<p>Hi. Wondering if anyone here can give us some insight into the general atmosphere for grad school at Duke University. D is most specifically interested in the fields related to neurobiology, biophysics, or possibly biochemistry. She's looking for a quality program but not one that is super intense stress-wise. She would like to find a place where the people cooperate and support each other, work hard, and where they also value life outside of work. Thanks for any info you can pass along.</p>
<p>I would be more concerned about your daughter’s lack of specificity in her interests. Neurobiology, biophysics, and “possibly” biochemistry cover a rather wide area. Unlike undergraduate education, which should allow ample time for trying things out, personal growth, experimentation, etc., time in graduate school is best spent devoting efforts to something you are really passionate about, under the tutelage of the best mentor you can become associated with. Graduate school is not really the place to figure out what you are interested in, at least not broadly. Duke is a great place to be and Durham (believe it or not) has a lot to offer graduate and professional school students. If Duke can offer her the best program that suits her interests and needs, she should go for it. If she hasn’t quite made up her mind about what she’d like to do, I’d suggest she take some more time to figure that out. Perhaps she should consider looking for work in a lab or somewhere else that would give her some experience and help her make up her mind. Once she knows what she wants, she should work to find the best research mentor or program that matches her interests. The overall campus culture is much less important here. Best wishes to her in her efforts.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. She does have specific interests but they are interdisciplinary, and since I, as a non-scientist mom who doesn’t really understand these areas of research, am asking general questions on a public forum I frequent, I chose not to identify those specific interests. Obviously, she will research specific PIs and labs on her own. However, she has never spent time at Duke, nor does she have any personal acquaintances there, and we were just hoping to get some information as to the general atmosphere in those programs.</p>
<p>Good advice from ourmutualfriend.</p>
<p>I find it amusing that the daughter of “NeedAVacation” is looking for a school that will “value life outside of work” and avoid “super intense stress-wise” programs. Like parent, like daughter?</p>