Picking a Program

[emmazeee]

Hi, everyone!

I am currently a third year undergraduate student majoring in neuroscience who plans on going to graduate school and getting my PhD when I finish my undergraduate education.  I have been looking at schools and different programs, but am having trouble picking which ones would be best for me.  

I know that I like research, but part of my problem is that my research interests are very broad.  I believe that I am most interested in differences in behavior and the biological reasons/mechanisms behind these behaviors.  I have mostly considered getting my PhD in either neuroscience or in psychology, but have more recently been considering that this may fit a biology PhD, too.  What type of program do you think I would find the most relevant labs focused on this?  Or does anyone have any advice that would help me to make the distinction between what type of program would be a good fit for me?

Thank you!

[Elephas]

I'm not in the field but I will say you don't have to apply to one type of program. I applied to 3 different majors in graduate school, and picked the major at the school based on the research being done in that department that best matched my interested.

[PsychedSloth]

I would suggest looking into behavioral neuroscience programs and seeing if the research is a good match. Another way to explore your research interests would be to look for summer programs or consider taking a "gap year" to do a post-baccalaureate program. Certain programs have you do lab rotations for some time and then based on research fit, you would be placed into a certain lab. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss anything further. 

[eevee]

Feel free to DM me as well! I am a current senior in undergrad who just went through the applications cycle and is heading to a neuroscience grad program next year. I also have a mostly behavioral basis, and the thing that really worked for me was deciding what specific behavior I could see myself working on for 5-6 years and (because this is important to me specifically) would have the potential for a broad human impact, which turned out in my case to be drug addiction. I think if you're able to consider it from a "problem-first" approach, then you can look up interesting papers and PIs who are working in the field, and apply to whatever programs will let you work with those PIs, whether they're in neuroscience, psychology, or biology. It's also worth noting that a lot of neuroscience grad programs are programs, not departments, and as such are broader, more multidisciplinary, and include faculty whose primary appointments are in a range of departments, usually including psychology and biology, along with biochemistry, computer science, anthropology, etc., etc. So if you're in one of those programs, you may actually end up working with a PI in one of those other departments.