||******* Program Reviews *******||

[EvoDevo]

Yo peeps!

One of the things which I proposed as a feature of this forum was a "Program Review" sort of feature. I would like to start something of the sort for us.

What I'd like to request is for you (or anyone you know) to PM me a review of programs you have particular knowledge of. I'll publish them all in a sticky thread under my own screen name so that everyone can remain anonymous.

The sort of categories that I'm looking for include:

1. Admissions competitiveness (GRE score avgs, GPAs, selection factors).
2. Quality of your fellow student
3. Quality of your particular program (at both the graduate school and individual dept/program level)
4. Outstanding PIs, why they're outstanding, and their research/publication record
5. Malignant PIs, why theysuck, and their research/publication record
6. Stipend levels at your school and is it enough?
7. City you live in. Is it fun? Can one afford to purchase a home? Quality of life there.
8. Scholarship/fellowship opportunities

I know that I'm asking for a lot, but think back to the mistakes you might have avoided had you known some of this info back in the day. I'll be working on mine and I"ll post it as soon as I get some responses.

So come on down! Submit your program reviews! Get your friends involved (we can have multiple reviews). Be published.......at least online. You know that you want to. Everyone's doing it.

Cheers!

Evo Devo

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[EvoDevo]

YO!! Need some info, people. Help a Froggy out!!

 

[EvoDevo]

Evo - I would submit a review of my program, but I'm only really familiar with my side of the campus (ie, Cell and Molecular Bioengineering) and not the other sides to Bioeng. Hence, I think I'm likely to leave a lot of good faculty out. Is that ok?

- Dodo.

Perfectly fine. Email it to me or PM it, and I'll strip away the identifying info.


Thanks!

 

[EvoDevo]

Anyone have opinions on their program? Mine's been covered.

 

[N-Surge]

The program in which I conducted my doctoral studies/research focuses on biomolecular structure and design.

http://depts.washington.edu/bmsdwp/

If you are into the potential of using the informatics of structural motifs to tackle disease, e.g. cancer, then this program is for you. For those interested in bridging the physicial and engineering sciences with biomedical problems then this program is for you, e.g. the protein folding problem.

Seattle is also the best place in the world to live as well, IMHO.

 

[housecleaning]

1. Admissions competitiveness (GRE score avgs, GPAs, selection factors).
>80th%, >3.2, >good letters

2. Quality of your fellow student
don't know. will start fall 2005.

3. Quality of your particular program (at both the graduate school and individual dept/program level)
stellar.

4. Outstanding PIs, why they're outstanding, and their research/publication record
irv weissman. enough said.

5. Malignant PIs, why theysuck, and their research/publication record
would love to hear more about them, if anyone knows. I want to avoid these.

6. Stipend levels at your school and is it enough?
no official funding, but research assistantships >phd stipend levels seem to be easy to obtain.

7. City you live in. Is it fun? Can one afford to purchase a home? Quality of life there.
palo alto. it's fun & full of pretty people. but you will never buy a home within 120mi of the campus on a grad student stipend.

8. Scholarship/fellowship opportunities
? outside funding is supposed to be promising.

 

[bela20]

anyone know anything about the interdisciplinary biomedical programs at univerisity of buffalo & u of pittsburgh, or the integrative biosciences program at penn state?

 

[chemmastr]

Rank of important qualities when applying to graduate school:

Research experience (Preferably 2)
Letters of Recommendation [PI, Chair, Science Faculty, Advisor (By level of importance), 3 required]
Personal Statement
Statement of Purpose
GPA
GRE (70% minimum, exceptions apply, becoming less and less important)

 

[soneymed]

.

 

[EsseQuamVideri]

I think this thread is a great idea that never really took off. Is there a reason it's still stickied?

 

[Fencer]

I think this thread is a great idea that never really took off. Is there a reason it's still stickied?

For this to take off, you should get MD/PhD students that are currently enrolled to participate. Applicants who go and visit for a day or two have little "real" clue of what a program is all about. The students there are the truly best barometer of what is going on in a program not your fellow applicants (or attendings).