Interview for Msc Neuroscience TCD

romarr

Hi...

Have an interview for Msc Neuroscience this week.

Any one got any advice for this or masters interviews in general ?

thanks in advance

TrollHammaren

I searched TCD Neuroscience and came across this thread. Looks like no one helped you, but perhaps you could help me out?

If you don't mind me asking, did you do the interview? What kind of things did they ask, and do you have any advice you can give? Thanks in advance!

AbbieB

The interview really depends on who is conducting it....some might actually be interested in asking you a lot of neuroscience questions rather than focusing on your CV.

TrollHammaren

AbbieB wrote: »

The interview really depends on who is conducting it....some might actually be interested in asking you a lot of neuroscience questions rather than focusing on your CV.

I just did it yesterday; they asked a lot of biological questions and didn't seem all that interested in my research experience. Boo-urns.

AbbieB

yeah mine was lots of neurotransmitter questions and I dont have a neuroscience background.

AbbieB

Did you get a place after the interview?

TrollHammaren

AbbieB wrote: »

Did you get a place after the interview?

Are you asking me or the OP? I didn't get it, anyway. What about you?

Dzeano

Applying in the near future; are the interviews held only after the closing date for applications does anybody know? Or do they run throughout the year?

Ballet

They hold the interviews through out the year. When I applied last jan I had my interview at the start of april.

Dzeano

Thanks for that!

ahnow

Hi there, I see that this is an old thread, but I am thinking of applying for this for 2017, from a Psychology background and am looking for advice on gaining some work experience, I am really stuck about where to look for practical volunteering/research/work experience, does anyone have any advice?!
Also anything else to give me an edge, I see the competition for this course is quite high! I's likely I'll get a 1:1 degree, and I'll do my thesis on something neuro related, but anything else that might help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!!

gcalvert91

ahnow wrote: »

Hi there, I see that this is an old thread, but I am thinking of applying for this for 2017, from a Psychology background and am looking for advice on gaining some work experience, I am really stuck about where to look for practical volunteering/research/work experience, does anyone have any advice?!
Also anything else to give me an edge, I see the competition for this course is quite high! I's likely I'll get a 1:1 degree, and I'll do my thesis on something neuro related, but anything else that might help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!!

Hi ahnow,

I applied for the MSc in Neuroscience this year and I'd be happy to share my experiences with yourself and others who consult this thread. Like many people reading this message, I searched these forums to find out information about the course and the interview experience. Unfortunately, a lot of the information was quite dated.

I applied for the course in December '15 and received an invitation for interview towards the end of March '16. I had two weeks to prepare for my interview, which was scheduled for mid-April '16. Two days following the interview I was delighted to receive an offer for the course. I'll discuss my application and interview experience below.

I applied as a final year undergraduate student in Psychology. Throughout my degree, I attained first class marks in each module. I had completed three internships in my thesis supervisor's laboratory prior to beginning my final year - all in the area of sensorimotor neuroscience. One internship was voluntary, while the other two were funded by research scholarships for which I had to apply - one administered by my university, and the other from the Wellcome Trust. I didn't have a lot of experience with pertinent methods in neuroscience, but I did have experience in such things as electromyography and non-invasive brain stimulation. My final year thesis project was an extension of my Wellcome Trust project. I also completed an undergraduate placement in a forensic psychology setting - I included this in my application and emphasised that I was the only person selected out of 70 applicants to undertake the placement. I doubt the work I conducted during my placement factored into my application's success, but it's always good to tell the course selectors how good/exceptional you are - don't be afraid to 'blow your own trumpet'. As far as work and voluntary experience was concerned, I was employed for two years as a Support Worker in a Learning Disability unit and I volunteered with ChildLine (NSPCC) and Samaritans for one and two-and-a-half years respectively.

When you receive an invitation for interview, the letter will detail the structure of the interview and include some recommended reading material to help prepare. I found that the 'Neuroscience and Neuroanatomy at a glance' textbook provided a 'bite-sized' account of some basic neuroscience principles. This made everything easy to revise and recall at a later date - I thoroughly recommend it. The interview lasts 15 minutes. The interviewers will first discuss your application and the experiences you listed within - e.g. describe some of the research you conducted as well as the methods employed, whether you undertook modules on molecular/cellular neuroscience, etc. They will then ask you one or two questions about basic neuroscience. The favourite seems to be 'describe how two neurons communicate with each other'. This is a simple question but make sure you are thorough in your answer - do not simply say something like 'electrochemical signals'. Describe the process.

If you are from a Psychology background, expect to be asked about your degree's coverage of molecular and cellular neuroscience. The letter of invitation for interview explicitly states that students who have not covered these areas in their degree may struggle with the course content. This was reiterated to me at interview. I was worried that I had not passed the interview because the final five minutes consisted of me trying to convince the interviewers that I was suitable for the course, that I had the requisite knowledge to commence the course, and that I would prepare for the course over the summer if I were to be successful in the application. My advice is to make this clear from the outset, rather than towards the end of the interview. You want the interviewers to be confident that you know your stuff. I would also like to emphasise that the MSc in Neuroscience at TCD is very much a course of molecular/cellular neuroscience. There is a neuroimaging module that you can take but please be aware that the course is not cognitively/behaviourally inclined. Consider applying elsewhere if this does not suit your interests.

I recommend gaining as much research experience as you can during your undergraduate degree. The methods you employ are more important than the research area. On the application itself, there is a lot of room to list your experiences and it may not look good if you leave this all completely blank. Additionally, as the course is very competitive, I think it is important to be on track for a 1:1. I can't speak for other people who got onto the course with less than a First, but I think Psychology graduates should definitely aim for this as the course selectors seem sceptical about applicants from this discipline.

On a slightly unrelated note, be aware that it costs 50 to apply for the course. In addition, the course fees are almost 9,000 per year. For students from the North like myself (NI), you should consult Student Universal Support Ireland to see if you are eligible for a tuition fee loan/grant. To apply, you'll need to obtain a PPS number from the Department of Social Protection. Google is your friend if you want to find out more.

Hope this helps!

G