NeurosciNerd

Biomedical sciences doctoral portal, anyone?

How did you go about setting up your rotations in PhD programs, especially those of you in biomedical programs? I know many of you had particular people you wanted to work with going into a program, but what about those of you who were interested in a lot of labs? I'm very familiar with a lot of the PIs in the department, and many of them know my work. Do I need to go into my background and why it is a good fit for their lab when I contact them?

I am attending VCU for Neuro. They are very well respected in glial and head trauma research.

I am leaving for one of my PhD interviews tomorrow. My dad had a stroke tonight. He's currently in the ICU. My family is insisting that I still attend my interview. Anyway, I know I won't interview well. Is it ok to tell my interviewers what happened? I don't want to ruin my chances because my mind is elsewhere, but I don't want them to think I'm making it up to get sympathy and help with getting accepted. I'm terrified that he will pass in the next few days, but I know my family wants me to pursue my dream no matter what.

For the girls, what did you wear? I have two interviews coming up. My problem is I have a very feminine body (think a slimmer Christina Hendricks). When I wear a skirt that would be considered conservative on most women, I look provocative (even a lose-fitting knee-length skirt). Sweaters can even be a little risky for me, even in turtlenecks. I planned on wearing my suit since it's simple and black, and hides most of my curves. I don't quite know what to wear for the dinners and luncheons though. I don't want to look frumpy, but I don't want people to think I'm trying to get in by showing off my body.

Hmm...maybe someone could find a friend with a major in a completely unrelated field (18th Century Poetry? Yeah, I just made that up) to send in an application. We'd have to make sure the person didn't have a strong mathematical background, and had no coursework in biology/chemistry/etc. That way no one who was actually interested would have their name sullied with the fake application. I'd definitely help pay the fee for this experiment.

