My 4 main reasons for choosing to pursue my PhD in immunology at University of Michigan were the program’s association with a hospital, the school's funding, the professors and the location.
When I was looking at graduate programs in immunology, I wanted to find one that was closely associated with a medical school. Immunology is a very practical area of science, so research that starts in a lab can evolve into a therapeutic treatment in a clinic. At the University of Michigan, my program’s building is right next to the hospital, so that makes it easier to see how my work ends up helping people.
I also looked for a big program with lots of funding. The larger and more renowned a program is, the more likely it is to be competitive for funding from the National Institutes of Health. I looked at the NIH website to find out if professors I was interested in working with were also well funded. I thought that I would have a better chance of working on interesting research projects if I attended a school that was well funded.
Additionally, I tried to find schools with at least 4 or 5 professors who I was interested in working with, just in case I didn’t get along with any of them. I wanted to find professors who not only researched topics I wanted to study, but who also had a significant number of grants supporting their research. In my opinion, finding good professors to work with is much more important than school rankings.
The University of Michigan was also conveniently located for me. I am from this area and had already been working in a lab on this campus for 2 years.
When I applied to my PhD program, I had to submit standardized test scores, a personal statement and letters of recommendation. I also had admissions interviews with the university.
I had to take the GRE for my application to the University of Michigan. I used a prep book to study for the GRE on my own. Some schools also require applicants to submit scores from the biology GRE, which I decided not to take. The biology GRE is much more difficult than the general exam, but most programs don’t require it.
In addition to my GRE scores, I submitted a personal statement. In my statement, I included information about my personal history because it explains why I have an interest in graduate school. I wanted to give the schools a declaration of purpose so that they would understand why I am motivated to study immunology.
I also had to obtain letters of recommendation for my application. I asked the faculty members who knew me well on a personal level and who were the most familiar with my scientific career to write my letters of recommendation. Specifically, I asked the main biology professor I had as an undergraduate and the professors I worked for after I finished my bachelors degree.
Lastly, I had multiple admissions interviews. I was asked a variety of questions in my interviews, but the experience was relatively casual. Some professors asked me about my research and tried to engage in a scientific discussion. Others mostly talked about their own research instead of asking me questions. None of the professors tried to weed candidates out based on their questions. They just wanted to make sure that the candidates matched what they had already read in the application materials and were capable of engaging in conversations about science. In preparation for the admissions interviews, I brushed up on my previous publications and research, and also familiarized myself with the interviewing professors’ research by reading their faculty websites. If I was very interested in the work, I read some of their research papers as well.
If you decide to apply to a graduate program in immunology, I recommend that you take the biology GRE. Even though many schools do not require scores from that test, and it is a very difficult exam, the knowledge you gain by preparing for it will really help you in a graduate program because you will already have a grasp of some of the most difficult courses you will take in graduate school.
Also, I recommend reading a book called At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator by Kathy Barker. It is a good primer on how to set up a successful graduate career.
If you decide to apply to a graduate program in immunology, I recommend that you take the biology GRE. Even though many schools do not require scores from that test, and it is a very difficult exam, the knowledge you gain by preparing for it will really help you in a graduate program because you will already have a grasp of some of the most difficult courses you will take in graduate school. It is by no means a requirement, although it is strongly suggested if you want to get into the most competitive programs.
Also, I recommend reading a book called At the Bench: A Laboratory Navigator by Kathy Barker. It is a good primer on how to set up a successful graduate career.
The PhD program usually takes 4 to 6 years to complete. In the first year we figure out what subject we want to research and where we want to work by taking a variety of classes and rotating among labs. We have to work in at least 2 different labs, but we are allowed to try out more labs if we are interested in different subjects. By the end of the first year, we are required to choose a lab for the rest of our graduate work.
In the second year we finish up coursework and acclimate ourselves to the lab. It is a difficult year because we finally get to start our own research, but we still have to concentrate on courses and review subjects for preliminary exams at the end of the second year. After we take the preliminary exams, we are considered PhD candidates.
