Biochemistry Masters Program: Is a medical school environment worth it?
July 1, 2010 6:30 PM Subscribe
Biochemistry Masters Program: Is a medical school environment worth it?
I'm planning on starting a Biochemistry Masters program in the fall, and I've been accepted at a state school (SF State) and Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, which is more medically focused. I get the feeling that the learning environment might be more rigorous at OHSU, but I will have to go into debt to afford it. If I go to SF State, I'll be able to avoid going into debt. So my question is: will I receive a significantly better education in the medical school environment, enough so that it would be worth going into debt for?
I'm planning on starting a Biochemistry Masters program in the fall, and I've been accepted at a state school (SF State) and Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, which is more medically focused. I get the feeling that the learning environment might be more rigorous at OHSU, but I will have to go into debt to afford it. If I go to SF State, I'll be able to avoid going into debt. So my question is: will I receive a significantly better education in the medical school environment, enough so that it would be worth going into debt for?
I cannot stress this enough: do not go into debt for graduate education, period. Go to SF State.
posted by The Michael The at 6:49 PM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Michael The at 6:49 PM on July 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
OHSU is a great school, for fundamental biology research as well as more applied stuff, but yeah, don't go into debt for grad school. Have you considered PhD programs?
posted by pombe at 8:56 PM on July 1, 2010
posted by pombe at 8:56 PM on July 1, 2010
1) Don't go into debt for a science graduate program. Think about what you need your masters degree for - can you get an employer to pay for it? Full scholarship + stipend is standard in PhD programs.
2) In general, medical school professors are different that undergraduate school professors. The professors in medical school devote the vast majority of their time to research and not teaching. At a graduate level, this is what you want, because you will have teachers at the cutting edge of their field, as well as better research opportunities.
You might want to wait another cycle and see if you can get more scholarships to OSHU or another graduate focused schoolar.
posted by fermezporte at 3:57 AM on July 2, 2010
2) In general, medical school professors are different that undergraduate school professors. The professors in medical school devote the vast majority of their time to research and not teaching. At a graduate level, this is what you want, because you will have teachers at the cutting edge of their field, as well as better research opportunities.
You might want to wait another cycle and see if you can get more scholarships to OSHU or another graduate focused schoolar.
posted by fermezporte at 3:57 AM on July 2, 2010
I think the answer to this question depends on why you want the masters. OHSU is going to be a more rigorous academic environment with better peers. This has nothing to do with the fact that they have a medical school there, but with the fact that there is a LOT more serious research going on with lots of PhD students and postdocs, whereas SF state is primarily a commuter campus. If your goal is simply to get a higher-paying job in industry than you would with your bachelor's degree, you should probably go to SF State, since in the bay area you will have a lot more opportunities to make connections with the gazillion biotech companies in the area.
Also, since this is partially a question about the financial aspect, consider that cost of living in Portland is substantially less than it is in San Francisco. This could amount to less of a difference in cost than the simple tuition costs might suggest.
posted by juliapangolin at 9:21 AM on July 2, 2010
Also, since this is partially a question about the financial aspect, consider that cost of living in Portland is substantially less than it is in San Francisco. This could amount to less of a difference in cost than the simple tuition costs might suggest.
posted by juliapangolin at 9:21 AM on July 2, 2010
It depends very much on what you want to do. A biochem masters leads one of two ways: to a higher-paying job in industry doing production work (ie: lab) or to prepare an underwhelming student for a PhD (or MD) program.
If you merely want to raise your income potential as a lab worker, take the less expensive route. If your goal is to attain a higher degree, explore options that will get you into a PhD program directly.
OSHU's Dept of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology doesn't offer a master's, just a PhD.
Biochemistry is basic science and the clinical side of the school will have no impact unless a researcher happens to have multiple affiliations.
And to follow up on the expense: most PhD programs offer full tuition and a stipend. They pay you to go to school. That's certainly the case at UB's Biochem dept. But that's assuming your goal is research, not lab worker.
posted by jdfan at 9:40 AM on July 2, 2010
If you merely want to raise your income potential as a lab worker, take the less expensive route. If your goal is to attain a higher degree, explore options that will get you into a PhD program directly.
OSHU's Dept of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology doesn't offer a master's, just a PhD.
Biochemistry is basic science and the clinical side of the school will have no impact unless a researcher happens to have multiple affiliations.
And to follow up on the expense: most PhD programs offer full tuition and a stipend. They pay you to go to school. That's certainly the case at UB's Biochem dept. But that's assuming your goal is research, not lab worker.
posted by jdfan at 9:40 AM on July 2, 2010
Hi, this is the original poster:
To clarify my goals, part of the reason I want to pursue a master's instead of a PhD right away is because I'm not sure if I want to go directly into industry as a lab worker or follow the more academic research path.
The other part of the reason is that I really want to move to Germany, but for several reasons this isn't possible right now. In two years it will be more of an option, and if I do want to continue with a PhD I'd love to apply to Freie Universität in Berlin for their doctoral program, for example: http://www.bcp.fu-berlin.de/chemie/en/master-phd/doctoral/index.html
My reasoning is that by working on a master's I'll have the option to a) do some potentially publishable research, b) build up my resume for moving to Germany and c) work on my German language skills. I've also considered looking for a job in the field right now and then applying to a PhD program in Germany directly in a year or two, but I'm a little wary considering the job market at the moment.
Obviously having money in the bank would be a definite advantage if I were to move to Germany, which favors the SF State choice, but at OHSU I may have a better chance to do more research and build my resume. Considering my goals, what do you guys think would be the best option?
Oh, and I'll definitely be applying for scholarships, but I don't want to "count my eggs before they hatch" and assume I'll get them.
posted by Yiggs at 11:13 AM on July 2, 2010
To clarify my goals, part of the reason I want to pursue a master's instead of a PhD right away is because I'm not sure if I want to go directly into industry as a lab worker or follow the more academic research path.
The other part of the reason is that I really want to move to Germany, but for several reasons this isn't possible right now. In two years it will be more of an option, and if I do want to continue with a PhD I'd love to apply to Freie Universität in Berlin for their doctoral program, for example: http://www.bcp.fu-berlin.de/chemie/en/master-phd/doctoral/index.html
My reasoning is that by working on a master's I'll have the option to a) do some potentially publishable research, b) build up my resume for moving to Germany and c) work on my German language skills. I've also considered looking for a job in the field right now and then applying to a PhD program in Germany directly in a year or two, but I'm a little wary considering the job market at the moment.
Obviously having money in the bank would be a definite advantage if I were to move to Germany, which favors the SF State choice, but at OHSU I may have a better chance to do more research and build my resume. Considering my goals, what do you guys think would be the best option?
Oh, and I'll definitely be applying for scholarships, but I don't want to "count my eggs before they hatch" and assume I'll get them.
posted by Yiggs at 11:13 AM on July 2, 2010
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posted by brainmouse at 6:31 PM on July 1, 2010