Albert Einstein: Jan 12-13, Jan 26-2 Brandeis University (Neuro): Feb 3, Feb 17, Mar 3 Boston University (GPN): Mar 4-6 Case Western Reserve University (BSTP): Feb 3-4, Mar 2-3 Columbia (Biological Science) March 1-3 Columbia (Integrated CMB): Jan 20-22 Columbia (Neurobiology & Behavior): Feb 8-10, Feb 29-Mar2 Columbia (Pathobiology & Molecular Medicine): Feb 3-5 Cornell (Weill): February Cornell Tri-Institutional (Weill/Cornell/Memorial Sloan Kettering) Computational Biology and Medicine: March 4-6 Dartmouth (PEMM) March 2-3 Duke (Toxicology and Environmental Health) February 2-4 February 16-18 Emory (PBEE): February 2-4 Emory (IMP): Feb 2-4, March 1-3 Emory University (neuro): Feb 9-11 or Feb 23-25 FSU (Molec. Biophysics): Feb 16-18 Harvard (BBS): Jan 26-29 and Feb 9-12 Harvard (MCB): Feb 1st - 4th, Feb 15-18 Harvard (neuro): Jan 19-22 Harvard (BPH): Jan 26-27 Indiana University - Bloomington (Biology): Feb. 16-19 Marquette University (Biological Sciences): Feb 1 MIT (Biology): Feb 11-14, Feb. 25-28, Mar 10-13 MIT (CSBi): Feb 9-11, Feb 16-19 Mount Sinai (Biomedical Sciences PhD): Jan 9-10, Jan 17-18, Jan 24-25 or Feb 13-14 MSU: Jan 5-8 MSU (Zoology): Feb 2-3 Northwestern (IBiS): Feb 13-14 or Feb 27-18 Northwestern (Neuro: NUIN): Jan 19-20, Feb 2-3, Feb 23-24 NYU Sackler: Jan 19-20, Jan 26-27, Feb 9-10 Ohio State University (IBGP): Feb. 9-11 Ohio State University (Neuro): Jan 18-20 OHSU: Feb 1-4 OHSU (neuro) feb 5th- 7th Princeton (neuro): Feb 16-18 Princeton (EEB): February 8-10 Rockefeller: March 1-2 and 8-9 Scripps Research Institute-CA campus: Feb 24-25, Mar 2-3 Sloan Kettering: 1/17-1/19 Stanford (SCBRM) feb 29th - mar 3rd Stanford (Biology) feb 29th - mar 3rd Thomas Jefferson (neuro): Jan 26-27 Tufts-Sackler (Integrated Studies): Jan 27 Tufts-Sackler (Genetics and ISP) Feb 10th Tufts-Sackler (Molecular Microbiology) Feb 2-3 Tufts-Sackler (Neuroscience) Feb 17th UAB (BMS): Jan 19-21 University of Arizona (Medical Pharmacology): Feb 9-12 University of Arizona (Physiological Sciences) Feb 16-17 University of Cambridge (UK): Jan 18th-20th University of Chicago (BSG): Feb 23-25 University of Chicago (Molecular Biosciences): Feb 16-18 University of Chicago (CEB): Feb 15-19 UC Berkeley (Biophysics): Feb 14-16 UC Berkeley (MCB): Feb 5-7, Feb 26-28 UC Berkeley (MBN): Jan 26-27 UC Davis (BMCDB): Mar 1-2, Mar 5 UC Davis (GGG): Feb 16-17 UC Davis (neuro): Feb 9-10 UC Irvine (CMB):Jan 26-28,Feb 2-4 UCLA ACCESS: Jan 28-30, Feb 11-13, Feb 25-27 UCLA ACCESS (Molecular and Medical Pharmacology): Dec 22 UC Riverside: Feb 24 UC San Diego (Biomedical Sciences): Feb 9-12 UCSD Biological Sciences: Feb 1-2, Feb 22-23 UCSD (Bioinformatics and Systems Biology): March 1-3 UCSF BMS: Jan 26-28 OR February 9-11 UCSF iPQB: Feb 9-11 UCSF iPQB (Bioinformatics): Feb 16-18 UCSF Tetrad: Feb 2-3 OR Feb 24-25 UC Santa Barbara MCDB: Feb 23-25 or Mar 1-3 UChicago (neuro): Feb 10 or Feb 13 (but travel times drag it out several days before and/or after) U Colorado - Denver (BSP): Feb 2-5, Feb 9-12 U Illinois Urbana-Champ (neuro) - Feb 16-19 U Iowa (Micro): Feb 23-26 U Iowa (Neuro) - Jan 26-28 U Kentucky (IBS)- Jan 12-13, Jan 26-27 UMASS Worcester: Feb 2-4 and Feb 16-18 U Maryland - Baltimore - Feb 3 U Miami (RSMAS): Feb 3-4 U Mich (PIBS): Jan 27-28 (Cancer Bio), Feb 3-4 (general) U Mich (EEB): Feb 16-18 U Minnesota (MICaB): Feb 9-12 or 16-19 U Minnesota (neuro): Feb 23-26 UNC Chapel Hill (BBSP): Feb 2-4, Jan 26-28, Feb 9-11, Feb 23-25 UPenn (Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics): Jan 19-21, Feb 9-11 UPenn (CAMB): Jan 12-14 UPenn (neuro): Jan 20, Feb 10 UPitt (IBGP): Jan 20-22 URochester (BMB): Feb 3-4, March 2-3(environmental medecine) Feb 2-4 University of South Carolina (Biomedical Sciences) Feb 6-7 UT Austin (CMB): Jan 26-28, Feb 16-18 UT Austin (MSI): Feb 10-11 UVa (BIMS): Jan 12-14 or Feb 2-4 UVA (Biology): Feb 23-25 UW-Seattle (Biology): Jan 13 or Jan 20 UW-Seattle (MCB): Jan 25-27,Feb 8-10 UW-Seattle (GS): Feb12-14, Feb 26-28 UW-Seattle (Neuro): Jan 24-25 U Wisconsin - Madison (Biophysics): Mar 1-3 U Wisconsin - Madison (CMP) : Feb 27th, March 5th Vanderbilt (IGP): Jan 12-14, many others (just got back from the 1st weekend, they said there would be 8-9 other weekends) Virginia Commonwealth University (Biomedical Sciences Doctoral Portal): Feb 3rd or Feb 17th Washington University in St. Louis (DBBS-MCB): March 1-3 WashU (neuro): Jan 27-28, Feb 3-4 Yale (B.B.S.): Feb 2-5, Feb 9-12

