Search the Community

My top offers (PhD) currently are Johns Hopkins CMM and UCSD BMS. I want to study cancer genomics/immunotherapy. Not a big fan of Baltimore but Hopkins is pretty elite. UCSD BMS is top 10ish as well but I don't think it has the same reputation. I think I want to pursue a career in academia and I have been told people really look at pedigrees. I am worried about living in Baltimore and SoCal might be better for my mental health, there's tons of institutes and pharma in the SD area as well. Any advice would be really appreciated ❤️ thank you!

Has anybody applied to the NYU Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences in PhD open Program? If yes, please post your stats and decisions here below.

I am a 2nd year graduate student in a masters biology program. My field of research is cardiovascular disease. Specifically, I research the genetic expression and protein secretion profiles of unique adipose tissue depots in patients with coronary artery disease. I do not have any publications at this point in my career. Although, I have been fortunate enough to obtain ~$13,000 in competitive grant funding and fellowships. I am currently working on a mini-review and hope for my thesis research to be published, once completed. Due to a setback in my research, I will be staying in this program for 1 additional year; graduate May 2020. I have already completed all of the required coursework for the degree, just need to finish the thesis research. Although, due to the requirements for some of the grants that I have I must maintain full-time graduate status (9 units). This semester I have enrolled in 2 MBA courses (economics and operations management). I figured because I know nothing about business, and am in a STEM field, these courses would be interesting and prove worthwhile...I am loving it! I am able to use my analytical skills in a whole new way. This has put me in an interesting position between going for the PhD or the MBA. I am seriously considering applying to the MBA program at my university, fall 2019 start, as I am interested in research funding and development. It is a 2 year program. I recently turned 25, I would finish with both masters programs by age 27. If I go for the PhD it would be in biomedical sciences, or something closely related. Preferably studying coronary artery disease and working with humans as the model organism. I am seeking advice. I know 27 is not THAT old and I can definitely still continue on and complete a PhD. I would like to work more so in a management or consultant role rather than as an active scientist.

Any pros and cons of these programs/schools/cities would be greatly appreciated!!

I welcome all to post their admission threads here for PhD Fall 2019 applications.

Salutations, fellow Trojans! Officially accepted admission today ?

Hey guys... Please post your updates here!

Hi Everyone, I'm applying for the UC San Diego Biomedical Sciences PhD program and I got a draft finished for the SOP. I'd love it if I can get a few kind individuals to take a look at it and provide me some feedback (rip it apart if you must). Please comment that you're interested and I'll PM you the doc Thank you!

Hi all-- I'm currently working on my application for a Biological and Biomedical Sciences PhD program, and was wondering...What are the best resources for getting help writing a Statement of Purpose? I've already written my Statement, but am looking for feedback and ways to make it better. Any suggestions would be helpful. (I looked into paid editing services already, but was told that most schools don't allow this, or discourage applicants from using these services.) Thank you for your help.

