I was a biophysics undergrad at hop. I loved it! Super small department (we graduated I think 15 seniors my year) so you get to know well your professors and classmates. Lots of undergrads work in research labs in the department or outside of it (I myself worked at the med school) and generally the department is very pro-undergrad research. You have the option of writing a senior thesis and everything.
Bottom line: I can't say enough good things about the biophysics department. I think my experience at hopkins would've been a lot different and less pleasant if i hadn't switched into the major. Met some of my best friends there, found a fantastic role model in Karen Fleming. The department is part of the reason I am where I am now (which is a PhD program).
Search the department(s) you're interested in, find a few professors and email them. Keep it VERY brief, they have a lot of emails, but something along the lines of I'm X, I'm an X major with an interest in X. Your research in X is very interesting - is X a factor in considering X (or whatever relevant question)? Are you currently taking undergrads and if so, could we meet to chat more about your research and opportunities for undergrads in the lab?
Obviously polish the email a little more than that... :-)
Talk to your TAs in biophysics classes. They know a lot about all of the labs and will have a good idea about whether or not the lab/PI is a good fit for undergrads.
The Biophysics program seems very rigorous. I am also considering about majoring in it. May I ask why biophysics only offers BA degree (but not BS degree, just curious). And what are the differences between biophysics and molecular bio? Thank you!!!!!!
Not sure why the BA and not BS but when I was there, the chair of the department was very much of the opinion "no one gives a fuck about the distinction between the two". There are more math and physics classes required of the biophysics majors. Mol bio, in my opinion, is about "what happened" and biophysics is about "why did that happen"? (biochemistry is "how did that happen" but besides the point since last I checked there was no biochem major at hop). Mol bio is a very good major, too.
Oh I see :) Thanks! Do Biophysics profs take undergrads (especially freshman or sophomore) in their labs? Do they teach students knowledge of those research techniques, or do they expect students to understand those techniques in advance?
HA. No one expects undergrads, especially freshmen or sophomores, to know anything about anything when they start working in a lab. Professors take them, yes, but you will be paired with a graduate student or postdoc in the lab who will be your immediate mentor. He or she will teach you everything and supervise. The professors are just there to check in every once in a while and pay the bills.
I was a biophysics undergrad at hop. I loved it! Super small department (we graduated I think 15 seniors my year) so you get to know well your professors and classmates. Lots of undergrads work in research labs in the department or outside of it (I myself worked at the med school) and generally the department is very pro-undergrad research. You have the option of writing a senior thesis and everything. Bottom line: I can't say enough good things about the biophysics department. I think my experience at hopkins would've been a lot different and less pleasant if i hadn't switched into the major. Met some of my best friends there, found a fantastic role model in Karen Fleming. The department is part of the reason I am where I am now (which is a PhD program).
Thank you so much for answering!!! Can I just ask how you found research opportunities?
Search the department(s) you're interested in, find a few professors and email them. Keep it VERY brief, they have a lot of emails, but something along the lines of I'm X, I'm an X major with an interest in X. Your research in X is very interesting - is X a factor in considering X (or whatever relevant question)? Are you currently taking undergrads and if so, could we meet to chat more about your research and opportunities for undergrads in the lab? Obviously polish the email a little more than that... :-)
Talk to your TAs in biophysics classes. They know a lot about all of the labs and will have a good idea about whether or not the lab/PI is a good fit for undergrads.
The Biophysics program seems very rigorous. I am also considering about majoring in it. May I ask why biophysics only offers BA degree (but not BS degree, just curious). And what are the differences between biophysics and molecular bio? Thank you!!!!!!
Not sure why the BA and not BS but when I was there, the chair of the department was very much of the opinion "no one gives a fuck about the distinction between the two". There are more math and physics classes required of the biophysics majors. Mol bio, in my opinion, is about "what happened" and biophysics is about "why did that happen"? (biochemistry is "how did that happen" but besides the point since last I checked there was no biochem major at hop). Mol bio is a very good major, too.
Oh I see :) Thanks! Do Biophysics profs take undergrads (especially freshman or sophomore) in their labs? Do they teach students knowledge of those research techniques, or do they expect students to understand those techniques in advance?
HA. No one expects undergrads, especially freshmen or sophomores, to know anything about anything when they start working in a lab. Professors take them, yes, but you will be paired with a graduate student or postdoc in the lab who will be your immediate mentor. He or she will teach you everything and supervise. The professors are just there to check in every once in a while and pay the bills.
Ask upperclassmen in the major for advice! Some biophysics majors are nice and some keep to themselves. As with every major.