Advice regarding PhD (biosciences)

[bcheese]

Hi everyone,

I am currently in the 1st year of MSc Epidemiology at a good, but not top-tier, research intensive Canadian university. I am very interested in pursuing my PhD in the United States.

My current stats:

-Undergraduate cumulative GPA: 3.68 (GPA of last two years: 3.96)

-BSc degree in the biological sciences, but no thesis option (unfortunate)

-One summer of NSERC funded undergraduate research

-Current Master's funded by NSERC CGS

-In addition to thesis work, I did four months of research on the side for current supervisor

-No publications/abstracts/posters at the moment

-Will take GRE general test in the summer

At this point, it's pretty much "go big or go home" and the schools I will be applying to will be the top-tier ones, otherwise I'm going to stay in Canada. However, will I be competitive enough for, say, the Harvard HILS program (BBS or Public Health) and related fields at Stanford, Yale or WashU?

As an extension to that question, will having external funding from Canada (e.g. NSERC doctoral award) and/or building a good rapport with a faculty that I want to study under at the school I'm applying to help increase my chances?

Thank you for your advice and help! It is much appreciated. =]

[nertperson]

Why "go big or go home"?

The short answer is, you are never guaranteed admission into top tier schools. And I think without a publication (or several) your case doesn't look especially strong. Not saying it's impossible, but I wouldn't bank on it.

[LeNea]

I don't think publications matter all that much in admissions for PhD programs. You are doing the PhD to focus on a particular topic and out of that work is where the beginning of your career's publication record will be. I had none and had no trouble getting into several excellent programs. Certainly there is the occasional student who has had a stellar undergrad/master's career and has a publication that is very much their own body of work, but every time I mentioned in my interviews feeling inadequate because I had nothing to "show for" three years of undergraduate research, I was told it wasn't very important and that there isn't much of a difference between having a third-author paper and having no paper at all. A pattern of dedication to laboratory work is important, but the experience of the work and understanding what you're getting yourself into is far more important than a product out of it, in my opinion.

[bcheese]

Why "go big or go home"?

Hi nertperson:

I guess I didn't word it right. What I meant was, if I don't get into a good program/institution in the US, then it'd be better for me to stay in Canada.

Thanks for the advice nertperson and LeNea! I'll be needing these 8 months left to beef up my CV. Hopefully I can get a couple of publications--at least submitted/in press--by the time the application deadlines come around.

I'm just wondering if there are any other things I should do to to better prepare myself in these 8 months? Specifically whether or not I should get in touch with faculty members at schools I'm very interested in working with?

Thanks very much!

[LeNea]

If you have a burning passion to work with a particular person, I'd get in touch with them with questions about their work. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to work on, so I applied to large combined programs and didn't do pre-contacts, and managed to get in plenty of places. I think it depends on the size of the program you're applying to and the strength of your interest in a particular lab. If you're not seriously interested in working with a person, I would not bother to contact them.

If you're interested in doing something related to your current research, make sure that your current advisor and yourself make contacts with the people you are interested in at any meetings you're at this year.

As for bringing your own funding: it can't hurt. Obviously, it won't guarantee admission, but institutions can't fund you off what they use for most grad student stipends (US NIH training grants) so having your own funding to offer relieves one of the pressures of admitting you (how to fund you).

[mtlve]

Will you have a letter of rec from a big name scientist? These can pull a lot of weight. You also need to do well on the GRE. If you think you can pull off a good score on the subject test, I would do that. Submit your apps early. I submitted my WashU app Dec 1, and they had already extended tons of interviews in November. Contacting PIs also helps at some of the places. If you can meet directly with a program director or people on the admission committed, that would also be helpful.

It is really difficult to get into the top10 programs. I would apply to some program in and around the top20, and I think that you might do okay. If you are really set on going to top tier programs, I would apply to the ones in less popular locations. It is harder to get into the programs in CA and Boston than it is to get into ones in the mid west. I would still apply to ones in CA and Boston, but do not forget to add WUSTL, Wisconsin, Michigan, Duke, etc.

I noticed that you had no presentations. If you can get to a meeting this summer or fall that would be great. Good luck.