anyone applying to history of science/medicine?

[anthrostudentcyn]

If so, where? I know it's a small field and I've just recently realized that it's a great fit for my project. I'm also wondering if there are any good Master's programs in history of medicine! 

[anxietygirl]

Hi! I'm applying to history of medicine phd programs. Almost all the deadlines have passed (except Hopkins which is in a few days), so you're a little late for this cycle, but I would recommend looking at the University of Minnesota for a masters. The other programs I applied to only offered phds. 

[nevermind]

I applied to History of Science Ph.D. programs...does anybody know how competitive they are? I have one that my heart is set on, but I don't really know what to expect. (I do more environmental history/political ecology/STS.)

Edited January 5, 2016 by nevermind

[anxietygirl]

I have no idea how competitive they are...I would guess about the same as most history phd programs. They definitely aren't easier to get into, unfortunately. 

[nevermind]

Anybody know if UPenn's sent out interviews? Someone posted this question on the results page and now I'm curious!

[Neist]

On 1/5/2016 at 3:44 PM, nevermind said:

I applied to History of Science Ph.D. programs...does anybody know how competitive they are? I have one that my heart is set on, but I don't really know what to expect. (I do more environmental history/political ecology/STS.)

A lot of good programs have funded matriculation rates in the high single digits and teens (and I'm lumping STS and History of Science together).

However, a lot of people applying to these programs are new to the discipline. Acceptance rates have to be considered with that knowledge. At Univ. of Oklahoma we have a grad student who came from a fine arts background, and it's not uncommon to get grad students from the hard sciences. 

This is somewhat of an assumption, but I imagine that if you can demonstrate previous research into topics you're interested in, you'll probably have at least marginally better odds in getting into a program you want versus applicants from other disciplines who have yet to conduct such research.

Just my two cents.

[nevermind]

Posted in Wine, Wait, and Whine... 

RE:  @nevermind if that's the case with HoS, then I'm kinda screwed. I feel like Harvard's class was pretty diverse; I also looked at the profiles, many came from non-ivies or smaller colleges (though many were harvard undergrads). I have a BA from an Ivy, but no Master's, so I guess that places me in a weird liminal space of a prestigious undergrad but no master's. But I'd like to think that its probably the same 30-40 applicants applying to most HoS departments, so hopefully that spreads out the acceptances. 

--

There are certainly a handful of exceptions (there's a couple people from state schools, etc.) I was just noting a general trend, not saying it's tried and true in every case. And their class is certainly diverse in research interests---one of the things that attracts me to their program...just educational backgrounds? Not so much. That being said, it seems like a great department and is definitely my first choice!

I also like to think that it's probably the same 30-40 applicants too. :-)  At least we're not competing with each other. I'm interested in STS/Technology, so I won't be taking any HoS Medicine spots!

 

[Neist]

7 minutes ago, nevermind said:

Posted in Wine, Wait, and Whine... 

There are certainly a handful of exceptions (there's a couple people from state schools, etc.) I was just noting a general trend, not saying it's tried and true in every case. And their class is certainly diverse in research interests---one of the things that attracts me to their program...just educational backgrounds? Not so much. That being said, it seems like a great department and is definitely my first choice!

I also like to think that it's probably the same 30-40 applicants too. :-)  At least we're not competing with each other. I'm interested in STS/Technology, so I won't be taking any HoS Medicine spots!

I'm from a state school, but I'm from a highly-ranked HoS program at a state school (University of Oklahoma). We're probably one of the best places in the US to study early modern. My letter writers are fairly known in STS/HoS circles, so it's definitely an advantage for me

I think it's probably the same 30-40 applicants as well. You have to consider that interest in the HoS or STS from outside the discipline is somewhat niche. People from outside the these disciplines float into these programs because their interests more easily gravitate towards these programs. All for the better, I say. I like diverse peer groups. However, those people are probably a numeric minority overall when compared to those who currently attend undergraduate HoS or STS programs.

The thing is that a lot of undergrad programs are at higher ranked schools, so I'm not surprised that a lot of graduate students are pulled from higher ranked schools. It just makes sense, numbers wise. There's not a lot of HoS or STS people in community colleges.

[nevermind]

8 minutes ago, Neist said:

I'm from a state school, but I'm from a highly-ranked HoS program at a state school (University of Oklahoma). We're probably one of the best places in the US to study early modern. My letter writers are fairly known in STS/HoS circles, so it's definitely an advantage for me

Sounds like you have a great things going for your application! I *do* recognize it's a niche field (I mentioned that on the other forum) and that many people "trained" in STS are people lucky enough to encounter it in a university setting (and usually that does happen at Ivies...and some schools like Oklahoma, Wisconsin, UCSD, etc..)

My LOR writers aren't really that well known to STS circles, though they are all recognized in their respective fields (I think)...two sociologists and one chair of an engineering department (my adviser). Hopefully the diversity in theory/science will help me, but I don't really know. I started my undergrad career at a community college and eventually found my way to STS...so maybe others will too.

Edited January 15, 2016 by nevermind

[Neist]

1 hour ago, nevermind said:

Sounds like you have a great things going for your application! I *do* recognize it's a niche field (I mentioned that on the other forum) and that many people "trained" in STS are people lucky enough to encounter that (and usually that does happen at Ivy schools, and some schools like Oklahoma, Wisconsin, UCSD, etc..)

My LOR writers aren't really that well known to STS circles, though they are all recognized in their respective fields (I think)...two sociologists and one chair of an engineering department (my adviser). Hopefully the diversity in theory/science will help me, but I don't really know. I start my undergrad career at a community college and eventually found my way to STS...so maybe others will too.

