Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences:
Preparing for a life of discovery
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences prepares students for a life of research and discovery as biomedical scientists. The knowledge they develop throughout their careers will contribute to new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases.
PhD Programs
From day one, Medical College PhD students are working alongside experienced scientists on significant research. The faculty-to-student ratio is greater than 1-to-1, providing an exceptional level of individual mentoring.
"The major strength of the Graduate School is the faculty's commitment to high quality classroom teaching and state-of-the-art, internationally acclaimed research," said Hubert Forster, PhD, Professor of Physiology, and a College Teaching Scholar.
"Classroom teaching is primarily in small groups and research is conducted one-on-one collaboratively between students and their primary and secondary advisors; thus students have optimum interaction with faculty in a friendly, collegial, and intellectually stimulating environment," he said.
Most Medical College graduates head to postdoctoral fellowship training. "Graduates of our PhD program are highly sought after as postdoctoral fellows," said Owen Griffith, PhD, Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professor of Biochemistry. "A majority of them continue their training at prestigious institutions including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Yale, the National Institutes of Health, University of Chicago, and University of Pennsylvania."
After postdoctoral fellowship training, career paths include research at an academic institution, in industry, such as pharmaceutical companies, or with a government agency.
Programs are offered to help ensure a good fit between students and their selection of mentor and dissertation area. The Neurosciences Program, for example, "attracts students interested in the brain and nervous system, but the students may not have identified a specific research area. One of the goals of the first year curriculum is to help the students focus in on their research area," said Cecilia Hillard, PhD, Director of the Neurosciences Program, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and a College Teaching Scholar. "We allow them to rotate among several labs of Neuroscience faculty in which the students carry out a small project and get to know the mentoring style of the faculty member. At the end of the year, the student can confidently choose their mentor and dissertation area."
PhD programs are offered in: biophysics; biochemistry; biostatistics; cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy; microbiology and molecular genetics; pharmacology and toxicology; and physiology, as well as the joint PhD program with Marquette University in functional imaging.
Master's Degree Programs
Many Medical College master's degree students are working professionals who need more knowledge to expand their work or advance in their careers.
In Epidemiology and Bioethics, the master's programs are nationally known for providing excellent training in these areas, which are highly relevant to the practice of medicine. The Master's in Public Health program provides an online curriculum in occupational medicine.
The Medical College collaborates with Marquette University and the Milwaukee School of Engineering to offer joint degree programs that provide advanced education in areas critical to the economic development of Southeastern Wisconsin. Many graduates find employment locally, including on the Medical College campus. The Medical College and Marquette jointly offer the MS in Bioinformatics, MS in Healthcare Technologies Management, and PhD in Functional Imaging. The College and the Milwaukee School of Engineering jointly offer the MS in Medical Informatics.
Preparation for the future
"The Graduate School is unusual in employing a career counselor to advise students and postdoctoral fellows about career options, conduct mock interviews to help prepare them for their next position and help them refine their presentation skills," said Dr. Griffith. Other services include an online career center with employment resources, an annual career symposium, and a twice-monthly series on career planning.
The Graduate School also offers a 10-week summer program for undergraduates, called the Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR), in which undergraduates participate in the laboratory research of a Medical College faculty member. "For many undergraduates, this is their first opportunity to experience the thrill of scientific discovery and see what a career in science would be like," said Dr. Griffith. "Many of these high quality summer students subsequently matriculate into and successfully complete Graduate School at the Medical College."