Cool stuff, you seem to have an impressive CV going for you right now with work experience in Asia and Europe.
I am about to apply for a PHD in Molecular Biology in a few months and am going through a lot of the thoughts you have in the video.
I was thinking of applying to some American schools, since they obviously have a lot going for them in terms of diversity quality, but I have been advised to stay in Europe for PHD studies and apply for Post docs in the US.
(cont.) Most of my Professors think its better to stay in Europe since the PHD takes only 3-4 years and as I understand it that can be a lot longer in the US. Any thoughts on that? I obviously don't know a great deal about the state of European Neuroscience. But at least our Molecular Biology is preety decent.
On a side note do you happen to know Dr. Steven Novella at Yale? Not sure if he teaches undergrads...
@DerUnb3kannte yeah i would agree with your professors on this one. being a european citizen (i'm assuming) you'd be at a severe disadvantage against american citizens due to the way funding is structured. 66,000 NSF grants are given out every year to american phd students. these grants are for apx 60,000, covering tuition your stipend. this puts PI's in the position that they favor americans for precisely this reason. if you aren't american you have to come up with all that funding alone
@SuperAkihabara There's still one BIG reason that you should consider a PhD in the US,
US universities (generally speaking) are funded MUCH more from their undergraduate (and master's students) than european universities. This gives many schools a competitive advantage because they hire more professors. I think you can imagine the trickle down effect of not having enough professors for the number of students (grad and undergrad). The graduate students end up suffering because of this system.
Yeah I mean there is no denying that American universities especially the Private ones have a lot more funding. Oxford and Cambridge only have a fraction of the funding that Ivy League unis have. On the other hand I am really only applying to British and German equivalents of the NIH and funding is not really an issue there. At least at British research institutes we usually have a lot more Post docs and Professors then PHD students so that works out nicely.
And if you are with a top level research institute you can still be enrolled at a good university. Students at the Laboratory for Molecular Biology for example automatically get a PHD from Cambridge. I guess It would be the same in America with Cold Spring harbour and the like (I clearly only know about mol. biology places).
I guess its easiest to stay in your own continent for PHDs in the most cases. Most of my oversee friends are having a really hard time finding funding.
I also see your point about the funding in American universities coming a lot more from the undergraduate level. Although I wonder how much that impacts the PHD level, as you wouldn't really have any courses as such during your PHD. (or is there a major difference between our continents in this?) I suppose in the end the only thing that really matters is a plausible project with a great group.
@DerUnb3kannte oh i just meant that since you've got undergraduates contributing a significant tuition every year, the university has more resources to spend on things like new buildings/labs, more profs (or at least better funded profs), new equipment etc. and i figure that the grad students inevitably end up benefiting from the additional cash flow.
@Nades129 it's scientists job to be creative. and really, scientists might seem creative (which they ARE!), but really its nature.
read about bees, they are such an amazing (super)-organism. want to be similarly blown away, take a look at the extent to which job specialization takes place in ants. truly incredible. look up on Wikipedia: Honey Pot ants.
You are impressive. I think you will do fantastic. I like your drive. You will have no problem in entering any of these schools. You have the right attitude and educational drive that these school look for in any of their applicants. Narrow your search and focus on the schools that your are attracted to the most and spend your effort and money on applying to them. You are already accepted. Just go for it.
How's Taiwan?
jogjogjig 1 year ago
Cool stuff, you seem to have an impressive CV going for you right now with work experience in Asia and Europe.
I am about to apply for a PHD in Molecular Biology in a few months and am going through a lot of the thoughts you have in the video.
I was thinking of applying to some American schools, since they obviously have a lot going for them in terms of diversity quality, but I have been advised to stay in Europe for PHD studies and apply for Post docs in the US.
DerUnb3kannte 1 year ago
(cont.) Most of my Professors think its better to stay in Europe since the PHD takes only 3-4 years and as I understand it that can be a lot longer in the US. Any thoughts on that? I obviously don't know a great deal about the state of European Neuroscience. But at least our Molecular Biology is preety decent.
