<p>Hi .. I read in your posts that you are a bio major at Duke. I was wondering if you could tell me how you like the program and why you picked Duke for bio. I am most interested in MCB, Biochem and genetics. What other schools did you consider? Thanks for your help! I tried to pm you but it wouldn't go through. Hopefully others will be interested in your answer, too.</p>
<p>I feel so...unwanted. I suppose it's because ecology isn't as cool as biochemistry/genetics. Haters. :mad:</p>
<p>I think leejwwc's interested in Duke med school, which is probably one reason why he (and a ton of others) picked Duke. :)</p>
<p>Hey silverfox-
Yes, I'm planning on doing a double major in biology and chemistry at Duke - why not biochemistry you may ask? - b/c they don't have such a major. But whats cool is that within each of the majors, you can specialize in a specific area (such as biochemistry, pharmacology, cell & molec. bio, etc...) I'm planning on specializing in biochem so the course overlap is roughly 60-70% which is great - the # of additional courses for my double major is roughly the same as if u did a major and a minor in a different academic field.
This is my first semester at Duke and I can say that academically, its been about what I expected, maybe a little bit less cuz reality never matches up to one's expectations, at least most of the time. I'm taking a course overload - 5 credits (=20 credit hrs.) and doing a bunch of extracurricular stuff so most of my days are really busy and I dont have much free time. I'm doing the FOCUS program on Evolution and Humankind which has been a really unique experience for me, as in the last 2 years of high school, most of my classes were science/math lecture courses. If you don't know, FOCUS is a first-semester program at Duke in which you take 3.5 credits - a WRITING20 course pertaining to your FOCUS group (all freshmen must take a writing course their first year), 2 seminar courses, and a dinner discussion course. It takes an interdisciplinary approach to a specific topic that you study in-depth and is really reading/writing/discussion intensive. The classes have approx 12 ppl. in them so its really conducive to intellectual debate and discussion. THe evolution program Im doing is particularly interesting for me b/c it has given me a new perspective of looking at a formerly technical/science driven area of biology for me - Im taking a sociology and cultural literature class on evolution which has allowed me to see a different side of biology - from the humanistic perspective. Im also taking organic chemistry this semester which is pretty demanding, mostly b/c the tests are not what I am used to from high school - its more theoretical/qualitative based rather than strait-answer/quantitative. So in short, academically, its challenging and a lot of reading, but its something I enjoy so its been pretty worthwhile for me.<br>
Lets see - why I chose Duke...its kinda always been my first choice ever since middle school when I did the Duke TIP. Duke was actually the first college I ever heard about, even b4 the University of Florida, my state's pub U. I didnt end up applying ED b/c of financial reasons so in the end I was considering Duke, Brown, Vandy (50% merit scholarship), Univ of Florida (Full ride), Univ of Miami (full ride), and Tulane (75% merit scholarship). It was pretty much down to Duke, Brown, and UF for me, and at the end, I chose Duke b/c of the opportunities avaiable and since it was closer to home than Brown lol. But honestly, I think I made the right choice - there really are a lot of opportunities here, so many that when u first get here, its kinda like sensory overdrive. For this semester, Im involved in several clubs/organizations - a lot of community service type stuff cuz thats what Im most interested in at this time. Im also a teaching aide at a local elementary school, an assistant in the pharmacy dept. at the VA Medical Center adjacent to DUke med ctr, and am a lab tech/asst. in a cell/molec dev. bio lab studying plant-microbial interactions. So in short, theres plenty of opportunities to get involved in areas that compel you, which is one of the strongest aspects of DUke in my opinion.
Regarding the dept., I dont know too much about it at this time since my major is still undeclared. There are areas of specialization in the bio major in all the areas that u listed - MCB, biochem, and genetics and there are a lot of research opportunities, even for first year students in these areas such as what Im doing now. The best part - a lot of these lab positions have pay - I get $10 an hr which is not bad at all considering I get to do something I like while being paid.
I wanna add one word of caution tho - even tho overall, I feel Duke is great, there are some downsides to this place, just like with any place, some of which I mentioned in another thread. But overall, Im happy with my choice. but for med school, I would like to go somewhere in a big city just for a change of pace...
