<p>Ok, D2 is experiencing an embarrassment of riches. In the past 24 hours...</p>
<p>She's just been offered a SIP position at NINDS (thru NIH) doing transcranial brain stimulation and fMRI on human traumatic brain injuries. (She does fMRI studies in cognition and learning in children and adults in her research project at her UG so she won't be doing stuff that's really too different from what she already knows how to do.)</p>
<p>She's also been "short-listed" (i.e. accepted but not yet placed) at a summer REU slot at a T-20 research university. There she will likely be doing research in brain visual processing in fish. (Vision is an area she's very interested in and it's chance to learn some new techniques/wet lab stuff--which is something she's never done.)</p>
<p>She also has applications in for six Amgen fellowships and a couple of other REUs which she hasn't heard back from. </p>
<p>(It's way early to hearing back from these places since the application deadlines don't close until March 15. I'm very surprised she's already got offers. I figured she wouldn't hear anything until May.)</p>
<p>She has several questions that she (and I) don't know the answers to:</p>
<p>1) since she's already been offered one position thru NIH, is there a chance she might be offered another? (She'd like to do something different from what's she's already been doing for 2+ years.)</p>
<p>2) is the NINDS position 'more prestigious' than something at a T-20 uni?</p>
<p>3) will one position or the other 'look' better on her med school applications? What about if she applies for an MD/PhD program?</p>
<p>4) are there any perks at NINDS/NIH that she'll get if she goes there? Outside of the research. For example, do they offer MCAT/Gre prep classes? What other classes can she take?</p>
<p>5) will having a SIP at NINDS/NIH help her land one a post-graduation research assistantship at NIH? (She's planning on doing a 2 year gap between UG and med school.)</p>
<p>6) is it kosher to hold more than one acceptance while she's making up her mind? For how long can she hold both options open? Can she wait until she hears back from her other summer programs?</p>
<p>7) if she takes the NINDS offer, where do summer interns live? Do they have to find their own housing? (Dh is originally from suburban DC and we still have friends living there and know how expensive the CoL is there. At the REU room, board, housing & travel are paid for.)</p>
<p>The REU pays significantly more than the NIH and is in a locale she'd much prefer. (i.e. in the West and not in DC)</p>