choosing a program

Dear Diary

I felt like I was standing at the edge of the woods and staring into a wall of mist; unclear of what was ahead of me and worried about what I would find when I was in there.

The most free I have ever felt.

I had a blank canvas. What do I want?

I love getting to ask myself this question in every aspect of my life because now that I know what it feels like, I want to make sure I always choose what path makes me the happiest.

Chemistry made me happy. Biology made me happy.

I had a background in both, and I knew I would be satisfied in either of these fields.

But how do I choose which programs to apply to?

I began by looking up the labs from the primary literature articles I had read and liked. I then asked friends who recently went into similar fields which labs they knew of that I might find appealing. I also asked Dr. P what programs she suggested and then looked at those labs to see if any caught my eye.

• Look at labs from papers you’ve read and enjoyed

• Use your network

  • Friends you know went onto grad school and if they like their programs and tell you about ones you applied to

  • Insight from your current PI

• Do you read popular science books/articles? Google those topics and start rifling through labs that do work in fields you find interesting.

• #ScienceTwitter has been more useful in my career than I ever expected.

(I did a Master's before going on for a PhD at a different program. I talk about both.)

It was a lot easier searching for a Ph.D. program compared to when I was searching for Master’s programs because I was already in the field and knew the community better. However, both experiences were fairly similar, and I will discuss both here.

~

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING WHICH PROGRAMS TO APPLY TO:
[Disclaimer: I understand that there are many more graduate programs besides a M.S. or Ph.D. in life sciences, but I can personally only speak to these two.]

Does it have labs of interest to you?
~choosing a lab is more important than choosing the program~

Most people I know in grad school already knew a lab they liked without knowing the program and applied to the program specifically to join that lab. I didn’t know any labs to that extent, so I had a lot of research to do.

I researched the labs suggested to me and explored their program as well as their other labs. I wanted to make sure I had multiple options within each program, in case I didn’t fit well in my initial choices.

Most importantly, I emailed the PI, or Primary Investigator, of those labs to tell them how much I enjoyed their work and asked if they were planning to take new students next year. Not every lab has the capacity or funding for new students. So why apply to a program if none of the labs I was interested in were taking students?

Application Price
How many programs can you afford to apply to? Believe it or not, there are soooooo many free applications. And, even if they aren’t free, many will have fee waivers. Even if I was not sure I qualified for the waiver, I would email them to ask and they usually gave it to me regardless. Never be afraid to ask!

Program Requirements
What are the steps each program has set in place for you to complete your degree? For the most part, each program will have three portions: rotations, qualifying exams, and a dissertation/oral defense.

Rotations: In my opinion, rotations are great! Essentially, you get the opportunity to test out a few labs for a couple of weeks, work on a small project, present that work, and then move on to another lab; all done in your first year.
This process allows you to meet people in the lab, get a feel for how a project would feel, ask important questions, and decide if you would be happy there.
Some programs have three rotation opportunities, others have twelve, and some have none. All options have their benefits but you need to decide what is best for you! Having fewer rotations can mean you won’t get to “taste test” all the labs you like but it does mean you get a real idea of what it could be like in that lab long-term.
**Not all programs have rotations! My Master’s program did not and things still worked out just fine. In this case, I discussed back and forth via email/video chat with a few labs of interest and asked questions that gave me similar insight to that of a rotation. I also met with them in person during the interview.**

Qualifying Exams or “Quals”: Passing your qualifying exam means you advance from being a Ph.D. student to a Ph.D. candidate and are on track to successfully complete a thesis. This is termed ABD or “All But Dissertation” - (and you become financially cheaper to the department).
Each program has its own requirements for this exam. In my PhD, I had to write as well as present and defend a thesis proposal, during my second year. Some programs may not ask this of you until close to the end of your grad school career. It just depends. The results could either be a “pass with no revisions”, a “pass with revisions”, or a “fail”.
Your Qual is performed in front of your thesis committee. The committee is usually composed of your PI as well as a few other PI’s within the department that work in fields similar to yours and maybe one PI from outside your department or field that can give a different point of view to your ideas.
Depending on the program, failing your Quals could mean that you need to take time and try again or in some cases, it will mean that you are dropped from the program. Customarily, your lab and program will make sure you are well-prepared for the exam and set you up for success.

