Biomedical Science PhD Fall 2023 - Profile Evaluation, Where to Apply, Feedback from Current PhD Students

[researchrocks]

Hi Everyone,

 

I didn't see a thread for those of us browsing the forum who are looking to apply next cycle. Post your profile, give feedback to others on school choices, current phd students can give advice on programs. 

 

Undergrad Institution: Ivy League

Major(s):  B.S. in Animal Science, graduated on the accelerated track in 3 years instead of 4

Overall GPA: 3.13/4.0 *GPA is on a 4.3 scale so that is it scaled onto 4.0 scale (urgh I know, a few C+'s and one C, most were freshman year)

 

Grad Institution: Top 20 University 

Major(s):  M.Sc. in Tumor Biology (lots of specialized classes)

Overall GPA: 3.97/4.0

Type of Student: White female, domestic

GRE Scores: V: 159 (82%) Q: 165 (84%) W: 4.5 (80%) (Plan to retake even though some of my schools don't accept GRE)

Research Experience: 

- Undergrad ~8 months of research in animal physiology at Ivy League vet school, under 2 PI's

- Graduate School: One year as the only student in the lab, director PI and Jr Faculty mentorship, hands on mouse work/breeding, journal club presentations, mid-author pub on this research project

- 3 months (summer after graduation) optimizing COVID PCR testing at Public Health Lab

- 1 year working as a Study Director at CRO, working with patient derived xenografts and flow cytometry, very intensive position managing 25 client projects, writing protocols and analyzing/presenting data

- Working from now until PhD as a Drug Discovery Project Manager at a AI/Machine learning startup, selection of assays, medicinal chemistry, data analysis, fluid planning of next experiments for novel targets, tons of very connected PhD colleagues (esp on West Coast) 

Positions held: Medical Technologist, Study Director, Project Manager - Drug Discovery (current) 

Publications/Posters: 

- 1 publications (mid-author) IF: 22

- No posters or conferences but most of my experience has been during COVID times

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean's List final undergrad semester

LoRs: 1 from PI during MSc which is my publication, 1 from Founder of my current company (CEO, same Ugrad as me, many employees at company have PhDs from schools on my list, small group <90 total employees at company), Final letter I have options for: Can use one of my team members who did their PhD at the specific school I am applying to, could use PI from undergrad (although he doesn't know a ton about my research since I left undergrad), may also be adding PT work for a clincial CRO with a CEO who has MD PhD and was director of two different medical schools? Advice on who to choose as final recommender?

Applying to Where: I have listed all below, bolded are the ones I am definitely applying to, I understand some are a stretch but I am willing to pay the $ and put it the time for the slim chance. I am applying to whatever group oversees the cancer research, I plan to reach out to PI's in the next few months.

Harvard
MIT
U of Mich
George Washington
Georgetown
John Hopkins
Yale
Cold Spring Harbor
UW Madison
Northwestern
MD Anderson
UPenn
Duke
Berkley
UCSF
UChicago
Princeton
Mayo Clinic
University of Cincinnati 
Purdue
U Colorado (Med Campus Aurora CO)
U of W (st louis)
Brandeis 
Colorado State
University of Pittsburg
 

Not confident about my ugrad GPA but hoping my MS and industry experience makes up for it? Any others who have gone from industry? I make great money at my current job but I know in our current scientific environment especially in drug development that you cannot ever be the boss or the brains if you don't have a PhD, I know this isn't everyone's opinion but it is the decision I have made.

Edited December 23, 2021 by researchrocks
Added "fall" to title

[funnybadger]

Don't sweat your ug GPA too much. They'll primarily look at your MSc GPA when you're applying as it's your most recent academic credential and shows your hella strong potential for graduate level work. For your 3rd LOR, I'd highly reccomend using the PI that you worked with in UG as not having a LOR from a research mentor will likely be seen as a red flag.

 

Good Luck! let me know if you want someone to peek over app materials when you get to that stage.

[funnybadger]

Also, Mayo Clinic requires 2 semesters of Calculus and 2 sems of physics - which i found out when I was in the process of applying and had to drop them from my list ?

[cellulardata]

I wouldn't worry about the UG GPA the higher degree and research experience will matter. I would ask you one thing since you have a higher degree and a great GPA during it as well....Are you only considering US? You have the MSc so there are great schools in Europe you would be eligible for. Applications are usually free and the programs are shorter (because you have a higher degree already). You can always come back to the US for a postdoc.

[Bioenglover]

I think by next year none of the schools will be accepting GRE so I wouldn't bother retaking it 

[atm14834]

Hi. Your profile is much more extensive and impressive than mine. I applied to:

UPenn, Hopkins, OHSU, UOklahoma, ULouisville, UF, FSU, UT Health San Antonio, UAB, Boston University, Tulane, Penn State, Ohio State, UColorado Denver. 

The bolded ones I currently have interview offers to. Best of luck to you all! ? 

