I was just wondering if anyone out here knows of some good graduate programs in the area of Virology/Immunology (I’m hoping to find a lab that does work on improper host-pathogen interactions).
By the time the next academic year rolls around I’ll have 2 years experience in a cellular virology lab, so ideally I’d like to find a program with more emphasis on molecular virology techniques. I’d like to leave graduate school with a working knowledge of both cellular and molecular approached to viral research.
So far I’m considering:
University of Washington - pathobiology
Washington University at St Louis
Ohio State
University of MN
Standford
I can’t tell you specifically about your field, but I’ll mention a few things I wish I’d been told before entering graduate school. Your professor and departmental reputation can make or break you when you get out. Email a few of the professors you think you might like to work with, ask them about their future research plans, whether they have funding and are looking to take on new graduate students, etc. If possible, contact a few graduate students working with that professor, or at least in the department. Many departments have lists of graduate students you can contact. Also, see if you can find out what former graduate students are doing currently.
The specific people in a department are critical to whether you’ll be able to meet your goals there. I’m currently PhD program-shopoping, and have yet to find a department with the correct program AND the correct curriculum, AND sufficient funding to grant me a GA my first year.
As far as finding the specific schools and labs to investigate, find relevant papers in your discipline’s top peer-reviewed journals, and find out what labs they are coming out of. Your past professors should also be able to give you some good recommendations, as well as possibly pulling strings with collegues.
I just purchased two books that I highly recommend for anyone thinking of entering grad school. They are The Ph.D. Process, and Getting What You Came For. I couldn’t tell you the authors as I don’t have the books in front of me, but you can find them on Amazon.com. They have tons of practical advice.
HTH
Basically I’m looking at schools with 2 or more labs doing research that I’m more or less interested in. Mainly I’m looking for places that do solid research, have respected names attached to them and places where I can get solid training.
I’ve been talking to my boss about this and he suggested some place that does primary work with mice of other small critters (smaller=cheaper=more practice).
I think, given the specialty that you are aiming for, you ought to find some sort of ranking done by faculty peers and figure out who is considered good in that field.
Then, a couple of things can help narrow it down.
ask what the average time-to-degree is for students in your program, and/or the completion rate. Do people finish? Do they finish in a timely way? I don’t know what’s necessarily normal in your field, but if you ask a number of programs, you’ll kniow how they compare against one another.
Ask what sort of financial support students get THROUGHOUT their studies. Will you have teaching assistantships? Research assistantships? Will they cover tuition? If not, how do other students tend to cover the remainder? Don’t go by what is offered to you the first year alone.
Keep in mind that several schools are aggressively pursuing a life sciences agenda, so the leaders may be changing. You may hsve a chance to get in on a growing program. On the other hand, some experts think that there are not enough great faculty and researchers to go around, and some univerisities are going to end up struggling to meet their ambitious goals in the sciences.