Graduate Biomedical Sciences Programs at The University of Alabama at Birmingham

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Graduate Biomedical Sciences Programs at The
University of Alabama at Birmingham

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• UAB Graduate Biomedical Sciences Training Model
• Multiple interdisciplinary 1st year feeder
  programs recruit and admit students
• Student affiliates with specific
  interdisciplinary feeder program upon accepting
  program admission offer
• Completes program core and elective course
  requirements in first year
• Performs lab rotations with program faculty and
  identifies advisor in first year
• Joins department in which advisor holds primary
  or secondary JHS appointment (only JHS
  departments in SOM are currently credentialed by
  state to award PhD degrees)
• Completes departmental degree requirements
• Receives departmental degree

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• Interdisciplinary Feeder Programs Admissions and
  1st year curriculum
• Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) (40)
• Primary JHS departments Biochemistry
  Molecular Genetics, Cell Biology, Microbiology,
  Neurobiology
• Integrative Biomedical Sciences (IBS) (23)
• Primary JHS departments Pathology,
  Pharmacology, Physiology, Environmental Health
  Sciences
• Neuroscience (7) Genetics (6)
• Faculty of 17 departments Primary JHS department
  Genetics 1o 2o appt
• Toxicology (4) Biochemistry/Molecular Genetics
  (5)
• Faculty of 9 departments Primary JHS department
  BMG 1o 2o appt
• MD/PhD (7) Nutrition Sciences (3)
• Faculty of 13 departments Faculty of 5
  departments
• Number of students affiliated with program
  or department
• Individual faculty members may participate in
  more than one feeder program

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB

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• Departmental Programs Advanced training/degree
  granting
• Biochemistry Molecular Genetics(40)
• Cell Biology (81)
• Genetics (10)
• Microbiology (75)
• Neurobiology (38)
• Nutrition Science (3)
• Pathology (42)
• Pharmacology Toxicology (35)
• Physiology (33)
• Number of students affiliated with program
  or department

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB

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• Graduate Student Enrollment and Demographics
• 440 total PhD students (JHS plus Nutrition
  Science)
• 52 male, 48 female
• 65 US (16.5 US minority), 35 international
• Average time to degree 5.5 - 6yr
• Perform research supporting 90M annual NIH
  direct costs
• Represent 63 of total research trainee workforce
• First year class 2005-2006
• 925 applications (42 US, 58 international)
• 98 entering students (69 US 19 US minority,
  31 international)
• Mean GRE VQ, 1232 mean GPA, 3.5
• Graduate Faculty
• 220 total graduate faculty in biomedical
  sciences (62 JHS 1o appt, 38 clinical/other 1o
  appt)
• Faculty may participate in more than one graduate
  program

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB

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• First Year Curriculum (via interdisciplinary
  feeder programs)
• Core courses
• Parallel core curricula sponsored by CMB and IBS
  programs, each shared with additional feeder
  programs
• Elective courses
• Parallel sets of multiple elective course
  offerings in modular format, sponsored by CMB and
  IBS programs
• Elective modules recently coordinated to allow
  choice of electives from either program elective
  course set
• Lab rotations and advisor selection
• Schedules of faculty research presentations
  sponsored by each feeder program
• Programs oversee selection of 3 program-specific
  lab rotations
• Advisor selection from program faculty typically
  in May of first year
• Continuing years (via departmental programs)
• Department-specific advanced graduate curricula,
  qualifying exams and thesis defense overseen by
  departmental director and committees
• faculty may participate in multiple feeder
  programs as teaching faculty and rotation
  advisors

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB

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• Sample Feeder Program 1st Year Curriculum

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB

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• Typical Interdisciplinary Feeder Program
  Structure
• Steering Committee
• Participating Department Chairs, departmental
  Graduate Program Directors, Feeder Program
  Director
• Responsible for policies, budget, program faculty
  selection/review
• Curriculum Committee
• Recruitment/Admissions Committee
• Program Graduate Faculty
• Must have 1o or 2o appointment in PhD
  degree-granting department
• Sponsored by JHS Department Chair with support
  letter and Faculty Applicants CV
• Must also apply to Graduate School for UAB
  Graduate Faculty status see http//www.uab.edu/gr
  aduate/gradfac/index.htm .
• Reviewed every 3 years for research, teaching
  and training credentials and may be placed on
  inactive status