Hi all, I've been accepted to phd programs at UMN Twin Cities for med chem, and UW-Madison for Pharm Sci. In addition, I'm interviewing at Vanderbilt for their IGP program in biomedical science in April. I feel the need to pretend like I've already been accepted to Vandy as my interview is very late and I won't have much time to decide after I visit (if I don't get an offer then the decision gets made for me I guess lol). In the mean time I'm trying to rule out either UMN or UW. Both UMN and UW check all the boxes for me and I suspect Vandy will too. I'm having a lot of trouble thinking of things that give a strong edge to one program or another. Some quick points: -UMN and UW are both offering fellowships and the total amount of money they are offering is the same as well. Vandy's base stipend is equal to what UMN and UW are offering me so I'll likely be offered the exact same amount from all three schools. My money will go further in Madison, but Minneapolis and Nashville aren't NY or San Fran and seem to be plenty affordable. -There are at least 3 professors at all places I could seriously see myself working with, but none that swayed me 100% (caveat that I haven't met anyone at Vandy in person yet). I feel confident that I could fit in well with the culture of the departments at UW or UMN. -Having the option to either stay in my comfort zone or branch out of my organic synthesis background into biochemistry or cell biology is really important to me. All programs put a heavy emphasis on interdisciplinarity, and supporting students who want to try out new areas. At UMN and UW I spoke to many grad students who did that successfully. I haven't decided whether I want to pursue academia or industry yet so it's important to me to be in a program that has a strong record at preparing and placing alumni in both areas. Vandy is bent more towards academia in their placement record while UW and UMN have very strong records in both areas. The professors at UW and UMN were both very supportive of their students who wanted to leave academia. I also met with several students at both places that acquired industry internships. I'm not sure about Vandy yet, but TA'ing at UW and UMN is not intensive, and I wouldn't even have to do it at UMN due to the fellowship. -UMN and Vandy have much heavier course loads, but I think I might prefer that. If I do branch out of my comfort zone the extra coursework could come in handy. -The grad students at both UMN and UW seemed genuinely happy. I explicitly asked many about their worst experiences in the program and all of their answers were mild, and they all emphasized that they felt supported and happy. -UMN and UW have amazing new facilities with all of the technical support and resources you would expect from highly-ranked, well-funded programs at large state schools. I feel safe to assume the same will be true of Vanderbilt. -I'm a North Carolina native so -20 weather will be new to me if I move up north, but I haven't been fretting about that much despite my family and friends reminding me that Minnesota/Wisconsin are cold at every opportunity. My bigger concern is with lack of sunlight. It may sound trivial, but I predictably have a minor bout of depression in late January to early February even in NC when it starts getting dark at 5 PM. I haven't researched it too much, but I imagine lack of sunlight could be an issue for me at higher latitudes. -I've lived in Chapel Hill the past 5 years and lived in Charlotte before that. Madison felt kind of like a mixture of Chapel Hill's college town vibe and Raleigh's mid-sized state capital feel. I didn't get a chance to explore the greater Minneapolis area, but its downtown felt much like Charlotte's in size. Nashville lies somewhere between the two. I loved Charlotte and I love Chapel Hill and Raleigh too. I don't think I would have any shortage of things to do in any of the three cities, and they all seem suitable to me and places where I could be very happy. Access to outdoor rec and state parks is important too, and Wisconsin and Minnesota seem totally saturated with those opportunities which is great. Madison has great proximity to larger cities, but I was a little concerned when I asked some of the other students what they liked to do outside of Madison and they basically said "there's nothing to do outside of Madison" (please don't take that as a slight against WI; it was a small sample size after all). I'm having trouble making a decision because the areas that the schools differ in (like course load of program, or locale) don't matter to me enough to really pull me one way or the other. I feel myself inclined towards UMN but I'm honestly not quite sure why, and I'm not totally convinced that it isn't because it was the last place I visited. If anyone has some strong feelings they want to share about these schools or cities in general I would greatly appreciate the feedback. Also, if you felt extremely ambivalent about programs that excited you I'd love to hear your rationale for deciding one over another. Thank you!

I got accepted to Washington University in St. Louis DBBS and UT Southwestern medical center for biomedical sciences. Which one should I choose?

First post: Just found out about this website and would love some help. I am deciding between 3 school for Biomedical Sciences PhD. The university of Colorado @ Denver, the University of Arizona and the University of Southern California. Anyone have thoughts on these three schools? I am looking to go into academia if that helps. I felt that Denver was very industry focused from my interview weekend at least. So I am concerned that is not going to get me the secondary skills necessary for academia. But I really do not know. Any advice? Thanks!

Hello Everyone! This is my first post on GradCafe. Still not totally familiar with the platform but it seems very resourceful. I am currently working on a MS in Biology at a state school in CA. My thesis is focused on coronary artery disease. I intend to advance to the PhD level upon completion of my program. Not entirely certain what areas as of yet. I am leaning towards biomedical sciences or cell biology programs. I would like advice from those that have made the transition from the masters world to the PhD world. I suppose any person from any discipline can weigh in on this question. Do top-tier programs tend to not select students that already have a grad degree? Is it possible to finish sooner? Was there a significant lifestyle change? Anything else that you would like to add would be greatly appreciated!

