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College of Medicine awards the
Ph.D. degree in Basic Medical Science and is
designed for students interested in careers in biomedical
investigation. The program combines a new interdisciplinary
core curriculum, advanced course work and original research,
and is designed to give students a broad interdisciplinary
base and flexibility. Students can choose a discipline/program
upon matriculation or they can wait to make that choice
following a series of research rotations in the first
year. Research training is offered in each of six formal
advanced programs organized around traditional disciplines
basic to medicine: Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, Cell
Biology and Neuroscience, Microbiology
and Immunology, Molecular
and Cellular Pharmacology, or Physiology,
and the Cancer
Biology Program. There are also a number of research
focus areas shared among the graduate faculty in the
College of Medicine
. Information regarding the University of South Alabama
Graduate School, courses, and academic standards can
be found in the Undergraduate/Graduate
Bulletin available on-line.
The Department of Microbiology and Immunology is firmly
committed to being an important component of the University
and College by emphasizing teaching, research, and service.
The high caliber of teaching and research on-the-cutting-edge
attracts students and researchers world-wide. Students
who have left our program with a Ph.D. are in exceptional
jobs in industry, government and academia, due to the
outstanding training they receive. Microbiologists today
are needed in academia, government, hospitals, and industry.
Pharmaceutical, food technology, veterinary product
development, genetic engineering, environmental research
and monitoring, and medical diagnostic industries are
major employers in the field. Studies include identification
of disease-causing microorganisms and controlling communicable
diseases. The Office of Technology Assessment has predicted
a shortfall of 700,000 scientists and engineers by the
year 2000 (ASM News, January, 1990).
The Ph.D. Program in Microbiology and Immunology is
designed to train scientists to enter a field where
there is a progressively increasing demand to fill the
gaps in biomedical research and technology. Our department
is committed to the concept that the modern microbiologist
and immunologist must possess a comprehensive knowledge
of the physical, biochemical, molecular, and biological
properties of microorganisms and of the interaction
between these microorganisms and their hosts. The graduate
program is designed to encourage independent investigation
in an environment conducive to a stimulating exchange
of ideas. The emphasis upon scholarship, original thinking,
and the practical application of knowledge to the solution
of complex problems will enable the students to make
significant contributions to their specialty and to
society.
The Microbiology/Immunology graduate students are active
in student organizations and extracurricular activities.
The Basic Medical Science Student Organization (BMSSO)
is a service organization which represents the graduate
students of the University of South Alabama College
of Medicine. Students from the six basic science departments
are represented by an elected governing body which serve
as a liaison between the students and the administration.
The organization provides enrichment of the students'
professional careers through informal forums and lecturing
opportunities. The BMSSO also organizes social events,
encouraging interdepartmental interactions between the
students. The purpose of the BMSSO is to unify the Basic
Medical Sciences program and to encourage student involvement.
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