a PhD program. I told him it seems like a fraud but he said it's actually not and completely okay since people change their mind often and it's also possible that the environment of the program doesn't really match up your expectation. I think the professors all understand that. Also, you don't have to pay back tuition if leaving with a terminated MS in MS/PhD program.

Is it common for international students being TA teaching languages even if they are science major?? Mandarin is my native tongue but I didn't major in languages though...

I was invited for campus visit for master program. I interviewed with 5 faculty. However, it's more like chatting than formal interview. I also had a great time with the students. To be honest, they are trying to impress you and give you the chance to know more about the department. Prepare all your questions regarding to the program. It's a good time to ask either the faculty or the students.

Hi all, So I had two phone interviews with Vandy (first one with program coordinator and one with a faculty). In addition, they invited me over for a campus visit. I understand this is optional since I originally had a tax issue and they sent me email that if I can't make it to campus visit, they want me to be assured that whatever decision I made (going or not ), it will not adversely affect my prospects for an offer. Ok, so it seems like optional to me. so my questions are : 1. Does that mean that chances for getting admitted is high? (This is MS program) 2. What should I be expected during the visit? I received the itinerary and I will be meeting with couple faculty (5 in total). However, this is not PhD program so I do not have POI listed. Will I expect casual talks with faculty (my interest, motivation...) or I should understand the research interest for each of the faculty? Since I've never encountered having a interview weekend for MS, I'm really not sure what to expect... Please provide your opinions... thanks!

If I want to land an industry job after MS. Would you think the cost of the program matters a lot? Let's say if I get into both Duke and Vanderbilt. Duke will not likely offer any scholarship. It's possible to get RA jobs but not sure. However, based on the previous graduates, they seems to land an internship and a industry job easily.( NC state is hot for biostats) . I also really like their curriculum emphasis on technical field. For Vanderbilt, they offer 80% tuition waiver for the program. However, it's also new program and they only admitted 4 MS each year so they don't really have lots of data for the students' outcomes. I talked to my post-doc colleague and she said that once I got an industry job, it's easier to pay off the loans. (around $30K) I'm wondering what's people's opinions on these kind of factors.

Thanks for your reply. I'm thinking of getting into industry right after MS program. I know hat NC is a big place for Biostats. However, I'm just wondering if I'm willing to move, will it be easier for students graduated from Vanderbilt (TN state) to be able to land a job out of state? I'm just not sure that if the companies in a state will be more willing to hire students graduated from that state instead of out of state. If so, I def think NC is a better place to go to school than TN. (I'm not sure, please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Thanks for the reply! Do you happen to know anything about Biostats program in Duke? I didn't see lots of discussion about this topic. Thanks,