PhD program questions

[BioBeaver]

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So I've been looking into just PhD programs and had some questions. Is it possible to apply straight out of undergrad with just your Bachelors? (I read somewhere that a Masters was a requirement).

How competitive are PhD programs compared to Med Schools? I've seen people say that if they don't get into MS, they'll "just" do a PhD instead, like its not difficult at all to get in.

Do PhD programs value research experience over GPA? And do you have to take the MCAT (or any standardized test) for admission?

 

[gutonc]

So I've been looking into just PhD programs and had some questions. Is it possible to apply straight out of undergrad with just your Bachelors? (I read somewhere that a Masters was a requirement).

Yes, most people start PhD programs with "only" a BS/BA.

How competitive are PhD programs compared to Med Schools? I've seen people say that if they don't get into MS, they'll "just" do a PhD instead, like its not difficult at all to get in.

The (not entirely correct) conventional wisdom is that med school is hard to get into and easy to get out of, while grad school is easy to get into but hard to get out of. The focus and valued skills/knowledge are different. That said, many people who are borderline MD candidates can find a PhD program to accept them.

Do PhD programs value research experience over GPA? And do you have to take the MCAT (or any standardized test) for admission?

Generally speaking, yes. And you may have heard of this little thing called the GRE...you're gonna need that to get into grad school.

 

[BioBeaver]

Gutonc, you are the best man! Easily my favorite mod on SDN and an inspiration! I can't wait to get those Physician and PhD badges for my account someday! 😍

 

[gutonc]

Gutonc, you are the best man! Easily my favorite mod on SDN and an inspiration!

You have pretty low standards. Ask around, I'm kind of a douche.

But you're welcome.

 

[jissho]

Be forewarned, with the current funding situation, admission to biomedical graduate programs has gone down at many program. Therefore, many qualified candidates don't get in on their first try.

 

[doa]

I want to apply to PhD programs. But I don't have a significant amount of research experience, and I'm not confident that I would be able to get that experience outside of a formal degree program. Would an SMP with a masters thesis requirement prepare me well for applying PhD?

 

[sks889]

I want to apply to PhD programs. But I don't have a significant amount of research experience, and I'm not confident that I would be able to get that experience outside of a formal degree program. Would an SMP with a masters thesis requirement prepare me well for applying PhD?

I can't speak for every program out there but I was formerly a PhD only student at Rice (bioengineering) and during my time there I got a chance to speak with some faculty on the admissions committee. Research experience is very important and GRE scores are also taken into account to rank students, as you would expect. I wasn't told this directly, but many prospective students I spoke with during recruitment weekend were from prestigious undergrad institutions, so be aware and keep that in mind if you are aiming high. If you don't think you're competitive enough I would also look into getting into a Masters program at the institution you're most interested in. Ask a professor to let you do some research in their lab and show the PhD committee you're capable and apply internally to transfer to the PhD program. I know a few that did this.

I would also recommend looking at http://forum.thegradcafe.com/ I think this is a little more useful for PhD only students than sdn. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[gutonc]

I want to apply to PhD programs. But I don't have a significant amount of research experience, and I'm not confident that I would be able to get that experience outside of a formal degree program. Would an SMP with a masters thesis requirement prepare me well for applying PhD?

If you don't have research experience, how do you know you want to get a PhD?

If you're not sure, and don't think you can get research experience as an undergrad or as a research assistant after graduation, I would do a "real" Masters program. The SMP is specifically designed for pre-meds trying to buff their CVs.

 

[doa]

I can't speak for every program out there but I was formerly a PhD only student at Rice (bioengineering) and during my time there I got a chance to speak with some faculty on the admissions committee. Research experience is very important and GRE scores are also taken into account to rank students, as you would expect. I wasn't told this directly, but many prospective students I spoke with during recruitment weekend were from prestigious undergrad institutions, so be aware and keep that in mind if you are aiming high. If you don't think you're competitive enough I would also look into getting into a Masters program at the institution you're most interested in. Ask a professor to let you do some research in their lab and show the PhD committee you're capable and apply internally to transfer to the PhD program. I know a few that did this.

I would also recommend looking at http://forum.thegradcafe.com/ I think this is a little more useful for PhD only students than sdn. Hope this helps and good luck!

Thanks for the link! I've just recently been thinking about switching my career focus from medicine to research. I applied to and got into a couple of special masters programs intended for pre-meds and I'm debating between Boston University MAMS and University of Medicine and Dentistry at New Jersey School of Medicine. UMDNJ has the added advantage of a "research rotation" as part of its curriculum, whereas BU's curriculum is more focused on science courses. But both programs require a literature or laboratory thesis, so I would have the opportunity to join a lab at either school. I graduated from my undergrad two years ago. My main goal is to get into a lab through a masters program and then continue working in the lab after graduating and earn a letter of recommendation.

I think the courses you take is secondary in importance to research experience when building a competitve application to PhD. Am I correct in thinking this?

Also, I read that there is huge grade inflation at UMDNJ. Do grades in a masters program matter in applying to PhD? If so, how much so?

Thanks!