To this day I don't think anyone on either side of my family knows exactly:
1) What degree I'm currently getting
2) What degrees I applied for last year
3) What degrees I applied for this year
4) What I'm actually endeavoring to do in life as an occupation
It's probably about time I clear this up because it is pretty confusing!
1) I am currently earning a MS in Optics. Just optics, not optical sciences, not medical physics, not physics, not medical optics, not biomedical optics, not biomedical physics, and certainly not optometry.
2) For this current school year I had applied for a myriad of programs before deciding to go to the University of Rochester (UofR). I had applied for the Optics PhD at UofR, Biomedical Engineering PhD at UofR, Optical Sciences (their equivalent of Rochester's Optics...they do everything the same but for some reason feel like they have to be slightly different) PhD at the University of Arizona (UofA), Medical Physics MS at UofA, Medical Physics PhD at Duke, Biomedical Engineering (LEAP Program) MS at Boston University, Optics PhD at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
I was only offered admission into the UCF Optics PhD program (without stipend) and the UofR Optics MS program (half tuition). Let's just say I wasn't the best student in the world in my undergrad years, so I was happy to at least get some offers. Notice that I applied for the PhD program at UofR but was only offered admission into the MS program. That's not uncommon...it's sort of like a training ground and weed-out period for candidates an institution thinks might pan out to something good, but doesn't want to take any chances on. People they admit into the PhD program they have to pay for. People admitted into the MS program pay for themselves.
Here are some side notes: UofR, UofA, and UCF are the only 3 institutions in the country that offer Optics-specific degrees (UofR and UofA are considered two of the best in the world, maybe even the best depending who you talk to). Duke's medical physics program is closely tied to their biomedical engineering (BME) program, which is ranked #2 in the country. I had personal invitations from the administrations of both BU and UofA to apply to their medical physics and biomedical engineering programs (respectively), so that's why I applied to them. And then they both personally denied me (UofA actually emailed me and then sent me a written rejection as well...double whammy!). And I felt retarded.
Another side clarification - the fields of optics and medical physics are in many important ways totally different, but both are involved in somewhat of the same research. There are really two types of imaging modalities out there - optical (like a microscope or microscopy or coherence tomography or any method actually using light to form an image) and those considered in the realm of physics (like MRI and CT scans). The theories behind these modalities are totally different without much overlap, but obviously can be used to gain information about similar subjects (like the human body).
3) For this next school year I only applied to 3 programs: PhD in Optics at UofR, PhD in Optical Sciences at UofA, PhD in Medical Physics at Duke. I was offered admission to all three with the exception of Duke, who only offered me admission to their MS program, not the PhD program, similar to what happened last year with me and UofR.
4) Call me crazy, but I have this strange intrinsic desire to be involved with cancer research as a career. Why? I don't know. Why do doctors choose one specialty over another? It's the part of the field that interests me I suppose. I'm realistic and realize that my exact wishes might not be fulfilled because of job openings and economic realities, but what I'm wanting to do right now in graduate school research is diagnostic imaging of cancers. I would like to develop and improve the imaging modalities themselves and try to make diagnosis more effective and less invasive. I would also be interested in optical and medical-physics related cancer treatments and therapies, but you kind-of have to choose between the two (diagnostic imaging or therapy) to begin with.
So there we have it, my academic history and desires of the recent past and future. Hope this clears some things up!
2 comments:
Dad came upstairs after our talk with you guys last night, quietly sat down, and said, "Dan has a hard decision to make...and an important one."
I've always felt that you have something important to do with your life, Dan, and if you had the time, I'd suggest you visit the temple. But your home can also be a temple, they say, and I have no doubt you are giving this a lot of prayer.
I know I kid you a lot about where I'd like you to go, etc. I hope you really know that what I want is for you to do the thing that is going to make you the happiest for the rest of your life. You're going to be working for a LONG time (ask your father) and it is beyond critical that you do what you feel you will enjoy the most. A year or two may seem like a long time now, but it is an eternity when you are 40, or 50 or 60 and you hate your job.
I am praying that you choose the path that will bring you the long-term career happiness you desire. Your heart is in the right place, Dan, and your motives are very admirable.
Good luck! We love you.
Good background info Dan -- thanks for filling in the gaps. However, I must clarify that I did know what degree you are currently getting and what programs you had applied for this year. :) Whatever you decide, I'm excited for you.
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