We spend the last 3 years or so on our own research. We can take courses that we think will help us in our research or classes that our mentors recommend, but we are not required to meet any specific course requirements.
My dissertation research will focus on the trafficking of immune cells into the central nervous system in diseases like multiple sclerosis. I chose this topic because I have always been fascinated by elements of biology that have the ability to adapt. The brain is a great example: any time we learn a new skill, like playing the piano or throwing a football, biochemical changes take place over time that allow us to perfect those movements. Similarly, the immune system can learn from past infections and adapt so that a person won’t get sick from the same virus, which is the concept behind vaccinations. I wanted to study a subject that combined both of these highly adaptable systems. I chose multiple sclerosis research because I get to study the immune and central nervous systems at the same time.
The process of researching for and writing my dissertation is very demanding. Overall I spend around 40 to 50 hours a week in the lab doing research and studying for classes. One of the hurdles that I have encountered so far in my dissertation research is that it usually takes a lot of trial and error before an experiment actually works. It is important that I keep meticulous research notes so that I can troubleshoot each attempt and try to fix it in the next experiment.
If you are trying to choose a dissertation topic I recommend following a specific scientific area that interests you. Alternately, if you aren’t sure exactly what you want to study, find a good teacher and focus on their research interests. I already knew what area I wanted to research, so I was fortunate to find that the professor who researches in this subject also happens to be a great mentor.
Yes, my advisor has the most important role in my graduate education. He is the person who teaches me how to think like a researcher and complete every step in the research process.
I chose Dr. Segal as my advisor because his research incorporates both the central nervous system and the immune system, which are the areas I wanted to study. I also looked for a professor who really understands the process of research, from forming a hypothesis for an experiment to writing and publishing scientific articles. Researchers who excel at those skills are the ones who consistently get grant money, so I searched for immunology professors who were the most successful in finding research funding.
Like most graduate programs in science, my PhD program is fully funded. My tuition is covered and I receive a stipend for living expenses. I was offered that funding as a part of my acceptance to the program, so I did not have to go through a separate application process to get financial support.
My PhD program takes a considerable amount of time, which I mostly spend in the lab rather than in class. I take 2 or 3 classes each semester, so I only spend about 5 hours per week in class. I also spend 40 to 50 hours each week in the lab, about 10 to 20 hours of which is dedicated to coursework. I usually work on the weekends to fit it all in.
Graduate school has definitely limited the amount of time I can devote to my personal life. Even when I am not doing experiments or in class, I never really stop thinking about my work. There are always more papers I can read and more experiments I can try, but I try to separate myself from my work by taking time to play tennis or watch sports.
I have learned that if you want to make time for your personal life without falling behind in a graduate program, you need to become efficient at work and in the classroom. I advise other PhD students to try to organize your day around the tasks you need to complete instead of in terms of how many hours you will work. If you plan to have a couple of specific things that you need to finish before you leave the lab, you will be more motivated to stay on task than if you leave at a certain time each day. That might mean that you stay later in the lab, but you will progress more quickly and have more time for your personal life after you have accomplished those tasks.
In the future, I hope to have a post-doctoral position researching at a university. Eventually I hope to become a tenure-track professor at a large university like the University of Michigan. I know that it will be difficult to find an academic position, but for now the best way I can improve my chances of becoming a professor is to perform well in grad school.
If you are interested in pursuing a PhD in immunology, you should be well acquainted with what graduate work is like before you apply to graduate programs. I worked for 2 years as a technician in a laboratory before I started this program, so I knew what to expect and I think that has helped me succeed in the program.
Also, you should make sure that immunology research is something you could see yourself doing every day. You will enjoy conducting research much more if you study a subject that is so interesting to you that you constantly think of new questions and actually want to read articles on the subject. If you do not feel that way about immunology, earning a PhD in the subject is probably not a good idea.
