<p>So what are the particular advantages of certain clusters over others?</p>
<p>For example, I heard that doing Exploring the Mind gives you priority for NIH summer internships. And Ethics, Leadership, and Global Citizenship gives you priority for one of the Duke Engage programs.</p>
<p>What are the other advantages? I’m specifically interested in the inherent advantages of Exploring the Mind and the Global Health ones.</p>
<p>I’m more interested in the Global Health, but as a pre-med/neuroscience interested student, I feel exploring the mind will present me with opportunities too good to pass up. Does the Global Health Focus also have certain advantages/perks?</p>
<p>I can only speak for Exploring the Mind.</p>
<p>No one took the NIH priority internships this year, simply because better opportunities existed within Duke itself. Almost all of this year’s Exploring the Mind students who are interested in doing research are doing the Howard Hughes Summer Fellows program, which has better perks and payment than the NIH summer internship. Although you don’t get priority admissions for Howard Hughes, almost all of the Exploring the Mind students who applied got in. Other than that, you get to learn some pretty cool stuff about neuroscience, and hopefully get to know the professors well enough so they can supply good LORs.</p>
<p>so, do you think as a premed student, exploring the mind gives you opportunities that would be hard to get by just taking neuroscience classes outside of focus? For example, how difficult is it to be accepted into Howard Hughes Summer Fellows for people who didn’t do Exploring the Mind?</p>
<p>I think Howard Hughes has somewhere around 30-35% acceptance rate normally (though it could be a bit higher this year, since they expanded the program). Although it’s competitive, it’s definitely very attainable if you make good first semester grades. Though this is only from personal experience, I think Exploring the Mind benefited my Howard Hughes application by providing a great Letter of Recommendation from my neuroscience professor, who I got to know really well in the small seminar setting of FOCUS classes. Since the adcom for Howard Hughes only has your essays, first semester grades, and a letter of recommendation, I think the LOR played a significant role in my acceptance. I think similar tales of intangible benefits can be found throughout various FOCUS programs; however, it is highly unlikely that you will receive a direct boost to your MD school applications by doing FOCUS.</p>
<p>Can anyone comment on opportunities that people who did The Power of Ideas focus group availed themselves of in research? Thank you.</p>