Question for Grad Applicants

[OGrady]

I (and other grad applicants I guess) would greatly appreciate the knowledge of how many publications did the grad applicants applied with?
I am near my PhD and have only one first author pub (1 3rd author and 1 2nd author book chapter). Of course quality matters too... or does it? Is there a grading scale? i.e. something like 1st auth. research pub=2, 2nd aut=2 abstract=1...???

[Champ]

Dear Ogrady,

I am pretty certain that Ad Com will rank Full Publications much higher than abstracts. Within the publications, they will likely evaluate both the applicants author position as well as the quality of the journal. Eg a 2nd authorship in Nature will go alot farther than alot of First authorships in lesser journals. Based on my undestanding, there is no hard and fast calculation or requirement, but I am not sure how all these factors are weighted in.

At a personal level, I completed my Phd a couple of years ago. I have been very fortunate in my work (undergrad, masters, phd) and have been able to get >13 full publications (9 first author) in medium impact factor journals (ISI impact factor between 3-7) plus about 22 abstracts. In my case my undergrad 10 years ago was so poor that I needed to have a very successful research productivty to stand any chance of medical admission.

I only applied to UT and am waiting till 31 May like everyone else.

good luck,
champ

champ of full

[mtws]

It's the universal question isn't it??

My impression is, if your application indicates a definite focus on your work for between two and three solid years, and if your research productivity indicates that 'definite focus', you'll get your interview.

Of course, I'm by no means an expert.

I received an interview with one 1st author paper in press (J.Neurosci - impact factor ~5?), one 3rd author paper 'in prep', and four conference abstracts. I defended my Master's last year and have since been teaching at a community college. My undergraduate marks were what can only be described as marginal. (I was surprised that this was enough and still have "return to the lab this fall for my PhD" as a contingency plan if the unthinkable/unspeakable happens to happen.)

Of course, a big part of it, I'm sure, was not receiving anything less than an "A" in grad school. Ottawa U has this as one of their definite requirements. You cannot get an "A-" or anything less than an "A-" in grad school, or you will not be looked at during the graduate review board proceedings, regardless of your quantity and/or quality of publications. That's something to think about. Don't know if UofT is the same way, but it would be a pretty simple line to draw in the applicant sand-pool. And aren't admissions committees always looking for those?

Hope this helps.

And, as an aside - I am truly sorry, if this in any way stresses anyone out. I can recall reading some posts like this describing these feats of academics and research. Half the time I'd read them and think, that guy just made all those publications up (Like the guy above who wrote ">13 publications". 'Greater than' 13? Why not 14, or 15? Why "greater than 13??? sounds pretty impressive though). Is that the truth or a psyche-out of some kind? And if it's a psyche-out, why add to the sum total of human misery? All I know is that I got to the interview with 1 publication in press. And that's the truth. (of course we're not sure where I stand on the offers list yet?? fingers-crossed, knocking wood) (And 'champ', if you were writing with a sincere heart, then I sincerely apologize for any offence I may have inflicted.)

If you really want medicine - and you keep focussed on that goal - you will continue to work for it - and your work will show it, and you will eventually make it. That's how I feel about it. It sounds like a bunch of popculture, infomercial-type, self-improvement bunk but it's the truth. Good luck to you. Good luck to us all.

Matt

[OGrady]

Thanx Champ and mtws.
I believe, that one first auth. publication in a good journal (like J. Neurosci., i.e. near JBC) is more than enough for MSc applicants. My only first auth. paper is in JBC. I am mainly worried about not being one of the Champ-like paper mills. My coming publication wi;ll probably make it to a nature-sub-journal/EMBO J. level, but I have waited on these results for a year and a half already and can't be sure that it'll be out before Jan.

So for mtws, my question is: How did you submit a manuscript "in prep" to UofT AdCom??? I guess you had the Editor's acceptance letter for the JofNeurosci. paper.

So I'd begin busting my bum to submit the current work near oct/nov...
Thanx again mtws for the reassuring post.

[Champ]

Dear MTWS,

I am not into psyche out games. I wrote greater than 13 and not a specific number because I have some are still at the review process. I started my research as an undergrad in 1996, so over the past 6 years I have just worked extremely hard and been abit lucky. I am not trying to psyche anyone out....I am simply answering the post on how many publications I had to be granted an interview. I do not know what the minimum number of pubs is for an interview.

I will not disclose any more of my info on what was required for me to get an interview, so as not to be perceived as someone who is placing strategic posts.

MTWS, if you do not believe me, I can email you my CV!

Slightly offended.


Champ

[BrainDrain]

I'm in my first year of M.Sc. with no publications, no abstracts, no conferences attended, but still got an interview...so I have no idea what they judge grad students on. I'm thinking if they had no plans to accept me, they wouldn't have given me an interview. Anyways, I'm going to the US for medschool so that's one less competition you guys need to worry about. I'm just waiting until May 31st to see what happens, then I'll withdraw from UofT. It'll be nice to send UofT a rejection letter for a change:)

BrainDrain

[Ogrady]

Dear Champ, as I've thanked you before... I am very thankful for your response. Do not be offended please. I hope both of us make it to the class... see you in Dr. Taylor's first "mock class" at UofT...
MS

[mtws]

Okay, sorry Champ. No need to send me your CV.
I guess, thanks for disclosing your numbers.?

Anyway,
Braindrain, it is quite likely that you were granted an interview based on you undergraduate qualifications. If so, I think you are in a different class of applicants. Although you are a graduate student - your research productivity may not be an issue.

For those like me - who didn't get themselves sorted out until after the end of their undergraduate experience - we may only be granted an interview if we show some promise in grad school and/or some dedication to the pursuit of scientific truth :) That's my impression of this process!

Ogrady,
Your welcome. This passes the time nicely. I'm hoping more people respond to this stream. Some good info - if only for interest sake (considering there's nothing we can do about it all this year - all the cards are played). FYI - My J.Neurosci was in press before the application due date - so I submitted the first page. The other one (the third author paper) was presented as an abstract at Neuroscience 2002 - and so I submitted that with a note from the principle investigator stating a paper was being submitted - I don't think this even counted as a publication. You're right. That's why I say I really had only one paper.

Anyway, here's hoping that we meet in September.
Good luck with the mailman next week.
Matt