how is the program at UT-Austin?
edit:
-Figured I would add to this post instead of saturating the forum with another topic
Question: I am currently a psychology major in a neurobiology lab. I will probably be pursing a neuroscience PhD (either with an MD or without). I was talking to the post-doc in my lab and she said that being a biology major would be much more attractive and relevant to the PhD programs and that adcoms prefer bio majors to psych. The other psych undergrad (who just graduated) also says he wishes he would have done bio.
I prefer psych to bio, but would a bio major be more attractive to neuro pis/adcoms (i wont graduate late or anything if i switch)?
ok, so i am majoring in psychology (in my 4th year of undergrad). i TOTALLY wish i did neuroscience or just took bio/chem/hard science classes in general. HOWEVER, my path to neuroscience started from SOCIOLOGY (macro perspective on humans), then PSYCHOLOGY, now NEUROSCIENCE. so i can't imagine doing bio/neuroscience/hard science right off the bat as a freshman in college -- it would have seemed too abstract and irrelevant to my thoughts/questions at the time. now i look at org chem or neuroscience or bio classes' course descriptions and salivate...but that is a result of my "intellectual" progression from sociology, psych, to neuro -- macro to micro -- so it would be unrealistic for me to ruminate and think "ohhh i wish i took these earlier!"
that said, now that im researching "next steps", im realizing a bio or neuroscience degree, knowledge foundation, and skill set would really give me a lot more options at this point. even just in terms of having a harder science background to "fall back on" if you should ever want to sell out and do clinical work....lol jk. but really, with a psych degree, i feel like my fall back plan would be doing something totally irrelevant like HR or marketing...which i know nothing about and could be interesting, but still.
i would say that your concern is a VALID ONE, but if you are creative you don't necessarily have to "force yourself" to do bio. it sounds like doing bio would require a "leap of faith" of sorts -- suspending your current most immediate interests and questions, with the promise that the skills and foundation you learn in bio and hard science courses will come in handy down the road. you can nurture your psych interests by going to psych lab meetings, auditing courses (if you have time!), hearing speakers or even going to symposiums/conferences. OR, you can always do VICE VERSA, of course.
ok, sorry, im not sure that really presents much concrete or practical advice, but hopefully my intellectual journey...lol...offers some perspective.
ANYWAY, my turn...
so does anybody know any POST-BAC OR MASTERS PROGRAMS IN NEUROSCIENCE????
i know i want to do research and get a phd in something like cognitive neuroscience, HOWEVER, my impression is that neuroscience phd students basically can hit the ground running with research. my interests are still very very broad (person perception, attention/reading/learning difficuties, even proprioception and motor control and "nootropic" drugs). and my research questions are underdeveloped. i feel i should do a masters in neuroscience, and even though I feel more cog neuro, i am attracted to doing a really nitty gritty cell/molecular neuro program, since i lack that foundation. i have found some intriguing year long or 2 year programs that are relatively affordable, and this would help me flesh out my interests and start forging substantiated and feasible research questions. EVEN THOUGH i understand most masters degrees in neuroscience are part of a PHD trajectory...im simply not ready, and i dont want to do research assistance for a couple years THEN apply for phds because again my interests are broader than many of the lab niches, and i feel i sill need the classroom structure, and obviously do some volunteer research on the side.
some have mentioned some intriguing places, like iowa, but i have to look into them and see if they offer terminal masters instead of just phds. so far, i have encountered neuroscience terminal masters programs at northwestern, virginia commowealth, and tulane...there was one at syracuse that appears to have dissolved. ANY OTHERS????? thanks a bunch
