Apply to schools that do not have my *indicated* area of interest?

[tttttc]

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I have indicated in my MD-PhD statement that I want to do PhD in BME. I wonder how seriously the admission committees will take it? Is it still worth applying to schools that do not have BME (e.g. Cornell)? I mean, MD-PhD students have the chance in their first two years to decide, and I might as well end up doing different things. But would adcom interpret that as I absolutely have to do BME (I wasn't being absolute in my letter) and since their schools don't have it they shouldn't even consider me?

Thanks

 

[Silverfalcon]

I have indicated in my MD-PhD statement that I want to do PhD in BME. I wonder how seriously the admission committees will take it? Is it still worth applying to schools that do not have BME (e.g. Cornell)? I mean, MD-PhD students have the chance in their first two years to decide, and I might as well end up doing different things. But would adcom interpret that as I absolutely have to do BME (I wasn't being absolute in my letter) and since their schools don't have it they shouldn't even consider me?

Thanks

As long as you make it clear that you want to do BME but are willing to expand your horizon, you should be good. There are people with BME background who end up in molecular lab or cancer labs. The skills can easily transfer although going from BME to cancer is far easier than cancer to BME (for obvious reasons of level of math required). Just don't try to sound so restricted and you should be OK.

 

[Choculitis]

Yeah, that and there is plenty of overlap between BME and other departments.