Virology/Immunology/Microbiology Programmes

[PC99]

Hiya,

I am a student studying in the UK, looking to apply to virology/microbiology/immunology programmes in the US and Europe. I am unsure of how competitive applicants are the in the US and am afraid I my application isn't too competitive which is making it hard to figure out what sorts of schools and grad programmes I should be looking at. I'm interested in tropical infectious diseases (think dengue, chikungunya) but haven't actually had any research experience working with them.

A bit of stats:

I'm a integrated masters student in Biochemistry leading to a MBiochemistry degree from the University of Oxford. I'm on track for a 1st class degree (equivalent to 4.0 GPA)

But GRE is 163V/160Q/4.5AWA, no subject test taken

In terms of past research experience: at the time the application is being made, I will have completed two summer placements (the third one got cancelled due to covid-19) and an Easter vacation placement and I will have just about started work in my master's year lab (will be about a month in around Dec 2020)--by the time I graduate I'll have about a total of 10 months of research experience. One summer placement was in a virology lab, although I worked on technique establishment in healthy blood and the lab hopes to use it for HIV infected blood. My masters project is on Covid-19, but I'll be only a month in at the time of the 1st Dec deadline.

The past research placements have been more focused on learning techniques rather than a grand scientific question that I was answering.

Oxford doesn't allow you to work-study during term time so there was not much I could do to gain more research experience on campus.

Any advise on the sorts of programmes I should be looking at and how to make my application more competitive would be helpful!! Any thoughts on taking a year out and taking on a research assistant/tech position and applying next fall?

Edited June 28, 2020 by PC99

[smarty7]

Hi! From the US and a few schools my PI listed off to me include: Stanford, UW Seattle, UPenn, UCSF, UC Berkeley, Northwestern, CU Denver, Duke, Yale, Cornell, Emory and MIT. Hope this helps

Edit: My PI is a virology professor at UCSD. 

Edited September 10, 2020 by smarty7