Since decisions came in, I have been talking myself into and out of my two top programs half a dozen times a day. I have the same arguments and counterarguments and feel like I'm no closer to deciding than I was a month ago. At this point it’s between either the emotional/gut choice of where I want to go (School #1) or the logical choice of where I think I should go (School #2). Background: I did my undergrad and Masters in chemical engineering before transitioning to a more bio-based research focus for the last 3ish years. I am particularly interested in pursuing a career in creating novel targeted drug delivery methods, but recognize that I don't necessarily have the fundamental biology foundation. School #1 – extremely prestigious school/name Pros This is a PhD program through the medical school, so there is a huge emphasis on translational research. One of the faculty (a very well-known oncologist and author) has guaranteed me a spot in his lab already. During our interview, he was very nice and described everything I am looking for in a mentor (level of involvement, how projects are handled, opinion on industry vs. academia). The project he pitched is a wonderful intersection between my chemical engineering background and biology. This project would expand on my previous chemical engineering focus but this time in a more biological application. This PI is also a practicing MD and recently began a biotech start-up, so I will be exposed to a variety of contacts and avenues for a future career. This school is in a major city and I would love to live there. I would be closer to family (both mine and my partner’s) than I am now and this area has much better career opportunities for my partner. Cons Due to my previous experience in the engineering area this PI is interested in pursuing, I can already see some possible problems that would scrap the project he has in mind, or at least make it very difficult. I have some reservations that the PI is spread too thin (between his clinical patients, biotech responsibilities, and his prolific writing) and may not be able to fulfill the role of mentor as well as my second option. I did a bit of digging into the publishing history of this lab and I am torn. This lab often publishes in high impact journals, but does so only as part of HUGE collaborations (PI and lab members are routinely 8th, 9th, 10th authors). I’ve yet to find a paper out of this lab with a first/last author. School #2 – not as prestigious as School #1, but is higher ranked than School #1 in terms of this particular program Pros This is a partnership PhD program where I take classes at the university and complete research at a separate research facility. I have already been working at this facility for the past year and a half, so I am very comfortable with the culture, co-workers, area, etc. My current PI has guaranteed me a spot in his lab. He is a wonderful mentor and I would be very happy spending the next several years working with him. The project he has in mind is incredible, and could have a resounding impact on drug delivery. This lab publishes first/last papers almost exclusively, albeit in smaller but not necessarily low impact journals. This lab will never hurt for funding and I won’t need to write a single grant to keep my project afloat. Cons The proposed project is based off preliminary data from the last two years that has yet to be verified that it truly works. If this project dies, I don’t foresee another drug delivery project in the future. As I am pursuing grad school to beef up on my basic biology foundation, I am concerned that the intensity and breadth of classes are quite limited compared to School #1. While I appreciate the area, I cannot see myself living here for the next 4-5 years. This area has very few career or schooling prospects for my partner, requiring a several hour drive to see one another. Any comments, commentary, and advice would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks!

I applied to UNC Chapel Hill Biomedical Sciences Ph. D program. I haven't heard anything yet from bbsp (neither good nor bad), yet. I am very very nervous a time passes. I thought this could be a good platform to share updates with each other. Anybody heard anything?

Hi all, I am extremely confused about what to do to get the career that I want. Currently I work as a research tech in a high profile lab at a great institution. In my time here I have been responsible for all protein purification and QC, worked on multiple projects, been published as 3rd author on an important paper with up to 2 more in the pipeline, and I have headed a project that could result in a patent. I would ultimately like get a PhD and work in industry. I was originally planning on applying to masters programs, but I have always been hesitant due to the high cost. My boss loves me and believes I can aim higher and that with my work experience I could easily get a masters level job and that I should apply to PhD programs. He knows I have a low GPA but I'm not sure if he knows how low. At the same time I've also told others about my situtation (completely) and they have told me to apply and sometimes if you don't get into the PhD program you are offered a spot in the masters program. Like I said I want to avoid that degree if possible so my current plan is to get a job while applying to PhD programs that have similar masters programs. Anyone have any advice on whether or not this is a good route? Edit: I have a lot of technical skills and a strong research background and I want to use that for a career in biomedical sciences/biotech/biotherapeutics

