Indicating PhD Department on AMCAS

[musik2468]

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When I select "Combined Medical Degree/Ph.D." for my schools in section 7 of AMCAS, a list of PhD departments appears and I can check as many or as few as I wish. This part does not have a red asterisk, so I'm guessing it isn't required. I'm planning to talk about neuroscience and pharmacology in my interviews and essays, since those are the two fields I have experience with, but in all honesty, I could see myself ending up in a lot of other departments as well. Would it look bad if I check 5+ different PhD departments? Would it look too narrow-minded if I only check one? Should I just skip this part?

 

[bd4727]

When I select "Combined Medical Degree/Ph.D." for my schools in section 7 of AMCAS, a list of PhD departments appears and I can check as many or as few as I wish. This part does not have a red asterisk, so I'm guessing it isn't required. I'm planning to talk about neuroscience and pharmacology in my interviews and essays, since those are the two fields I have experience with, but in all honesty, I could see myself ending up in a lot of other departments as well. Would it look bad if I check 5+ different PhD departments? Would it look too narrow-minded if I only check one? Should I just skip this part?

No it wouldn't look bad. Just check what you think you may be interested in. Most schools use this as a way to recruit you not to judge your application (ie they will have you interview with people in those departments preferentially so that you can get a better idea about them). But overall, this section is largely irrelevant. I think I checked Virology for the school I ended up attending and my PhD is in neurogenetics. So it doesn't matter at all.

 

[PfNO22]

No it wouldn't look bad. Just check what you think you may be interested in. Most schools use this as a way to recruit you not to judge your application (ie they will have you interview with people in those departments preferentially so that you can get a better idea about them).

Do schools try to make it more difficult for applicants that want to do a PhD in a non-traditional MSTP discipline? i.e., not a lab science

 

[tortuga87]

Do schools try to make it more difficult for applicants that want to do a PhD in a non-traditional MSTP discipline? i.e., not a lab science

Yes, if you are thinking about something like pure math or a social science. There are fewer spots, fewer schools have them. Tends to be more competition compared to the normal lab sciences, biostats, or bioengineering stuff. But why would a future MD/PhD need to learn something like economics anyways? Your answer, whatever it is, should be convincing enough to MD/PhD adcoms

 

[PfNO22]

Yes, if you are thinking about something like pure math or a social science. There are fewer spots, fewer schools have them. Tends to be more competition compared to the normal lab sciences, biostats, or bioengineering stuff.

So, biostatistics and epidemiology would be in the traditional or the non-traditional category?

 

[tortuga87]

So, biostatistics and epidemiology would be in the traditional or the non-traditional category?

traditional