In addition to other first year required courses, as a matriculated student in the PhD program in Biomedical Sciences you will choose a core training area in Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience, or Systems Biomedicine. Upon completion of your first-year core course with a grade of B or better, you may choose from a number of advanced electives.
Multidisciplinary Training Areas (MTAs)
When you matriculate, you may do so without a formal commitment to a particular training area, unless you are interested in the neurosciences program. While you may affiliate as closely as you wish with a group of researchers in an initial area of interest, you will be allowed (and encouraged) to consider new combinations or interests during your first year. You may pursue a series of rotations through diverse research laboratories before formally choosing a PhD research mentor and one of seven multidisciplinary training areas.
Core Course Requirements
During your first year, you complete a core curriculum consisting of 2-3 core courses, Biostatistics, Responsible Conduct of Research, Introduction to Journal Club I and II, and laboratory rotations. If you are interested in the Neuroscience MTA, follow the core courses offered by this training area.
Advanced Coursework
As a second-year student, you enroll, under guidance of your chosen research mentor and advisory committee, in one of seven multidisciplinary training areas. You pursue advanced courses that are recommended by your MTA and appropriate for your particular interests. If you enter ISMMS having taken equivalent courses, you may seek exemption from those that cover material already mastered. Many advanced courses offer three one-credit modules in a given semester, and you may register for one, two, or all three. This allows you to "mix-and-match" modules from different areas, e.g., an immunobiology module, a signal transduction module, and an oncogene module, to best fit your interests.
Seminars and Journal Clubs
Seminars and journal clubs are part of your programs throughout your tenure. They are many, varied, and excellent. Each MTA and many individual laboratories or groups of labs offer them.