Hi everyone,
I am applying to neuroscience/neurobiology PhD programs that would start Fall '12, and I am looking for some guidance/comments/tips/assurance. I generally have competitive spec's for an applicant, but I am missing a lot of relevant coursework; I would like to know how realistic my goals are.
The type of research I am interested in is more towards the genes/molecules/cells end of neuroscience and definitely not anywhere near the psychology end of neuroscience. The problem is that I don't have much science coursework under my belt, which may limit my goals. I am enrolled in some science classes to start catching up, but I am afraid it might be too little and too late.
[i apologize ahead of time for being so long-winded].
Relevant background:
I graduated May of this year ('11) from a NJ state school with a BA in psychology, minor in biology. I graduated top of my class with 3.95, biopsychology honors, awards for 'academic and research excellence', and another interdepartmental award. I have a couple years of lab experience in both a neuropsychology lab (cogntion and EEGs and stuff) and a neurobiology lab (mice; mostly behavioral neuroscience; BTBR mouse model of autism). I have presented at two conferences (psychology conferences), and may have a psychology publication by December. I completed a thesis in the neurobiology lab, which I had to both write up and present in front of the honors college.
My GRE scores (1st and only attempt so far) are 570 V, 740 Q, and 4 writing (1310 total). In each of the sections I scored 80th-81st percentiles. I think I could probably do better, but I think these scores won't keep me out of a program (I mean I hope lol).
My biology minor consisted of the following classes: general bio I & II, behavior genetics, neuroscience, and neurophysiology of pain. I also have a very strong experimental statistics background.
I haven't yet taken general chem, organic chem, physics, calculus, genetics, cell/molecular bio, or biochem.
I am currently enrolled in physics I, gen chem I, and precalculus, so I will have physics II, gen chem II, and calculus finished by next summer (i.e. before I hope to start a program).
Questions:
I will definitely be applying to Columbia (neuroscience), Northwestern (neuroscience), University of Minnesota (neuroscience), and maybe Rockefeller. What are my chances for getting into schools like these?
Many neuroscience programs explicitly state that "Requirements for admission are quite flexible" (Columbia's website), but that's because their research ranges from molecules to cogntion, so they can't require too many science courses from people looking to study cognitive neuroscience. If I were to apply to one of these programs stating that I am interested in cognitive neuroscience, then I would be quite confident in my chances. If I indicate that I am interested in the molecular side of neuroscience, without having a good background in it, what would my chances be then?
There are multiple types of neuroscience related programs, and I would like to know how they differ from each other. There are interdepartmental (university wide; may include the medical school), neurobiology (biology dep't), and biomedical neuroscience (through the biomed dept at medical uni's). In what relevant ways do these types of programs differ? And what are my chances of getting into these types of programs, respectively (i.e. how much do each of the programs value thorough coursework?). What would my chances be for getting into high caliber neurobiology or biomedical neuroscience programs, relative to interdepartmental programs?
Programs:
I am definitely looking for schools that don't rush you through your pre-candidacy courses. Many programs require that you finish your coursework, pass a qualifying exam, and join a lab before your 2nd Fall semester (i.e. within 1 year of starting the program). I'm sure many students prefer this speedy approach, because they want to finish as quickly as possible. Since I need some catching up time I feel that 1 year is not enough for me to decide on a lab. I am seeking programs that are not so rigid about how quickly you finish your coursework/decide on thesis. I have learned a lot of organic/biochemistry and cell/molecular bio through hands on experience, so I don't think I would have trouble keeping up in the core classes, its just that I want time to master the facets of advanced biology before I decide on my thesis project.
I think that I have the best chance of getting into interdepartmental type neuroscience programs, but I suspect that I would be best off in either a neurobiology or biomedical program, because I like the very thorough and balanced education you get from biology departments, and I like the biomedical approach to solving real world medical issues. Many neuroscience programs make you learn about all facet of neuroscience, from molecules to cognition, but I have enough experience with neuropsychology to know it is not what I want.
My motivation for a career in neuroscience is two fold: 1) I have a strong desire to use my intelligence and hard work to accomplish goals that help people and give back to society (e.g., curing disease or alleviating suffering through science). 2) The eventual lifestyle seem quite agreeable. Doing research, teaching, or working in industry all seem like things I would love to do for the rest of my life.
Please any and all feedback would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
-Dan
