Многие лаборатории стараются не брать студентов с очень высоким IQ, т.к., как правило, такие студенты много выпендриваются. :) Идеальный студент для работы в лаборатории с американской точки зрения должен быть в меру умным, но обязательно очень работоспособным, обучаемым, мотивированным и исполнительным. А вот уже потом, когда студент научится методикам (как минимум после года работы) и ему/ей надо будет вести свой проект, тогда идет отбор по интеллекту.
Но это все философия...
Реальность же заключается в том, что сейчас есть возможность пройти стажировку в одном из крупнейших американских университетов и вернуться в Питер с новыми знаниями и навыками. Как долго будет такая возможность - неизвестно... Чем раньше вы проявите заинтересованность, тем больше у вас шансов попасть в эту программу.

2 Roman:
Я бы предложил еше проверку IQ - на всякий случай... :)

1. Write a CV. It takes time, you know (it took me several days of INTENSIVE thinking and writing :) You can always add something to the original file.
2. WORK, WORK, WORK!!! Just to learn, how to hold a pipet! If you think, you know it already... Khm... I thought that way, either :) By the way, do you have ANY lab experience at all?
3. It''s not the Americans who are interested. It''s US :) That''s why it''s important to be as initiative as possible...
4. Learn LOTSA new stuff! See the world. Gain some practical experience. Take part in some project. Maybe - big enough to write a bit, maybe not.
However, (if you are serious about coming), it''s not necessarily 4 months! The terms are individual and are specified by a professor, who just selects what he needs!..

Так что сначала: прислать CV или "проработать осень, зиму и весну в лаборатории"? Почему американцы в нас заинтересованы? Что студент может сделать в лаборатории за 4 месяца?

2 Roman:
Agreed.

Я думаю, что наличие лабораторного опыта к моменту поездки должно быть обязательным условием. У кого его нет - проработайте осенью, зимой и весной в лаборатории. Если вы себя хорошо проявите, то можно будет вас рекомендовать в лабораторию в the University of Iowa. Заявить о желании поучаствовать в программе надо как можно раньше!!! Чем раньше вы проявите свою заинтересованность, тем больше у вас будет шансов сюда поехать. (First come, first served)

2 Fleur:
It may be "done", but it''s not here, yet.
What''s more - i just remembered, - I was asked to send 2-3 letters of recommendation and a scan of my record book :)
The content of the letters should, probably, depend on where you are going to.

"Various themes" - sounds pretty vague. What if I ask you to specify it a bit?

Visit:
http://www.medicine.uiowa.edu/microbiology/immun.htm

The dean''s office... Well, I can''t promise, but almost 100% - YES.
What to do: select the place (places - in order of priority), then look for some undergraduate programs (if there are any) that lab participates in, then let know about your decision to
Roman Rodionov: roman-rodionov@uiowa.edu (he''s the boss here)
Me: alexey-soshnev@uiowa.edu
and get ready.

What i mean: do you have any laboratory experience? actually, it''s not THAT important, but it''s a great bonus. Next, "immunology": you mean, the science, or the methods? Because immunologists may (and do) use molecular, bacteriological, physical - any methods you can think of. And "immunologic methods" (like beloved ELISA) are used by other scientists, not only immunologists. So, well, i''d love to have a better definition of your interests :)

Who decides: i think (if the program will be a success, if I don''t fail, and if Roman continues to be a good samarithian :), we''ll decide later.
Because if 1-2 people will go - that''s one thing.
And if the whole faculty decides to pack belongings and move to Iowa - that''s a bit different :)
Iowan professors, Roman, Dean''s office. I might have my opinion, too... :)

Wraith,
Меня интересуют разные темы в иммунологии. Я еще не определилась. Какие из иммунологических лабораторий в University of Iowa ты бы мог порекомендовать? А в деканате отпустят? Опиши, пожалуйста, по порядку, что я должна сделать, чтобы попасть в University of Iowa следующим летом. И кто все таки принимает решение о том, кто поедет?

Lesh I ll finish my path studies by next summer my cv is done write smth was this stay in touch ps i dnt have questions on this keyboqrd switched on sorry

Well, it''s a good idea to apply ASAP, but the problem is, that you, actually, NEED to complete your pathology courses. Ye know, it''s a kinda basis :)
I''d advise you to write something and send it here, and so on. INITIATIVE is the key, not "i''m waiting for another couple of years just to make sure that... etc."

Wraith could you tell me one thing=why co op is deserved for 4d year and so on: If Iщm doing my 3d this year=is it too early to apply? Just curious
Roma pls mail me so je puisse avoir ton mel mon carnet est perdue

Immunology: what exactly?
Their medical facilities are 2 times larger, than SPbGMU (1 Med): it''s IMPOSSIBLE, that they DON''t have anyone doing immunology :)
"Immunology" is pretty vast...

OK, OK!
I just received my ID - now I can access a PC computer (Allah Akbar!), at last... (Macs sucks). I can read what you are writing, but... you know, it''s kinda difficult to write in Russian here (www.translit.ru - that''s how Roma does it...). So, anyway, we all know English, i suppose :)

2 Demjanov: My only "znakomstvo" was Roman. He''s available at JC, or via Email, or whatever - he''s not difficult to find, anyway.

2 Olga: Dekanat suck, it''s the LAST place you should be going to (at least, now - next year things may change, we are working on it). I just bought tickets, got a visa, received all the needed invitations-etc., and went there with a load of papers and words: "You know, I''m going to U.S...." I wish you saw their faces :)
My duties... Well, to be enthusiastic, easily-educated, polite, hard-working etc. And to have nice English, too.
Actually, first 3-4 days were a real embarrasment (how do you spell it?..): even the procedures i used to do back in Russia are done in a... different way here. Say, we used phenol-chlorophorm extraction to purify DNA (2 days, low yield, smells awful). They use QIAprep mini kit (15 minutes, high yield, but costs $$$). Same thing with all other methods.

I''m staying with a family now, but it''s possible to rent an apartment, or stay in dormitory, or even in a tent, i think (weather is just fine!)

The project is: expressing active PDE5 (phosphodiestherase 5) gamma-subunit. The ones that are expressed, don''t function properly.
What I''m doing: cloning :) (DNA isolation, restriction, gel-phoresis, sequencing (automatically), insertion and ligation, then transfection into E.coli, then cultivating E.coli, then collecting expressed protein, western-blotting and performing PDE assay) (sounds easy, but takes time and nerves)

2 Roman: your jam and alcohol and stuff are in my lab. If you don''t get them in a week, i''ll eat/drink them myself.
:)

Lesha,
Pobojsya Boga...
U Artemyeva v laboratorii vse kompyutery - PC. Mozhesh'' posle raboty zajti ko mne v labu.