I'm interested in both KGI's Master of Bioscience program and Thomas Jefferson University's M.S. in Biomedical Sciences. They are both PSM (professional science masters) programs, but KGI's program is more industry oriented and offers curriculum on the business aspect of the biotech industry. Can anyone with experience with one, or both, of the programs please tell me more (such as career outlook, curriculum rigor, culture, etc.)? Thanks in advance!

Currently in my second year as a research tech in a prestigious lab in my field. I have acquired broad technical skills from undergrad and my current position. I am responsible for many technical responsibilities (protein production, purification, and QC) as well as working on several projects as well as my own drug related project. I am already on one paper, with another one being drawn up and two more in the pipeline. I should be able to receive 2 excellent letters of recommendation and I have pretty good GRE percentiles (85, 83, and 80 for V, Q, an AR), my only caveat would be my GPA. It is a 2.8 and my only explanation would be that I was an irresponsible college student and I probably shouldn't have been a chemistry major. I want to know if anyone has any been in a similar situation and what was the outcome? Additionally if anyone has any advice during the application process (I am aiming for thesis based Master's programs), that would great. Finally is anyone working in the biomedical/biotech field with a similar degree? Were you hired for an M.S. required position or B.S. required position and what is your chance for growth within your company? Sorry for the bombardment of questions, not very many people around me who understand master's programs and degrees. General Questions I wanted to ask this forum before I ask the main one: Does anyone have any insight into when would be a good time to have applications in for spring? The deadlines are November-December so I'm shooting for mid to late August. Is that too late? I've heard mixed opinions about contacting PIs before applying, any insight? I'm hesitant because I'm applying for masters programs and if I get in I probably won't be allowed to be thesis track (even though that’s what I want).

Hello! I just got rejected by Baylor College of Medicine (Biochem). It joins a list of 7 other schools that have done the same: UW-Madison, UMich, NYU, BostonU, UCSF, McGill and UT-Southwestern, all for Biomedical Science programs. While UBC and UToronto have accepted my application, admission is dependent purely on finding a supervisor. However, I haven't been able to do so, mainly due to my grades or a lack of funding from these faculty. My grades aren't ideal (to say the least) but I can't do anything about them at this point. So...as horrible as it feels to do this, I have to plan for Round 2. In hindsight, perhaps I was aiming way too high for my stats. I was hoping my research experience would carry through, but perhaps not. My Stats: UBC - Undergrad GPA: 3.0 (3.6 core and upper level courses) - Cell Biology Major, Psych Minor UMich - Master's GPA: 3.6 - Cell Biology Research Experience: 3 years cumulative (3.5+ by the time I apply for 2017 cycle). 1 year at a genetics lab in UBC. 1 year at an immunology lab in UMich. 1 year and counting as a research assistant in a pharma company. Gearing towards cancer research, cancer immunology specifically. No publications, sadly. GRE: Verbal - 161 (87%) Quantitative - 157 (68%) I'm going to improve on my GRE score (or try) as the scores are close to being invalid for a lot of schools. Grades are something I can't do something about so maybe I should target other schools. Any advice on where to look for solid cancer biology programs? Any thoughts overall on my profile and what to do for Round 2?

Hi All, I interviewed at Columbia university last weekend for the Systems Biology PhD under the integrated program- has anyone heard anything from the graduate coordinators, or from the faculty regarding systems biology or the integrated program in general? They said decisions will be made within two weeks, but a few of the current grad students said that some of them had heard sooner in previous years. Thanks and good luck to all!

Hey I applied to the PhD degree in biomedical sciences at Pennsylvania State University. I am on a waiting list This is the only chance that I have since I got rejected from others. If you know for sure you're not accepting, please let them know ASAP. Thanks.