Spore

Honestly, it is always the last thing you have accomplished (or failed to accomplish) that is the most critical in determining a career. For a PhD in the life sciences, it is actually the POST DOC that supercedes the PhD granting university. Your postdoc work will get the academic job slot and not the PhD lab. That is, of course, if any university is hiring. Just a head's up: I got my PhD in 2008 and so far only TWO people in my cohort have academic positions. Their postdoctoral work was greater than their doctoral work. And I did not go to a crappy school FYI.

I agree with the PP. That being said, it is almost always prudent to have a spread of schools, from super competitive to a sure bet of acceptance. If you are not willing to go to a "sure bet" school, you must consider what your alternative plans may be if you do not secure admission to one of your top choices. For example, finding a job.

I learned from my mistakes. At first I thought the science was paramount when picking a lab. And it is very very important. But, lab environment is almost as important. Ask the students if they would join the lab again (trust me, people are honest). See how the lab dynamics are. Even if you love your project, if the lab environment sucks you will hate your life for your entire graduate career and that can be a good 5 years of misery.

I have heard of people doing part time double masters programs in different schools and two degree programs in the same school that are packaged together, for example, JD/MBA. I have never heard of separate enrollment in a PhD program plus something else. PhD programs are full time. I doubt this will work, but ask your school to see if you can create a program that will work for you.

double trouble

rock music

There may be minimum score requirements depending on the university you are applying to...some schools want 50% or higher on the GRE. Honestly, the quant score may be snaggle tooth. You may have to take the exam again. The GRE will not get you into a program but the score results have the potential to keep you out of a program. Good job on the verbal.

When I applied for postdoctoral fellowship positions, I was not asked for my graduate transcript. I was asked for references. That being said, coming into a postdoc self-funded will likely require a transcript as one component of an application. Many of the more competitive laboratories strongly encourage a person to seek their own funding.

Whenever I have worked in a lab that requires its members to where lab coats, the institution always provided the coat. Really, why spend money on something when you don't have to?

Technically, a JD degree is not a masters degree and is a juris doctor degree (technically a doctoral degree). I would consider the debt from just one of these degrees. You will pay through the nose using loans. I was told by a Harvard Law grad that unless you can secure a spot in a top 10 law school, it does not make much financial sense to go to law school.

Since I earned a PhD in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology in 2008 followed by 2 years of postdoc-hood, some people were somewhat surprised to learn of my desire for a career change which requires another graduate degree. I thought I was an iffy candidate but I sailed on through the application process. Upon acceptance, everyone was pleased and happy for me. Here I go again (and I thought I would never take another exam in my life)!

There are plenty of MDs who choose a fellowship that is part clinical and part research oriented. For example, I know of an infectious disease doc who was doing research 4 days of a week and clinic one day a week (HIV). This is quite common. Some continue becoming physician scientists akin to PhD/MD. Obviously this is more common in Microbiology, Infectious Disease, Human Genetics etc. What bothered me was this person did not have the research degree (PhD) yet was getting paid more than than the PhD postdocs who were better prepared for research.

I don't know about the pick and choose routine. I DO know that scores expire after 5 years. Gone. Vanished. As if you never took the exam. My scores "expired" and was forced into a retaking the exam. I got the same raw score but my percentiles wiggled a bit. For what it's worth, depending on what type of program you are applying for, your scores will not knock you out of the running as they stand now.

Very few PhD programs will waive GRE scores. I applied last cycle and I have a PhD (2008, Molecular Genetics) and there were some schools that were requiring me to submit a fresh set of scores....my last scores expired long ago and I lost my unofficial copy. So plan on submitting.

Some programs want to see a final transcript before a student may enroll in the program. Your best bet is to call the program director of your school to determine if there is a cause for concern. Have you failed or think you might fail? There is a big difference between the two. And, yes, it is within a school's rights to redscind admission if an applicant does not meet the necessary requirements.