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB

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• Graduate Student Funding Costs and Sources
• Student Costs, 2006
• Stipend 23,000 (Fall 2006)
• Tuition 6,800
• Fees/Health 2,181
• 31,981
• First Year Students
• Feeder Program provides support
• (supported by 1st year Graduate Fellowships _at_
  23,590 allocated by Graduate School)
• Continuing Students
• Support Sources
• R01 or other faculty advisor research support
  (70 tuition returned to funding source)
• NRSA (T32) and other training grants (22 grants
  81 predoc, 59 postdoc slots)
• NRSA (F30/F31) and other fellowships (23 awards,
  FY2005)
• Graduate School Special Population Fellowships
  (GAANN, CMFSDP)

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB

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• Other Training Opportunities
• Summer Research Programs
• Summer in Biomedical Science (SIBS, affiliated
  with IBS program)
• Physiology Summer Research Program
• Summer Program in Neurobiology (SPIN) (NSF
  funded)
• Program for Research Experience in Pathology
  (PREP)
• Genetics Summer Research Program
• Medical Student Summer Research Program (NIH T35)
• UAB Undergraduate Science Technology Honors
  Program
• Initiated Fall 2005, students receive UAB
  Graduate School admission and 2 years funding on
  successful program completion and UG degree
• New PhD Training Pathways
• PhD - MBA Program (initiated AY05-06)
• HHMI Med into Grad Initiative (translational
  research, 1 of 13 awarded nationally)
• Pathway for Advanced Research Training in Science
  (PARTS) Residency/PhD Program (Pathology dept, in
  development)
• Office of Postdoctoral Education
• Advertises open postdoc positions, oversees
  funding levels, benefits, policies, career
  development activities, etc

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB

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• Graduate Initiatives Resources
• School of Medicine
• Research Strategic Plan 2006
• Graduate Education and Clinical Research Training
  Initiatives (funding, new interdisciplinary
  programs, etc)
• Office of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Shelby
  Bldg, anticipated Spring 2006
• GBS website and other recruitment initiatives
• Graduate School
• New Graduate School Dean (Bryan Noe, PhD)
• New UAB recruitment funding awards available to
  all graduate programs (Spring 2006)
• Graduate School Office service upgrades
• Graduate School website redesign, other
  communications initiatives
• Professional Development Programs
• Graduate Student Research Days (March 2-3, 2006,
  Hill University Center)
• UAB Industry Roundtable

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB

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• Graduate and Other Training Resources
• School of Medicine
• Graduate Programs in the Biomedical Sciences
  http//138.26.45.18/bmg/portal/portal.html
• Medical Student Summer Research Program
  http//www.uab.edu/uasom/wcimg/t35application.doc
• Graduate School http//main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki
  1183
• Graduate School Office 934-8227
• Dean, Bryan Noe, PhD, 975-8852 bnoe_at_uab.edu
• Associate Dean, Life Sciences, Susan Rich, PhD,
  996-4835, srich_at_uab.edu
• Graduate Programs http//main.uab.edu/show.asp?dur
  ki24831
• Graduate Faculty Application, 934-0656
  http//www.uab.edu/graduate/gradfac/index.htm
• Minority Fellowship Programs, Wanda Jordan,
  935-2495, wjordan_at_uab.edu http//www.uab.edu/gradu
  ate/apply/acrobat/minority-schol.pdf
• Summer Undergraduate Research Programs
  http//main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki30027
• Office of Postdoctoral Education 975-7020,
  http//www.postdocs.uab.edu/
• UAB Science Technology Honors Program 996-5701
  http//main.uab.edu/show.asp?durki81656

Graduate Biomedical Sciences _at_ UAB