 

[winterishere2020]

Another way to expand your list is to ask your mentors/ PI/ people who will write you LOR. They may have connections with certain institutions where you may also be interested in. 

 

[tvrhe]

On 12/22/2021 at 8:49 PM, funnybadger said:

Also, Mayo Clinic requires 2 semesters of Calculus and 2 sems of physics - which i found out when I was in the process of applying and had to drop them from my list ?

I applied to Mayo Clinic this past cycle (Fall 2022) with only 1 semester of Calculus and with not having taken Physiology. Even though I didn't meet their recommended coursework, I received an interview and was ultimately accepted to the program this week. I believe they are willing to accept students without their recommended coursework if they have a compelling personal statement and research interests that match very well with the program.

[funnybadger]

On 2/18/2022 at 11:15 AM, tvrhe said:

I applied to Mayo Clinic this past cycle (Fall 2022) with only 1 semester of Calculus and with not having taken Physiology. Even though I didn't meet their recommended coursework, I received an interview and was ultimately accepted to the program this week. I believe they are willing to accept students without their recommended coursework if they have a compelling personal statement and research interests that match very well with the program.

Woah!!! Congrats! that's amazing... and a little disappointing for me since I didn't apply ? I spoke with their recruiter and she said that i'd likely have to complete the coursework I was missing the summer before starting in the program.

 

Are you going to Mayo? any other offers? I'm also from MN so if you've got questions on life up north feel free to send me a PM.

[tvrhe]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:33 AM, funnybadger said:

Woah!!! Congrats! that's amazing... and a little disappointing for me since I didn't apply ? I spoke with their recruiter and she said that i'd likely have to complete the coursework I was missing the summer before starting in the program.

 

Are you going to Mayo? any other offers? I'm also from MN so if you've got questions on life up north feel free to send me a PM.

So far, I haven't had anyone mention me needing to make-up coursework before my start date. I suppose it might also depend on the specific track - I applied to Clinical and Translational Science.

[catbug]

Undergrad Institution: Imperial College London

Major(s):  BSc Biomedical sciences

Overall GPA: 1st class honours (expecting)

 

Type of Student: Chinese female, international

GRE Scores: Most, if not all, programs I apply to don't require GRE

Research Experience: 

- 2 Compulsory lab projects (one of them on immunology)

- 1 placement year in academia

- At least 3 summer internships (One on infectious disease epidemiology, one on CRISPR, one on immunology in brain cancer)

Publications/Posters: 

- 2 publications (1st author for one and not 1st author for the other one)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: /

LoRs: My academic tutor at Imperial, another professor at Imperial who is a leading expert in the field, the RA who I will be working with in an immunology lab this summer

Applying to Where: Infectious disease epidemiology/immunology graduate programs (not exactly sure about my choices yet)

Harvard
MIT
U of Mich
George Washington
Georgetown
John Hopkins
Yale
Cold Spring Harbor
UW Madison
Northwestern
MD Anderson
UPenn
Duke
Berkley
UCSF
UChicago
Princeton
Mayo Clinic
University of Cincinnati 
Purdue
U Colorado (Med Campus Aurora CO)
U of W (st louis)
Brandeis 
Colorado State
University of Pittsburg

Am I too ambitious? It seems like everyone is applying with a masters.

Edited May 3, 2022 by catbug

[Prayforphd]

Hello, everyone: 

When do you plan to start the preparation of the application this year? Anyone thinks the publication is very necessary for the top universities? like is it possible if having enough research experience but no publication yet. 

I got my bachelor degree from a flagship university and chose to pursue a master degree with relevant major last year. However, do you guys think the master degree ( research based) truly help about the biomed Phd application? 

Thank you so much. 

[BMYJC]

Also applying from industry after seeing that director levels pretty much all have PhDs, and I don't plan on going into business development or manufacturing where a PhD is not as much of a necessity.

Undergrad & MS Institution: UCSD

Major(s):  Biochemistry/Cell Biology

Overall Undergrad GPA: 3.3

Overall MS GPA: 3.976

 

Type of Student: Chinese American, male

GRE Scores: none

Research Experience: 

3 years academia experience (undergrad +masters in the same lab) working on cell therapies (mostly growing cells, doing transfections/generating plasmids, genotyping mouse colony, flow cytometry)

~1.5 years industry experience (multicolor flow, working with human blood, characterizing PBMCs, in vitro toxicity development, elementary familiarity with HPLCs/LCMS, assay development for new projects

 

Publications/Posters: 

middle author in high impact factor journal, along with co-author on patent related to the paper

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: /

LoRs: My undergrad/MS PI, MS post doc mentor (who is now a PI), and my current manager 

Applying to Where: Mostly looking at institutions that work closely with cancer hospitals/cancer therapies as well as industry professionals, since I intend to go back into industry after graduating. Not sure if it would be a reach to apply to T30 programs with this profile (MD Anderson, Stanford, MIT)