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Students enrolled in the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Graduate Program will earn a PhD degree in Biomedical Sciences. After completing the first-year core curriculum, students elect to follow one of eight thematic research areas within BMS as represented by our 200+ member laboratories. The curriculum is customized to a research area through choices of specific laboratory rotations, thesis lab, elective coursework, and participation in a thematic area's retreat, seminars, journal club, and other events, and may be customized to follow a more deeply translational path. During the first year in the program, students may rotate in any BMS-affiliated laboratory regardless of thematic area in order to allow flexibility in selecting a lab for thesis research.
The unique curriculum of the BMS program is designed to provide students with a wide range of opportunities for their development as biomedical researchers. In the first year of the program, students take courses, present in journal club, complete three laboratory rotations, and select a thesis laboratory. In the second year, students begin research in their thesis laboratories, take additional courses, present in journal club, serve as teaching assistants, and take their qualifying examinations. In later years students primarily focus on their thesis research and dissertation, although they may opt to take additional elective courses or participate in a wide range of other activities. Details of the academic program are given below.
Fall 2009 Course Schedule
2009-10 BMS Calendar: Courses, Events and Important Dates
The unique coursework in the BMS program is geared towards training students to become basic researchers that study biomedical problems. Course material begins at the molecular and cellular level and then moves to higher levels of organization into tissues and organs. At each stage, relevant disease states and models are discussed.
First-year students are required to take:
BMS 198 Journal Club (fall, winter, spring). Weeky presentations of current scientific literature by one student and one faculty member.
BMS 260 Cell Biology (fall). Scope of this Cell Biology course is to convey an understanding of the function and the organization of molecules and organelles inside and outside the cell, and how these are used to construct a multicellular tissue and organ.
BMS 225A Tissue & Organ Biology (fall). This course introduces students to concepts in organ and tissue biology and to tools used in biomedical research. The aim is to prepare students for research in understanding human biology and disease. The course includes lectures and workshops that encompass this material. A series of lectures illustrate how tissues and organs function in the context of the whole organism, and how dysfunction leads to disease. Included in these lectures are examples of how a variety of model organisms can advance our understanding both of basic biology and of human illness. In addition, the course provides an opportunity through lectures and workshops for students to become familiar with microscopy methods and applications as well as with central techniques for understanding the genome, epigenome, proteome, and protein structure.
BMS 225B Tissue & Organ Biology (winter). This course introduces students to the structure and development of multicellular tissues and organs with a consideration of higher levels of integration into organ systems. There are lectures and discussion of current papers from the literature.
BMS 255 Genetics (winter). Scope of the graduate level course in Genetics is to convey an understanding of basic genomics and molecular genetics, use of genetic animal model systems and of the analytical principles of simple and complex human genetic traits.
BMS 270 Mini-Courses (spring). BMS participates in a collaborative program with other UCSF graduate programs to offer a curriculum designed around mini-courses formatted as intensive, round-table discussions of current literature in specific topics. Students take three mini-courses lasting two to three weeks each during the spring quarter. BMS students must take two BMS mini-courses, and the third may be chosen from other program offerings depending on availability. BMS mini-courses include translational, single disease or organ systems topics. Topics will change every year.
Elective Coursework
In addition, students must satisfy an elective requirement by taking one full-length elective course or two mini-course electives prior to end of second year, which may be chosen from an approved list in consultation with the graduate advisor and thesis advisor.
In consultation with their advisors, BMS students may choose from a wide range of elective courses at UCSF. As the course offerings frequently change, please check with the course organizers and departments for course dates and schedules.
Some popular electives include:
- Micro 204 Molecular and Cellular Immunology (fall)
- BMS 211 Population Genetics and Molecular Evolution
- BMS 220 Basic & Clinical Aspects of Stem Cell Biology (spring)
- BMS 230 Molecular and Cellular Biology of Cancer Biology (fall)
- Genetics 224 Advanced Human Genetics(fall, every other year)
- Micro 202 Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis
- Micro 208 Biology of Animal Viruses(spring)
- NS201A, B Basic Concepts in Neuroscience (fall/winter), plus quarterly advanced topics in neuroscience courses (available from UCSF networks only)
- Biochemistry 200A Principles of Genetics (fall)
- Micro 209 Advanced Topics in Immunology (fall)
- Biochemistry 201 Biological Regulatory Mechanisms (winter)
- Cell Biology 245 Cell Biology
(fall)
Not all courses are offered every year, so check here for detailed quarterly listings of UCSF graduate courses: http://pibs.ucsf.edu/pibs/courses.html.
Second-year students are required to take BMS 214 Ethic Conduct of Science, and third-year students may take an optional scientific writing workshop.
Students in their first year choose three laboratories for rotations and spend one quarter in each (one quarter may be during the summer preceding or following the first year). The main purpose of these rotations is to allow students to investigate possible laboratories for their subsequent thesis research. They also give first-hand experience in a variety of techniques and approaches to biological problems. All rotations must be with BMS faculty.
Following completion of rotations, students choose a lab in which to conduct research leading to a dissertation and award of the PhD degree.
Students are required to serve as teaching assistants (TAs) for one quarter during the second year. This requirement is designed to provide students with a valuable teaching experience without having a significant impact on the time needed for their thesis research. As UCSF does not have undergraduate students, BMS students TA courses taken by graduate students, medical students, pharmacy students, and/or dental students. Students are given the opportunity to rank available courses and are typically assigned to serve as TAs for one of their top three choices.
Students interested in teaching will also find a number of other teaching opportunities available through UCSF. For example, students may participate in the Science and Health Education Partnership (SEP), a pioneering program which pairs UCSF scientists with teachers throughout the San Francisco Unified School District. More information can be found at their website.
Students take their Qualifying Examination near the end of their second year. This oral examination is given by a committee of four faculty members. Prior to the examination, students write a thesis proposal under the guidance of the committee. The proposal is then discussed in depth during the examination. After passing the Qualifying Examination, students are advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. and are ready to work full time on dissertation research.
After being advanced to candidacy, a student chooses a dissertation committee composed of the student's dissertation advisor and two additional members. The committee meets with the candidate at regular intervals to evaluate progress, and give constructive criticism. When the dissertation is complete, the committee administers a thesis examination and gives final approval of the dissertation.
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