<p>How feasible is it for me to switch fields into molecular biology given my background? I have looked a lot at grad school admissions information but I think I am in a somewhat unique position.</p>
<p>I am currently in the Peace Corps serving in Africa. I have been out of academia for a while. But I went to MIT where I received a BS in physics. My GPA was a 4.3 out of 5.0 . I got a 790 quantitative and 620 verbal with a 4.5 on the writing section of the GRE. I do not plan to take any of the GRE subject tests. </p>
<p>I didnt take any chem or bio classes past the introductory level at MIT. But I’ve done a lot of study on my own, not enough however, to confidently take any of the subject tests. </p>
<p>Besides a required lab course I took in Physics, I dont have any further research experience. Since I have been out of academia for a few years, I have lost touch with some of my old professors. Some of my references will probably have to come from my Peace Corps supervisors who cannot comment on academic potential. </p>
<p>How should I proceed given this background? What is an appropriate safety school, reach school, etc? How competitive am I, coming from MIT with a good GRE score but a poor research background?</p>
<p>Here my advice, and i could be wrong.</p>
<p>given that you went to mit, I assume you want to return to a highly ranked institution for grad work, which presents a problem since most of them what bio exp, at the very least coursework, but research too. </p>
<p>So here’s what I would do, but this may not be right for you. I’d look at columbia’s post bac, pre med, its basically a program that allows people with undergrad degrees not in bio to take all the classes needed to get into medschool (I would imagine that these are the same classes needed for molecular bio. So its not actually a grad program. however, since you already have the science background, I bet one year there would make you competitive esp with a high gpa and some research exp which you could get there. (you take the same classes as regular columbia undergrads and have the same opportunity.)</p>
<p>after that, you could apply anywhere</p>
<p>Frankly right now, I don’t think any decent place will accept you at the grad level because they’d basically be starting fresh when theyre looking for people ready for research. </p>
<p>that’s my take,but i could be wrong, hope it helps</p>
<p>[Columbia</a> Postbac Premed | Realize Your Future in Medicine](<a href=“http://www.gs.columbia.edu/postbac/]Columbia”>Postbac Premed Program | School of General Studies)</p>
<p>also the post back premed program is not really competitive, they have like a 50% accept rate so don’t be intimidated by ‘columbia’</p>
<p>You are not ready to apply to grad school (so stop thinking about ‘reaches’ right now; it doesn’t matter that you went to MIT if you don’t have everything else you need for an app: classes, research experience, letters of rec from PIs, a well thought out statement of purpose that clearly argues (with evidence, which you lack right now) why you want to go to grad school). I would recommend taking some coursework at whatever big university is near the city in the US you return to and trying to volunteer in a molec. bio lab to get some research experience (start small, might teach you some basic protocols, work up to having perhaps a piece of a project/something that is more your own (would take months/year)). Also, do you want to do molecular bio or perhaps something with a physics twist (biophysics, bioe., etc.)? It’s great that you have something that you want to pursue when you get back from the peace corps, but you need to work really hard to get into a great molec. bio grad program.</p>