I certainly hope so! One of my letter writers graduated from Cornell in 2000.

And I wouldn't sell yourself short. I started at a community college, too. And I've spent the last decade finishing my degree (married with kid). Also, it's not like HoS or STS departments are law schools. They don't accept 100+ students a wave. Their acceptance numbers and applicant pools are low enough that I imagine it's pretty easy to have broad inconsistencies in matriculation rates from year to year.

I think we'll all be fine, and if we don't get into first choice schools, it might certainly have been due to considerations other than our performance.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Neist
Typos, typos, and typos.

[tenochtitlan]

I have no choice but to start from square one for next year. Anyone have any suggestions on schools/profs. with interest in history of maths? Also, might add a couple apps to Phil of Science programmes (emphasis on maths). Thought I'd reach out TGC for any suggestions now that I'm in the acceptance phase of this year's rejections...

[nevermind]

34 minutes ago, tenochtitlan said:

I have no choice but to start from square one for next year. Anyone have any suggestions on schools/profs. with interest in history of maths? Also, might add a couple apps to Phil of Science programmes (emphasis on maths). Thought I'd reach out TGC for any suggestions now that I'm in the acceptance phase of this year's rejections...

This really isn't my area, so I'm not quite familiar with scholarship/scholars in history of math...but from what I understand, Indiana has a pretty solid history/philosophy of science program for people looking more at scientific disciplines (this scholar may/may not be of interest: http://www.indiana.edu/~hpscdept/people/cat.shtml). 

[Neist]

58 minutes ago, tenochtitlan said:

I have no choice but to start from square one for next year. Anyone have any suggestions on schools/profs. with interest in history of maths? Also, might add a couple apps to Phil of Science programmes (emphasis on maths). Thought I'd reach out TGC for any suggestions now that I'm in the acceptance phase of this year's rejections...

Have you ever seen this directory? I was strongly considering studying the history of mathematics for a bit.

http://www.cshpm.org/links/programs.php

I was going try to study under Karen Parshall at the University of Virginia (http://people.virginia.edu/~khp3k/home.htm). They have a PhD track in the history of mathematics, but it's in the mathematics department. However, she's also a history faculty member. It's been a year or so since I contacted her, but she seemed open to the idea of advising students in the history of mathematics in the history department.

If you want to study more ancient science, there's a history of exact sciences in antiquity track in the egyptology department at Brown. Granted, it's absurdly difficult to get into that program, but it's an option.

Another option, assuming it aligns with your interests, is ethnomathematics. There's not a lot of ethnomath folk around, but they do exist. If you want a more detailed list of them, let me know, and I'll try to give you any information I have.

[tenochtitlan]

6 minutes ago, Neist said:

Have you ever seen this directory? I was strongly considering studying the history of mathematics for a bit.

http://www.cshpm.org/links/programs.php

I was going try to study under Karen Parshall at the University of Virginia (http://people.virginia.edu/~khp3k/home.htm). They have a PhD track in the history of mathematics, but it's in the mathematics department. However, she's also a history faculty member. It's been a year or so since I contacted her, but she seemed open to the idea of advising students in the history of mathematics in the history department.

If you want to study more ancient science, there's a history of exact sciences in antiquity track in the egyptology department at Brown. Granted, it's absurdly difficult to get into that program, but it's an option.

Another option, assuming it aligns with your interests, is ethnomathematics. There's not a lot of ethnomath folk around, but they do exist. If you want a more detailed list of them, let me know, and I'll try to give you any information I have.

Thanks! I wish I'd come across this earlier... At least I'm starting early this time. I have a certain interest in ethnomath, I'll PM you for details.

[Neist]

8 minutes ago, tenochtitlan said:

Thanks! I wish I'd come across this earlier... At least I'm starting early this time. I have a certain interest in ethnomath, I'll PM you for details.

No problem! 

It's sad that Brown actually had a history of mathematics department, but it shuttered in 2005.

http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=H0160

[A Librarian]

On 2/5/2016 at 11:39 AM, tenochtitlan said:

Anyone have any suggestions on schools/profs. with interest in history of maths? Also, might add a couple apps to Phil of Science programmes (emphasis on maths). Thought I'd reach out TGC for any suggestions now that I'm in the acceptance phase of this year's rejections...

I think the IHPST program at the University of Toronto might be a good place to look if you're interested in math. I think that Harvard is another good place to look if you're planning on doing something Philosophy of Science related (this is based on a professor telling me the emphasis there has more to do with science than technology [which is my focus]).

The list of programs over at the STS wiki seems like it needs to be updated but it's still a pretty good list to look through: http://www.stswiki.org/index.php?title=Worldwide_directory_of_STS_programs

[nevermind]

Anyone heard anything from Yale? Last year they notified around this time...I haven't heard anything (no interview), so I'm guessing my chances aren't great. (It also was a long shot research fit...) Just haven't seen anything come across the boards.

[Neist]

Hey, there's a Princeton HoS admit in the results.

Congrats to whomever that was!  

[nevermind]

Anybody want to claim the Yale HoS admit? Congrats! 

[tenochtitlan]

Congrats to Yale and Princeton HoS admits! 

[Neist]

U. of Oklahoma sent out their acceptances today. Good luck to any lurkers who might have applied (I'm not sure if anyone who posts besides me did).

[nevermind]

Harvard History of Science results are out...congrats to those who made it!

[Neist]

This is probably a shot in the dark, but anyone here attending U. of OK's history of science weekend?

Wondering if there's anyone here that I might run into.  

[anxiousgradgirl]

Is there a specific results thread for HOS? I filtered by field, but I still cannot find one separate from History results. 

[Danger_Zone]

Did anybody else apply to Indiana's History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine program?