EngiNerd-12 Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 I would truly appreciate any input on these schools! My general research interest is in the application of engineering/physics concepts in biological/biomedical sciences to understand and analyze processes associated with pathogenesis (whether neurological disorders or cancer progression). I applied to interdisciplinary programs because of my desire to rotate at various labs to determine the best fit. I got offered the following: UCLA - Biomedical Physics PhD: Great program; very interdisciplinary; CAMPEP Accredited Fits my research interests perfectly $26k/yr for the 1st year and then it's the lab's responsibility; high cost of living UC Irvine - Mathematical, Computational, and Systems Biology PhD: Great program; very interdisciplinary Also fits my research interests perfectly $29.5k/yr the 1st year and then it's the lab's responsibility; high-medium cost of living Baylor College of Medicine - Structural & Computational Biology & Molecular Biophysics PhD: Great program; very interdisciplinary and inter-institutional Also fits my research interests perfectly $29k/yr for all 5 yrs; low cost of living I truly loved those schools and the faculty/staff/students were very genuine and helpful. Let me know if you have any thoughts whatsoever on this. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EngiNerd-12 Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Let me know if you guys have input. Thanks a lot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compiler_guy Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Did you visit all schools? Do you picture yourself happily living near those universities? Are you more of a City, suburbia or country side person? I personally would go to one of the schools in California because of the great weather. You won't get rich while you are doing your PhD so don't be fixated upon living expenses. Just be sure you are getting enough funding to afford rent and daily expenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmolecularbiology Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I would truly appreciate any input on these schools! My general research interest is in the application of engineering/physics concepts in biological/biomedical sciences to understand and analyze processes associated with pathogenesis (whether neurological disorders or cancer progression). I applied to interdisciplinary programs because of my desire to rotate at various labs to determine the best fit. I got offered the following: UCLA - Biomedical Physics PhD: Great program; very interdisciplinary; CAMPEP Accredited Fits my research interests perfectly $26k/yr for the 1st year and then it's the lab's responsibility; high cost of living UC Irvine - Mathematical, Computational, and Systems Biology PhD: Great program; very interdisciplinary Also fits my research interests perfectly $29.5k/yr the 1st year and then it's the lab's responsibility; high-medium cost of living Baylor College of Medicine - Structural & Computational Biology & Molecular Biophysics PhD: Great program; very interdisciplinary and inter-institutional Also fits my research interests perfectly $29k/yr for all 5 yrs; low cost of living I truly loved those schools and the faculty/staff/students were very genuine and helpful. Let me know if you have any thoughts whatsoever on this. Thanks! If they are all great fits and you do not see one rising above the others you get too look at others factors that should normally be ignored. 1) "Ranking" ( i hate rankings but if all other things are equal I believe you should at least look at it.) 2) School Environment: Which place did you feel you got along with students and or faculty the best? 3) Location of School 4) Cost of living. Not having enough money to eat when your hungry would be terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
floridabio Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Houston's price of living is cheaper than LA's, and Baylor's offer is $3k/yr more and guaranteed. If all else is equal, this would be a big factor for me. Although, I would rather have a true university environment, like UCLA where there are sports teams, others studying other disciplines besides medicine, etc., but professionally speaking, Baylor looks like a better choice. mrmolecularbiology 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EngiNerd-12 Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 Thank you guys for all the input, and congratulations on all your acceptances! I just a notice for fellowship nominations at UCLA, so that is an additional thing to consider. I visited all schools and I was pretty happy with the staff, faculty, and students at all schools. Location-wise, I prefer California since it fits me more personality-wise (I am absolutely in love with outdoor activities such as running, hiking, kayaking, and cycling) and my sister goes to school in LA. compiler_guy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasgrad5911 Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I personally love living in Houston. A lot of people complain about the weather and traffic here, but it really is a super fun and young city! Cost of living is super reasonable and everyone is super friendly . Feel free to PM if you have any questions about living in Houston! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EngiNerd-12 Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 Thank you Texasgrad5911! I have not been in Texas, let alone Houston, before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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