Changing PhD subject?

[kiilcancer]

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Hi y'all
I was wondering if I can, after being accepted to a program, change the subject of PhD (i.e. biochemistry to pharmacology).
Is this possible? Do the commitee look down upon this (if they find out)?
Thanks for all your help.

 

[J. Peterman]

If you're talking about structured MD/PhD programs - most allow and even encourage their students to rotate in different departments and explore their options before selecting a lab. If you're pursuing the degrees separately and are admitted to a grad department, then you may have to stay with that dept. Even so, some grad. programs in the biomedical sciences allow their students to rotate across departments (genetics, biochem, immunology etc) and choose whichever one they wish.

 

[uproarhz]

Hi y'all
I was wondering if I can, after being accepted to a program, change the subject of PhD (i.e. biochemistry to pharmacology).
Is this possible? Do the commitee look down upon this (if they find out)?
Thanks for all your help.

Are we talking about PhD programs or MD/PhD programs? I really don't have a clue if you are talking about straight PhD programs, but in MD/PhD programs, as far as I know, you do not commit to a specific field or subject area (unless you picked something like anthro or epidemiology at places that do allow you to do this) until after entering the program. I have even heard of people changing fields half way through their PhD years (eventhough I imagine this must be highly discouraged since it might increase your time to graduation). Most programs know that the students' interests change once they enter medical school. Some even argue that the benefit of doing the first two years of medical school is almost entirely for the purpose of exposing you to and stimulating your interest in fields you had not been exposed to before.

But maybe you can clarify which program you meant first.

 

[fantasty]

I agree with the previous posters. I don't know if it's a general rule, but our students rotate through labs to find the best fit first. And, most PIs have appointments in multiple departments, so you can then choose your department based on those options (weighing factors such as course requirements, TA requirements, structure of comps exam, etc).

 

[JETER]

I have even heard of people changing fields half way through their PhD years (eventhough I imagine this must be highly discouraged since it might increase your time to graduation). Most programs know that the students' interests change once they enter medical school. Some even argue that the benefit of doing the first two years of medical school is almost entirely for the purpose of exposing you to and stimulating your interest in fields you had not been exposed to before.

One of my acceptance letters explained that my acceptance was contingent upon finishing the grad degree in a specific program (bioengineering), and I was even given a list of the only faculty whom I could select as my advisor. I thought this was a little strict, but it obviously it does happen.

 

[Neuronix]

That's strange Jeter. Where did you end up, Baylor?

Here at Penn they don't care if you jump PhD programs once during your MD/PhD. It's possible to do it more than once, but they get kinda mad if you do (personal experience haha).

 

[JETER]

Yeah, it was a little strange.

Anyways, I've decided to be a Hawkeye. I think the program is an good match for my research interests, and I realized over the past year that big cities scare me.

 

[kiilcancer]

Thanks guys.
I was talking about MD/PhD program.
I'm thinking of going into chemical biology (only few schools have this) and apply to the rest of other schools that don't have the program for pharmacology... But plain biochemistry might be closer to chemical biology than pharmacology so I was just wondering about that.
thanks again

sincerely,
kiilcancer

 

[mark-ER]

Hey,

Here at UofM we established a new medicinal chemistry department (there is definitely a difference from biochem), so think about applying to michigan!

 

[oasis786]

That's strange Jeter. Where did you end up, Baylor?

Here at Penn they don't care if you jump PhD programs once during your MD/PhD. It's possible to do it more than once, but they get kinda mad if you do (personal experience haha).

Did you jump again??

 

[Neuronix]

Not exactly. I'm thinking strongly about it though. It's kind of a long story, as every lab I wanted to join last year fell through for one reason or another. Now I'm onto a completely random thesis topic that I had no intention of doing when I started med school, and that PI is primary faculty in a different department than my first two. If I switch to his department I think my life will be easier, primarily for coordination purposes and because that department has less requirements than either of the others.