If you have any more questions feel free to ask, ttyl
-Will</p>
<p>Thanks for your post. It's very helpful. Brown and Rice are two other schools that are of interest and I notice Brown was on your list, too. Did you feel that the bio programs were equally good at both schools or did you feel Duke had the edge? Regarding the lab positions that pay, are they only if you get need based financial aid (like work study) or can someone not on finaid get a position. Also, what is the name of the other thread where you give the downside of Duke?</p>
<p>its in the "students at Duke" thread.</p>
<p>honestly, I didnt do so much research on the bio program at Brown, just mainly perused through their website. One thing that was kinda a turn off though was when I "talked" with the bio dept. advisor through e-mail - she came off as kinda arrogant and patronizing and just referred me to the website whereas the bio advisor at Duke was really superb - he answered my questions fairly thoroughly via e-mail and when I went to visit for Blue Devil Days, he even remembered my name when I began introducing myself and was quite welcoming. Of course, its an inductive fallacy to let one experience sum up an entire institution, but that alone was pretty impressionable. One of the things I like about the biology dept. at Duke though is its large size - there are a lot of courses and a lot of routes (via specializations) that you may pursue in addition/conjunction with a standard bio major. Also, there's the Duke marine lab at Beaufort which is awesome if you are into ecology/marine science. I had the opportunity to visit with my FOCUS group 2 weeks ago and it was really awesome - they have a nearby island with lots of wild crabs and even wild horses - a great research spot and retreat. Also there are some pretty cool facilities here, including the duke forest and primate ctr (which I havent visited yet but will be doing so in the near future, again with my Evo. FOCUS group), and a bunch of research facilities, as well as the close proximity of the Duke and VA Medical Centers. But again, I cant offer a valid comparison as I do not know that much about Brown's bio program.</p>
<p>Some bio lab positions are offered only to fed work study students, others say they prefer work-study students, and some have no preference. It all just depends on how willing the lab is to fork out full pay. The thing with federal work study (a part of fin aid) is that 75% of ur pay is subsidized by the government so employers are always prefering work-study to non-work-study students, in general. But then again, if u have an excellent resume - i.e. prior lab/research experience, it shouldnt be that much of a problem. One of the problems that some of my friends have encountered is almost like a catch-22 - u cant get a lab job unless u have prior lab experience and those that dont have prior lab experience cant get a lab job. But if u do decide to come to Duke, once u get here, subscribe immediately to the biomajors server. It updates u via email whenever a new lab job opens up and if ur lucky, u will find and jump on one that will work for you.</p>
<p>Thanks for the great tip on the biomajors server. Is the lab you work in at the Duke Med Center or part of the university? I'm trying to understand which labs would be available to undergrads. Are many labs at the med center taking undergrads? The Brown board refers to undergrads working in cutting edge labs and I'm hoping Duke offers the same opportunities. I must be getting tired ... I'm getting pretty redundant.</p>
<p>the lab i work in is part of the developmental/cell bio department - its in the levine science research center, not actually part of the duke med center, but I know there are lab jobs offered in the med ctr. if thats what u are looking for. Keep in mind that most of these lab jobs arent actually research positions - thats a diff thing. With some lab jobs, u get to help the researcher's with their work, prepare chemicals, etc...which gives u some pretty good experience. The hardcore research opportunities usually go to upperclassmen with more experience.</p>
<p>I guess we are having our own private conversation! I hope others will feel free to jump in, too. I read the 'students at Duke' thread. I see your point about getting bored on the weekends with only frat parties as an option. Not my thing. Given that Durham has nothing much to offer, are there on-campus events that are an option for non-partygoers? I guess there is probably a Duke calendar I can look at but a firsthand view is so much better.</p>
