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Graduate school advice

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- Thu, 11 Mar 2021 20:07:09 EST A6XAbPkj No.80005
File: 1615511229666.png -(450411B / 439.85KB, 652x466) Thumbnail displayed, click image for full size. Graduate school advice
Has anyone on /stem/ been to graduate school? How did you find programs/labs to apply to?

I'm interested in a pretty niche field, so it's hard to look up programs that would interest me. I hope to study fungal proteins/enzymes and their applications in biotechnology, which would be found in a microbiology department, but mycology is already such a tiny fraction of microbio that it feels impossible to find the labs I would want to join.

Is there any way to find prospective programs other than reading papers and looking up the authors?
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Emma Donkinlat - Fri, 12 Mar 2021 19:30:21 EST SP2+lcrx No.80006 Reply
>>80005

Shoot an email to authors of papers that interest you, see what universities have strong programs. Go visit your top choices and be aware you may have to move to where the good programs are.

Many graduate programs are interdisciplinary these days. My degree is in Chemistry but as a grad student I did everything from cell culture to synthesis to instrumentation. You should be open to picking up other skills and techniques outside your direct interest, it will come in handy in your career.

Think hard about what you want to do with your advanced degree.
academia? positions are limited and pay is minimal
Industry? more stressful but better pay and benefits
That may also influence the program you choose. Do they have successful alumni and connections that might help you.
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Doris Favingwell - Sat, 20 Mar 2021 09:46:09 EST Sy5xMAXi No.80007 Reply
>>80005
just graduated from a phd in physics.

i figured out where to apply based on having attended conferences, who my undergrad research advisor recommended, and papers. conference proceedings are very helpful (even if you don't attend them) because you see lists of abstracts associated with labs and schools. this gives you a more recent panorama of labs' research than their papers. Esp because so many conferences are online these days, there's a good chance you can attend a lot of them.

best luck
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Clara Pittfoot - Fri, 02 Jul 2021 02:42:39 EST tcCvNWQn No.80045 Reply
Motherfucker.

OP, are you in the US? If so, you might try universities in Washington state. Washington is one of the moldiest places on Earth and mycology is a subject that's taken seriously there. I think they have a program at Washington State University to commercialize the growing of chanterelle mushrooms.
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Graham Bandlefidging - Wed, 27 Apr 2022 23:28:42 EST 6ckyDtaf No.80112 Reply
1651116522429.png -(1076142B / 1.03MB, 856x894) Thumbnail displayed, click image for full size.
OP here with an update for the two other people who visit this board

Well I didn't get into grad school. I even had an interview at University of Minnesota. They offered to fly me out, pay for my hotel and food, but then omicron cases spiked and it was all over zoom instead. That rejection really stung.

I'm not sure if I'll apply to grad school again. I found a few somewhat interesting labs, but the only one that really stuck out won't be taking new students any time soon. It seems like my dream lab doesn't exist, and I'm starting to accept that while I continue looking for new places to study. Also I recently became a published scientist, which would bolster a future application. Only 3rd author on a paper but it's still something.

My job in a university's plant pathology department ends in June, so I've got to figure out something. I'm looking at fungal biotech jobs in the SF Bay area, but they all seem to be for PhDs or entry level. I'm 27 now and kinda sick of working entry level lab jobs.
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Nicholas Siffingforth - Tue, 03 May 2022 21:55:54 EST omQr2edx No.80118 Reply
>>80112
You kinda need to go to grad school if you want a non-entry level job in a lab, especially if you wanna do research. What self respecting company wants to say "hey my lab manager only has a bsc."
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Doris Bozzlenut - Sun, 03 Jul 2022 00:32:05 EST ryg/cNhP No.80132 Reply
1656822725126.jpg -(7725B / 7.54KB, 184x273) Thumbnail displayed, click image for full size.
>>80005
look at the universities labs on the internet (reach out to proffessors who programs u like) and talk to your undergrad proffessors. I just finished my phd in genomics
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