On a side note do you happen to know Dr. Steven Novella at Yale? Not sure if he teaches undergrads...
DerUnb3kannte 1 year ago
@DerUnb3kannte yeah i would agree with your professors on this one. being a european citizen (i'm assuming) you'd be at a severe disadvantage against american citizens due to the way funding is structured. 66,000 NSF grants are given out every year to american phd students. these grants are for apx 60,000, covering tuition your stipend. this puts PI's in the position that they favor americans for precisely this reason. if you aren't american you have to come up with all that funding alone
SuperAkihabara 1 year ago
@SuperAkihabara
i never knew professor novella, the only professors i had on the graduate level were for neuroanatomy and neuroimaging.
i don't know much more to tell you about funding structures of NIH and NSF compared to european funding distribution.
SuperAkihabara 1 year ago
@SuperAkihabara There's still one BIG reason that you should consider a PhD in the US,
US universities (generally speaking) are funded MUCH more from their undergraduate (and master's students) than european universities. This gives many schools a competitive advantage because they hire more professors. I think you can imagine the trickle down effect of not having enough professors for the number of students (grad and undergrad). The graduate students end up suffering because of this system.
SuperAkihabara 1 year ago
@SuperAkihabara
Yeah I mean there is no denying that American universities especially the Private ones have a lot more funding. Oxford and Cambridge only have a fraction of the funding that Ivy League unis have. On the other hand I am really only applying to British and German equivalents of the NIH and funding is not really an issue there. At least at British research institutes we usually have a lot more Post docs and Professors then PHD students so that works out nicely.
DerUnb3kannte 1 year ago
@DerUnb3kannte
And if you are with a top level research institute you can still be enrolled at a good university. Students at the Laboratory for Molecular Biology for example automatically get a PHD from Cambridge. I guess It would be the same in America with Cold Spring harbour and the like (I clearly only know about mol. biology places).
I guess its easiest to stay in your own continent for PHDs in the most cases. Most of my oversee friends are having a really hard time finding funding.
DerUnb3kannte 1 year ago
@DerUnb3kannte
I also see your point about the funding in American universities coming a lot more from the undergraduate level. Although I wonder how much that impacts the PHD level, as you wouldn't really have any courses as such during your PHD. (or is there a major difference between our continents in this?) I suppose in the end the only thing that really matters is a plausible project with a great group.
DerUnb3kannte 1 year ago
@DerUnb3kannte oh i just meant that since you've got undergraduates contributing a significant tuition every year, the university has more resources to spend on things like new buildings/labs, more profs (or at least better funded profs), new equipment etc. and i figure that the grad students inevitably end up benefiting from the additional cash flow.
SuperAkihabara 1 year ago
I'm about to get my BS in Science Education, and I'm thinking about going to grad school for math education....that's my story.... :-)
921144666 1 year ago
Hopeless optimists and their optimism. At least we hopeless dreamers won't regret anything xD...
Hope we can meet in the field someday. But for now, that is a dream.
Wow bees and language and cognition, who would have thought! Man, I feel ignorant not imagining these stuffz. Goodluck with ur mandarin.
Nades129 1 year ago
@Nades129 it's scientists job to be creative. and really, scientists might seem creative (which they ARE!), but really its nature.
read about bees, they are such an amazing (super)-organism. want to be similarly blown away, take a look at the extent to which job specialization takes place in ants. truly incredible. look up on Wikipedia: Honey Pot ants.
SuperAkihabara 1 year ago
You are impressive. I think you will do fantastic. I like your drive. You will have no problem in entering any of these schools. You have the right attitude and educational drive that these school look for in any of their applicants. Narrow your search and focus on the schools that your are attracted to the most and spend your effort and money on applying to them. You are already accepted. Just go for it.
AngelOne11 1 year ago
thats cool show them your youtube vijeos...
good luck !
frvfilms 1 year ago