I got rejected from my top choice school (UCSD Neuro), and haven't heard from some of my other favorites, so I am assuming I will be rejected. I have interviews only at what I considered my "safe" schools. I'm currently debating on whether to go to one of my safe schools (assuming I am accepted after the interviews) or try again next year. At the time I submitted my applications, the only "publications" I had were abstracts from conferences. In the next week or so, my PI will be submitting a paper for review on which I am 3rd co-author. I am also tying up loose ends on my 1st author, and another 3rd co-author paper. All of these are being submitted to mid-tier journals, and I expect that, perhaps after revision, they will be accepted. Additionally, I did not know what to expect from the GRE so I prepared for it like the SAT (on which I did really well), which meant I just did a few practice questions, but no real studying. My verbal score was very high, but I ended up with only a 159 Q and a 4.5 AW. I feel I can bring these up now that I know what to expect. My GPA in undergrad was not terrible, but not great (3.4). Anyway, I was hoping for some advice. If I stay in the kind of research I've been doing, one of my "safe" schools would be an excellent choice. I was hoping to branch out more into neuroendocrinology though. If I decide to wait another year, would it be a good idea to continue working in the same lab, find a new lab to show I can do different research (I've been here for almost 3 years), or do a post-bac to raise my GPA? What would you do in this situation? Do you think I could get into the top-tier schools if I tried again?

Aaaand...rejected from UCSD. Joy.

to basically ask for an interview? There is one school I absolutely would love to go to. I know they've sent a first round of interview invites and a first round of rejections. I was in neither. Would it be inappropriate for me to contact the school and let them know of my extreme interest in hopes that they would offer me an interview? They are a bit of a stretch for me, but they also have my ideal program.

No. I don't think I'll be getting in at either place. I know some people have already been rejected, and mine is still "under review," but I don't think I'm quite up to par. I just fell in love with their programs, and hope that somehow they decide to interview me. I absolutely love UCSD. So much of the research in the cellular and developmental specialty of the neuroscience program is exactly what I want to do. I was in contact with one professor before submitting my application, but I haven't heard from her in a while.

Undergrad Institution: Large university with strengths in scientific research Major(s): Biology Minor(s): Chemistry GPA in Major: 3.8 Overall GPA: 3.4 Type of Student: domestic, female GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 159 (82%) ***edit. I had written the wrong score before V: 163 (93%) W: 4.5 Research Experience: 3 yrs in neuroscience lab, 3 regional poster sessions, 1 regional neuroscience oral presentation, 1 regional neuroscience award, 1 national poster session, 1 1st author publication (low impact), 1 1st author in prep, 3 2nd-4th author papers to be submitted Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Regional best abstract award, Summer research fellowship recipient, Golden Key, National Society for Collegiate Scholars, National honor fraternity Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Research tech Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: My school wrote an article about me and my research, so at least that's exposure Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: formerly a ballet teacher Applying to Where: University of VA - Biology PhD - Neurobiology and Behavior UC San Diego - Neuroscience PhD UC Los Angeles - Neuroscience PhD Virginia Commonwealth Univeristy - Biomedical Sciences PhD - Neuroscience Johns Hopkins University - Neuroscience PhD Stanford - Neuroscience PhD I have a lot of very "stretch" schools, but I know I will we admitted to one of my safe schools (and I've been invited to interview at the other) so I figured why not try for the best?

Just got my first official interview invitation today (UVA Biomedical Sciences, Neuro specialty). One of my labmates got 2 interview invites starting around Dec 16th. I'm thinking I should hear about more invites soon, but I applied to mostly top schools, and I'm sure I'm not in their top choice candidates, so I may be in the second wave of invites, if I get them. Good luck!

I imagine something along the lines of that scene with the Harvard Law adcom in "Legally Blonde" only with scientists. People did suggest that I do a video SoP.

I had originally expressed interest in this program only to make my ex happy. This program isn't even ranked and has very little funding. I'm currently looking at schools like UCSD, Stanford, Penn and Johns Hopkins (with some safe schools mixed in...I'm pretty much guaranteed admission to the school at which I am a lab tech). I just don't want to be blacklisted for being "rude" by not responding.