Dissertation/Oral Defense: The final step of your Ph.D. career will be to write a dissertation and to orally defend your work.
To reach this point, most programs will require that you do a few other tasks; such as publishing work or writing a grant. Again, each is unique, but it is generally expected that you will have something to show for your work before you even reach the final stage. These writings of yours will be the bulk of what you write in your dissertation.
The oral defense is the main event. It is similar to the thesis proposal, in which you are presenting to your thesis committee, but the general public is also now invited. Family, friends, and colleagues can witness this significant moment. Once you have completed the presentation portion, the public can ask you questions before being asked to leave the room. The defense portion is done amongst only you and your committee, where they basically grill you with questions until you finally say, “I don’t know”. Questioning can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. Once complete, your committee will ask you to leave the room while they deliberate. They are deciding whether or not you have done enough to receive your doctorate. Talk about nerve-wracking!
When they’ve come to a decision, they will call you back into the room…

Some other program requirements can be annual requirements:

• Coursework – my program required 1-2 years’ worth of classes. I also completed some other course requirements to qualify for membership in related departments.

• Being a teaching assistant (TA) – this usually funds your stipend

• Teaching – teaching a lecture/course, holding recitations for courses, etc.

• Annual committee meetings – continually checking in with your committee to make sure you are on a good track

Program Community
How collaborative is the department? Do labs work well with each other to support the common goal of bettering our knowledge? How well do people get along? This type of information may not be discoverable until the interview stage but is useful in deciding on a program.

When I was finishing up my Master’s and started researching Ph.D. programs, I was informed that some programs can be quite political. Surprisingly, there are labs that would rather sabotage one another’s experiments instead of collaborating. I was told horror stories of grad students being troubled by failed synthetic chemistry experiments, only to learn that a student from a neighboring lab had secretly been going in and adding water to the solution while the other student was out.

In ideal scenarios, a few labs within a department are working in similar fields but are studying different questions. Since they have vast knowledge of the topic, they will work together, resulting in better science. Collaboration happens within departments but also across labs in other programs. Good science is meant to help the greater good, not hide in secrecy because we worry about being scooped.

When interviewing, it is usually obvious if a program is too political. I simply asked how collaborative and communicative members of the department were, both within and outside of the program. Do not be afraid to ask challenging questions. If you get a strong reaction, then maybe that place is not a happy place, regardless of its reputation.

A major thing to consider about the program’s community is the well-being of the grad students. Are they happy? Are they glad they chose this program? Grad school is hard and demanding, but do they seem spirited in completing their degrees?

Also, how well off are those who complete their training? Does the program produce quality doctorates that go on to do good things? Again, these are all things you can ask during the interview. Some questions you may want to save for faculty and others for the grad students. Most importantly, you want to determine if this is a place you can envision yourself for the next 5-7 years.

Living cost-to-stipend ratio
Let’s be honest, money is necessary and how much you receive from a program has a lot of weight on the decision. However, the number they give you will always come with caveats. The biggest of those are the cost of living, student fees, and health care.

Can you afford to live off the program’s stipend? What is the average price of an apartment in that area? How much would you spend on gas/bus fare, groceries, and hobbies? Some programs will pay for your parking or bus fare. How much are student fees? Does the program cover them, or will you have to use your stipend to pay them? What about health care? Does the program offer good options for your personal needs? Is it affordable?

Not all programs offer stipends and/or cover your tuition fees. There are many in which your tuition is not covered, or you get very little stipend. Usually, those programs will allow you to get a second job, but those with stipends will have you sign a form that does not allow you to get a second job. Specifically in Master’s programs, it is rare to find one that covers your tuition and pays you a stipend, but they do exist. There are also many options to apply for funding that would help you pay living costs. Since a Master’s is short, you can learn to rough it for 2 years and be okay.

City Life
As much as it may feel this way at times, you won’t spend all your time in the lab. What do you like to do in your spare time? Does the city have lots of food options that you want to try? Does the location have outdoor activity options close by? How brutal is the winter season? What are things you enjoy that you would like to have access to?

Considering these things could be the element that helps you make that final decision. Two programs that offer essentially the same conditions but one is in a bigger city than the other… what lifestyle suits you? Where would you be happiest both inside and outside of the lab?

When I was interviewing, I made an Excel sheet of all this information. You are making a major life decision that you will have to sit with for 5-7+ years. So, you want to make sure you have all the vital information to make the best choice you can for your career and your overall well-being.

~

Wow. I know that is a LOT but hopefully, it was helpful! When I was starting, I knew NOTHING and would have loved to know this information. So, if this helps even just one person, then that is enough.

MDC
01.10.22