A unique aspect of the program at USA, during their first year, students complete the core curriculum while they explore and ultimately decide which research area they wish to focus on for their dissertation.
“We have students from various backgrounds – some have master’s degrees while others have their bachelor’s,” said Angie O’Neal, an academic advisor in the USA College of Medicine’s Office of Research Education and Training. “The variation in degrees and experience is part of what makes our program special. We appreciate the diversity of backgrounds and what they add to our program.”
Because of COVID-19, Mark Taylor, Ph.D., director of the graduate program and associate professor of physiology and cell biology at the USA College of Medicine, said this year will be exceptionally unique.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or redirected almost every aspect of our education mission, including how we train the next generation of biomedical researchers,” he said. “Nevertheless, the current situation has also been a true source of motivation for our current and incoming Ph.D. students. Having experienced the devastating impact of widespread disease, they understand why their contributions will be so important in addressing existing and future threats worldwide.”
Taylor said the training will continue to focus on application of knowledge and cutting-edge approaches to address real problems in human health and disease. “We emphasize adaptability as a crucial tenet of our Ph.D. program and this year’s incoming students will certainly need to adapt to blended instructional and mentoring strategies like no other class before them,” he said. “In the end, new challenges inspire novel problem-solving strategies and I look forward to watching this new generation of scientists take on the challenges to come.”
