Grad school: Immunology vs. Molecular Genetics @ U of T

[timon]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm a student from U of T, just completed H.BSc in Immunology Specialist Program. Now I have offers from both Immunology and Molecular Genetics....

I just can't decide.

 

Right now I have a list of pros and cons for the two departments

 

 

Imm:

Pros:

- no mandatory rotation (although most profs prefer rotation rather than direct entry)

- graduate in 5 years for PHD, 2years for Master

- may be more "prestigious" than MoGen

 

Cons:

- the profs who are taking grad students are not "superstars"

 

MoGen:

Pros:

- >60 PIs are taking students this year, some are superstars (e.g JE **** d i c k)... more opportunities

- already have a supervisor who will take me

 

Cons:

- most PIs are not premed student-friendly

- may take up to 7-8 years to graduate (PhD), 3-4 years for Msc.

 

 

My bf is going to johns hopkins for PhD, and I am planning to complete a Msc here and move there later. Maybe I'll do a PhD, maybe MD. But plans might change, so I need to get in a lab that's premed-friendly, productive, and suitable for both MSc and PhD training.

 

 

Please help me decide

Thanks a lot!

[PermanentWaves]

I was always told by various U of T profs that Molecular Genetics is typically regarded as the best department in the country for basic science biomedical research. Just in the last week they published that major Nature paper on genetic foundations of autism, as well as another collaborative paper in Science.

 

That being said, the answer to your question is more supervisor-specific. Honestly, there are lots of labs in the U of T Faculty of Med that are very productive (in major journals), regardless of what department they're from. What are you interested in?

 

Also, I didn't realize that the Molecular Genetics degrees were that long. On the website, it says a PhD typically takes 5.5-6 years, and 2-2.5 years for an MSc. Those numbers are pretty comparable with other departments. Anyway, if you're worried about the departmental regulations, lots of PIs in Molecular Genetics are cross-appointed to other departments in the Faculty of Med (IMS, Immunology, Physiology, Biochemistry, etc.), so you may work with the same PI, but go through a different department.

[DanInVan]

I'm pretty biased, I did my M.Sc. in Medical Genetics (albeit at UBC) and we have a lot of collaborators at U of T, so I would say do that! But I also absolutely find genetics one of the most interesting things...

 

As far as the M.Sc. length goes, it is absolutely not unheard of to take 3+ years to complete one (especially if you publish papers during your degree). Our department average is 2.5-3 years for an M.Sc. and 6 for a PhD, but I have friends in other departments who have taken equally as long to finish. I think the length of time it will take is a reflection on you (your work style and how much you want to accomplish), your supervisor (their expectations), your project, and luck.

 

Also, it took me more than 3 years to finish my M.Sc.!

[whatever]

I'm curious about this too. I applied to Pharmacology, Medical Biophysics and Biochemistry (missed the Molecular Genetics deadline) and was wondering how these departments compare. I'm especially interested in bioinformatics and the analytical side of biology.