Biochemistry going on Inorganic or Physical Chemistry

[bunninies]

Hi,

I'm going to be doing a summer and a year's worth of biochemistry research during my senior year. However, for chemistry graduate school I would actually like to join an inorganic or physical chemistry lab..

I'm wondering if this would be a disadvantage to top programs or even decent ones.

I'm just worried that because I have no research experience in synthetic lab (other than lab courses), the admins will not want to take me in.

 

I attend a small LAC and expect good LOTRs.

 

I don't plan on entering grad school right after undergrad, because I have to make MONEY for my family! (in biotech, hopefully)

The problem is that I've been wanting to go to vet school which looks at biology-related research favorably, so I kind of botched things up.

 

My advisor and inorganic professor say whatever you research in undergrad doesn't really matter as long as you did research. But this worries me because biochemistry uses very different techniques and solvents from organic/inorganic.

With that said, could I be accepted into programs like Cornell or Columbia or UNC? Probably not Berkeley or MIT?

Edited May 1, 2013 by bunninies

[St Andrews Lynx]

I'd advise trying to get some experience in an inorganic/physical lab before applying to grad school, even if it's just a couple of months over the summer after you graduate helping out at your undergrad institution. 

 

When it comes to reviewing your application, the Admissions Committees will wonder why want to switch from Biochem to Inorg/Physical. If you don't have any Inorg/Physical research experience they will question (a) how serious you are about researching in that discipline/doing a PhD in general ( if you know what you're letting yourself in for! 

 

It would also be v. useful if you're applying to Inorg programs to have a LOR from an Inorganic professor. AdComms prefer letters from high-ranking faculty that are well-respected  & known in the field - Inorg/Physical members of the AdComm who read your LOR won't necessarily be familiar with the professors who wrote your letters if they come from a different discipline, and therefore find it harder to "calibrate" the strength of their recommendation. Additionally, an Inorganic professor saying in your LOR that you will do well at Inorganic PhD research will carry more weight than a Biochem professor saying you'll do well at an Inorganic PhD, etc.

 

Are you more likely to be accepted into Cornell than MIT? Well, I don't know. But remember: the vast majority of applicants to UNC, Cornell, MIT, Columbia, Berkeley, any institution will have research experience in the relevant discipline to their application...and you will be competing against them.

[Cookie]

Hi,

I'm going to be doing a summer and a year's worth of biochemistry research during my senior year. However, for chemistry graduate school I would actually like to join an inorganic or physical chemistry lab..

I'm wondering if this would be a disadvantage to top programs or even decent ones.

My advisor and inorganic professor say whatever you research in undergrad doesn't really matter as long as you did research.

 

Can you do research in Inorg/Phys Chem lab instead?

I got my honors degree in Biochemistry like you, but most of my research is in Computational chemistry, and Polymer Synthesis. I got in all the schools I applied just fine.

 

I would say with a Biochem degree, you would definitely need strong research experience in Inorg/Phys Chem in order to compete for those competitive spots. Good luck!

[bunninies]

Thanks for your responses.

 

What if I enter a graduate school with the intent to do biochemistry research, but decide to do inorganic or physical chemistry? (Is that how rotations work?) My inorganic professor said he went into grad school wanting to do bioinorganic chemistry or something medically related, but found out he liked physical chemistry / green science / nanoparticles instead.

Edited May 2, 2013 by bunninies

[Cookie]

What if I enter a graduate school with the intent to do biochemistry research, but decide to do inorganic or physical chemistry? (Is that how rotations work?)

 

That is quite possible.  But keep in mind that the sooner you know what exactly that you want to pursue, the better.  Rotations are more common for biology or biochemistry. 

 

How do you decide that you prefer inorg/phys chem without research experience in these subfields?  Not to mention biochem majors dont take all the coursework of chem majors.

[bunninies]

That is quite possible.  But keep in mind that the sooner you know what exactly that you want to pursue, the better.  Rotations are more common for biology or biochemistry. 

 

How do you decide that you prefer inorg/phys chem without research experience in these subfields?  Not to mention biochem majors dont take all the coursework of chem majors.

 

Since I go to a LAC, all the chemistry majors take the same coursework. There are few concentrations. I am not even a biochemistry concentration. There are people who want to go study biochemistry in grad school and are in an organic lab or inorganic chem lab.

Why do I think I like pchem/inorganic? Tell me if I'm shallow, but I enjoy my pchem and inorganic classes a lot. But I decided to "settle with" biochem because I didn't do so well in the former due to personal issues. I also really love physics lab, and understanding how spectroscopic techniques work, but didn't start research as early as I should have. I think the techniques and the machines used the pchem lab are much more interesting.

 

I plan to take a lot of math, some advanced physics, and group theory and pchem in my senior year. No biology except for an advanced biochemistry.

 

I will try to plead my case to my prof and see about the summer after graduation to do volunteer research. You are right, I think I will have to try the lab out first.

Edited May 3, 2013 by bunninies

[Quantum Buckyball]

You should be okay as long as you have a strong background.

I went from Chemical Engineering/Analytical Chemistry to Bioinorganic/Biophysical, it was a fairly smooth transition.

[Chai_latte]

I think you'll be fine.  I did p-chem research in undergrad and biochem after college.  I'm inorganic now.