Incoming Student Questions & Answers

Here's a list of questions that incoming / interested students have sent, and links to the accompanying answers.
Questions from Incoming PhD Students of 2007
Questions from Incoming PhD Students of 2006
Questions from Interested Undergraduate Students
(Last update: 7/28/07)

To see the information for 2007, please go to:
Incoming Students 2007: Questions and Answers
And/or:
For Incoming Students: 2007

Questions from 2007
7/24/07: Q: Med School vs. Alternative Track?
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2007/07/q-med-school-vs-alternative-track.html)

Hi,
I'm interested in neuroengineering, right now specifically clinical neuroengineering. I was wondering if you had any advice on what classes to take as an incoming first-year. What's your advice regarding the med. school classes vs. standard BME classes? And, are there any particular standard BME classes that are highly recommended? Any advice you could give would be a great help!

Thanks!

7/27/07: Q: Register for the Seminar?
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2007/07/q-register-for-seminar.html)

Hi,
I am very interested in the program. Is registration required for the seminar in Aug?

Questions from 2006
7/7/06: Q: Alternate Courses / IM Sports
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/07/q-alternate-courses-im-sports.html)

I am interested in the Neuroengineering Training program also. How have you liked it? I was curious on some of the classes for the program. I am not going to take the med school courses, so I was wondering if you knew what kinds of courses first years take for neuroengineering. Is it pretty flexible for the person or are there a 'core' neuro courses that a lot of students take? I've seen the website for the Neuro Training program, so I saw some of the courses listed there. I am just curious what was popular amongst first years.

And as for softball and intramurals in general, I would be interested in that too. I'm not coming up until August, so is that only for the summer or are there other intramurals during the year too?

7/8/06: Q: Course Registration
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/07/q-course-registration.html)

Do you know if there's anything I should be doing right now in terms of course selection/registration? I received some materials from Hopkins with course offerings, but I have no idea what I should be looking into and how the whole course registration process works.

7/9/06: Q: Finding a Residence
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/07/q-finding-residence.html)

I am very interested to the neuroengineering, please keep me in touch about any seminar or news on this point. (However, I live out of the US, now and will
arrive to Baltimore in the mid. of August.)

I wonder if you can help me find how it could be planned at present having a residence just for arrival to Baltimore and finding an appropriate place.

7/11/06: Q: Thakor Lab
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/07/q-thakor-lab.html)

Can I speak to anyone who works in Dr. Thakor's lab?

7/13/06: Q: Rotations / Joining NETI
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/07/q-rotations-joining-neti.html)

* Do NETI students have 18 months for rotations? I remember at the visit Dr. Winslow said we needed to pick a lab by the beginning of the second year.
* How do I go about joining the NETI?
* I had previous obligations and couldn't start in July. How important is it to nail down a fall rotation now? You mentioned that there's a showcase september 6th, but that seems like waiting until the last minute.

7/28/06: Q: Neuroengineering / Instrumentation / Classes
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/07/q-neuroengineering-instrumentation.html)

Does Neuroengineering have many than two years for classes? If you want to do instrumentation and more engineering, is the Neuro track the best way to go? Is Hopkins most known for Neuro, there seems to be a lot of professors.

8/13/06: Q: Classes / Registration
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/08/q-classes-registration.html)

Are there suggested classes for students who are interested in neuroengineering? If not, are there some you suggest? Are we supposed to register for the neuroengineering seminar, or is that for people already in the NETI program? Should I register soon or should I wait until orientation? Anything else I need to know about classes?

8/14/06: Q: Classes / Locations / Books
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/08/q-classes-locations-books.html)

i did not get a registration packet but i filled out a couple of forms (i believe one of them was green) that hong gave me so i think i'm registered (i hope). when does the neuroengineering seminar meet? oh, speaking of which, how do we find out where our classes are meeting (i can't find room locations for any of my classes at all), and how do we find out what books we'll be needing?

8/16/06: Q: Alternate Track / Medical School Classes
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/08/q-alternate-track-medical-school.html)

If I choose an alternative track curriculum, can I still take two of the medical school's courses? I only have interest in Molecules and Cells, and Neuroscience. Is there anybody who has also done this way before? Just chose one or two course of SOM ?

8/16/06: Q: Access to the Gym
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2006/08/q-access-to-gym.html)

How can I get access to the gym?

Questions from Interested Undergraduate Students
7/26/07: Q: Undergraduate Major + Neuroengineering
(http://neuroengineering.blogspot.com/2007/07/q-undergraduate-major-neuroengineering.html)

Hi, I'm an undergrad intending to major in Neural Science, and wanted to ask you something after coming across the Neuroengineering Facebook group. I was wondering whether an undergraduate degree in a field of engineering is required to pursue/gain admission into grad/PhD programs in Neuroengineering. Is it required to have previously studied biomedical engineering, or is it enough to have a Neural Science background in order to apply to and succeed in these programs? I have recently decided that I would like to study/pursue Neuroengineering after graduation. However, my college does not have an engineering school, and am thus considering transferring. I was also wondering whether or not you began this PhD program at Johns Hopkins immediately after graduation from the college you went to?