<p>yeah there are some on-campus things pretty much every weekend - theres a movie theater on campus at the bryan ctr that plays some recent movies for a buck - thats on both friday and saturday nights (for ex, 2 weeks ago they played mr and mrs smith, this past weekend it was batman begins). The worst thing is that there are no movie theaters within walking distance of campus - tho they r building one at Northgate Mall which is a 10-15 minute walk from east campus. I hope they get that going fast! This past weekend was homecoming weekend so they had some cool stuff going on like a homecoming dance. Theres also sports games - football has been going on for the past few weeks but Im not much of a football fanatic and Dukes football team is nothing to brag about anyways. You just have to check out the calendar each week to see whats going on, sometimes there are musicals, plays, etc... that I dont even know about until expo facto. Pretty much what I do on weekends is: Fri night after work, grab a bite to eat, go work out at the gym, check out a couple movies from lilly and go back to dorm and watch them, sat - get up work out, do hw, and at night, go check out some parties or other events going on, sunday ditto. If ur in a lot of clubs, a lot of them have meetings sunday night and also if ur an officer in ur dorm, they have really long meetings on sun also so the week starts early for you in that case.</p>
<p>When you say you 'go check out some parties...', are you talking about the off campus frat parties? I heard that there is alot going on at Duke that never makes it on to the calendar. So maybe there is more to do than meets the eye. On another note, are you hearing much about great teachers at Duke?</p>
<p>I was just looking back through this thread and I have a question about the lab jobs. I understand what you mean when you differentiate between a research position and a lab job ... but Duke claims that first years can get involved in research. It sounds like this is not what you're seeing at Duke, is that right?</p>
<p>all of the greek housing and selective living is on campus to the best of my knowledge - theres a lot of frat parties and such going on on west every weekend, but its mostly a lot of beer and such.
Great teachers? - some of ur teachers will definitely be great and inspiring, others less so. this is still my first semester so i cant comment more on this, but from what Ive seen so far, all the professors are very knowledgeable and well qualified and such, some just have a harder time conveying the material to beginning students.
But this is what ive heard from my friends who are not in FOCUS, I feel all my teachers are great.</p>
<p>First year students can do research, its just harder b/c u have to submit resumes for all the research positions and obviously they usually go to the more experienced upperclassmen - those that actually have a GPA so far lol. But there is one exception - if ur interested in chemistry, there is a freshman independent study in chem research during the spring of freshman yr but the prerequisite for it is organic chemistry in the fall of freshman yr.</p>
<p>About lab jobs: I work in the medical center, in a research lab. If you want a lab position, the best advice I can give you is apply as early as possible and to more than one place. The "work study-lab assistant" positions that are advertised in the chronicle are not research done by you, but they do give you a.) experience in a lab, b.) money, so that's good, and that's the type of position I have now. I actually work with a couple of med students, and they really let me look at their research and learn about it, so that's cool. I also learn about aseptic technique and other stuff that is necessary to work in almost any science/medical lab in the future.</p>
<p>As for research projects in which you're more involved in the actual research process, leejwwc is right in that it's hard for freshmen to get involved during the year. But there is a lot of opportunity during the summer after freshman year to do some research and then, if it's on the main campus as opposed to the marine lab, continue it during sophomore year, I know a lot of people that did stuff like that after their freshman year.</p>
<p>Opportunities for research as a freshman do exist, though! In science, for example, the Howard Hughes grant is intended specifically for freshmen and pre-major sophomores. </p>
<p>
[quote]
...but Duke claims that first years can get involved in research. It sounds like this is not what you're seeing at Duke, is that right?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>silverfox-Do not make the common (and incorrect) assumption that research equals lab work or even science. There is plenty of of research in all fields of study in which Duke students can get involved. Just because the microbiology labs don't fling their doors open to freshmen does not mean freshmen don't have research opportunities! Personally, I'm involved in one of my professor's research on ancient shipwrecks, and she's encouraging all of us to go on the archaeological dig this summer. Research opportunities do exist, you just have to find them. One of my friends is involved in cognitive psych research at the med center, and I was (until it ended) part of a bird behavior research project.</p>
<p>
[quote]
There is plenty of of research in all fields of study in which Duke students can get involved.
[/quote]
That's very true. I'm premed, but I'm planning to do research in ancient civilization next year. </p>
<p>That said, if science is your thing, go for it. But don't close yourself off to other fields of study too quickly.</p>