Prospective Students
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Deciding on whether to apply to work with a specific mentor is a daunting task. Because prospective mentors have limited time to meet with prospective students, this page is intended to answer the most common questions I receive about myself and my lab. Ultimately, I hope this page helps you make an informed decision about whether I am the right mentor to help you meet your goals.
What is your mentorship style?
My primary goal in mentorship is to guide my trainees in pursuing their own research interests and develop these interests into a rewarding and impactful program of research. To do this, I strive to be supportive and provide plenty of scaffolding in the earlier stages of your training while you may still be "figuring out who you are." More concretely, trainees can expect weekly one on one meetings to discuss goals and individual projects as well as weekly lab meetings that focus on building professional skills. Overall, I value collaboration and view my trainees as colleagues.
What does it take to thrive in this lab?
A strong trainee should be motivated to develop gradual independence as a researcher, cultivating the ability to generate and pursue their own ideas while also working effectively in collaboration. The most successful projects in our group focus on psychosocial factors and healthcare experiences influencing cardiometabolic health, often with an emphasis on health equity.
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Pragmatically, because of the types of data we use, an interest in methods and statistics is important for making your time in the lab tolerable. Additionally, since clear communication is the foundation of good science, trainees who are motivated to continually strengthen their writing and presentation skills will be best positioned to thrive.
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​This is very important: I do not expect you to come in as a statistics maven or a writing expert. Do not rule yourself out based on your current skills. If you feel that you struggle with statistics or writing (like I did when I started my doctoral training), there are plenty of resources within the doctoral program and the lab to help you along. People enter doctoral programs, in part, to learn and improve these very skills. You will learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. What I do expect is an openness, even an eagerness, to make consistent progress on these scientific skills.
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What do you look for when selecting students for an interview?
A prospective trainee should come with a rough idea of the kind of research they hope to pursue over the next five to six years and be able to share what excites them about that path. What matters most is not that the idea is fully formed, but that they can identify important questions, explain them clearly, and show why those questions motivate them. In this lab, we place a high value on curiosity, critical thinking, and clear communication.
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More concretely, students who are admitted into the program and join the lab typically have at least one publication and several poster presentations. I recognize that access to these opportunities is not evenly distributed and disproportionately penalizes students of color and first-gen students. In cases where this experience is more limited, a more specific and well-defined interest in type 2 diabetes would help demonstrate readiness and fit for the lab.
What is the expected timeline for applications into the PhD program?
Year to year, the UIC Department of Psychology strives to follow a similar timeline for PhD admissions but there may be variations.
December: Applications due on December 1st. Between four and eight applicants are invited to a brief informal phone interview to assess further for fit.
January: Four applicants will be invited to the all-day, Zoom-based formal interview in early-mid January. First-round admission offers usually go out within a week of formal interviews. All other applicants, including applicants still under consideration ('waitlisted'), will also be notified of their status.
February: The Department coordinates an in-person Admitted Students Day in February so admitted students can meet each other, meet the program, take a look at our facilities, and explore Chicago before they make their final decision.
April: Applicants have until April 15th to accept or decline the offer.
What should I know as an international applicant into the PhD program?
The HSAED Lab (and UIC) is open to international students, and there are important, UIC-specific information to know as an international applicant. Some things to keep in mind:
1. As pat of visa requirements, international students cannot work more than a 50% assistantship during the academic year (whereas non-international students can work up to 67%).
2. International students are not able to do externship or internship at Veteran's Affairs (VA) Hospitals. Luckily, Chicagoland is home to a number of rigorous externships that will accept international trainees.
3. Graduates on an F-1 visa are eligible to apply for a 24-month STEM OPT extension after their initial 12-month post-completion OPT, giving them up to three years in the U.S. to gain work experience and pursue professional opportunities.
Otherwise, the Office for International Students coordinates the enrollment process administratively.
Where can I learn more about graduate school?
Dr. Prinstein (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) recently updated his famous "Mitch’s Uncensored Advice for Applying to Graduate School in Clinical Psychology" document, a favorite among prospective students for at least the past decade.
Dr. Rodriguez-Seijas (University of Michigan) has curated excellent examples of personal statements, CVs, and other written materials for prospective students.
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Viviana, a third-year in the lab, has created a Google Drive with application resources here.
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Clare, a second-year in the lab, created a webpage with application resources and applicant mentoring programs here.
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Learn more about the UIC Clinical Psychology PhD program here.
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I also encourage you to take a look at the Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data page, which gives you helpful information on the average number of years it takes for students to graduate; internship match rates; and important information on stipends.
Should I email you to express interest? Can we meet to discuss my interests?
Every year, my UIC Faculty Page will be updated to explicitly state whether I plan to review applications for the following year's admission.
Your decision to email me or not will have no impact on your odds of receiving an interview invitation or an admission offer (I promise). Because I cannot equitably accommodate the number of meeting requests with all of the stellar potential applicants, it is my policy to not meet with applicants outside our program’s formal interview process.
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You may wonder if your research interests are a good enough "fit" for the lab. Please see the What do you look for when selecting students for an interview? section just a few boxes up for your answer.