Students interested in earning a graduate degree in neuroscience may enroll at the University of Vermont. The program, which leads to a PhD, covers courses in cell biology, integrity in science, human structure and function, neurochemistry, comparative neurobiology, toxicology, introduction to medicinal chemistry, and animal minds.
All students participate in the student journal club starting after their first semester. The program is designed to last five years, with course work completed in the first two years and the last three years dedicated to the thesis or research project. Students receive hands-on research experience through the university's DNA sequencing, protemics, imaging and microarray facilities.
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree in neuroscience, chemistry, physics, biological science, engineering or a related subject. GRE scores and three letters of reference are also required. Research experience is not required, but is helpful.
The University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
802-656-3131
uvm.edu
High school seniors intending to attend medical school may find the Baylor College of Medicine's combined bachelor's and MD program a good match. The program lasts eight years and results in the awarding of both an undergraduate degree and a graduate medical degree.
To qualify, students must rank in the top 5 percent of their high school graduating class, have a minimum 3.7 grade point average and receive a minimum 1400 SAT or 32 ACT score. Students then sit for an initial interview and possibly for a second; Baylor selects at least four students a year, and one receives an $80,000 scholarship.
Courses in the program include overview of international health, otorhinolaryngology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, integrated problem solving, foundations basic to the science of medicine, general immunology, principles of pathology and pharmacology, gross and microscopic anatomy, physiology and molecular biology.
Baylor College of Medicine
Department of Surgery
One Baylor Plaza
Houston, TX 77030
713-798-8070
bcm.edu
Complete your MD and PhD together with a combined program from Columbia University. The school reports that most students complete the program in seven years; the first two years are concentrated in the classroom taking basic science courses, with the middle years serving as a time for research and tutorials. The last year of the program is spent on clinical rotations.
There are seven core rotations of five weeks each--including psychiatry, primary care, OB/GYN and neurology--and two-week subspecialty rotations in fields such as otolaryngology, anesthesiology and orthopedic surgery.
Candidates require at least three full years in a bachelor's program (any major), with demonstrated course work in biology, chemistry, English, organic chemistry and physics. All applicants must submit MCAT scores and letters of recommendation.
Columbia University
630 West 168th Street
New York, NY 10032
212-305-2868
columbia.edu