<p>How important for a person who applied in particular PhD program to have undergraduate research in the same subfield? Does it make a difference in admission? Let say, someone with undergraduate research in immunology applied to biochemistry/molecular biology program. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>In general, how closely related your research experience should be with what you’re planning to do in graduate school?</p>
<p>It won’t make much of a difference, although it could be easier to keep up in interviews if your undergraduate research is similar to the research you’re interested in doing in graduate school. But as far as admissions are concerned, it’s fine to do undergraduate research in a subfield different from what you’re proposing to pursue in graduate school – what’s important is that you learn lab skills, techniques, and thinking skills as an undergraduate, not that you do any one type of research in particular.</p>
<p>For that matter, many biomedical sciences PhD programs are umbrella programs – that is, an applicant who is interested in immunology will apply to a general program along with others interested in cancer biology or neuroscience.</p>
<p>Doesn’t have to be exactly the area you are planning to pursue in grad school. I mean it is quite difficult for grad programs to expect you to specialize into a particular research area. Most PIs understand that undergrad is for exploration. It is quite challenging to “know” what you want to do at 18-22. </p>
<p>Even at the graduate level, it is more common than not that people after completing their PhDs pursue other research areas which they have developed interest in. I mean you’ve already spent time on the topic for 4-5 years and some people want to discover new ideas and methodologies. </p>
<p>So as just an undergrad, I don’t think you should worry about what areas you’ll be working in. You just need to start developing a sense of what you are interested in for the future of your career (if you do intend to pursue research as a career).</p>
<p>But in general terms, if you want to do biochemsitry at the graduate level, choose something in that discpline.</p>