The five biomedical science Ph.D. programs in the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences stem from the Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBS) program. This interdisciplinary umbrella admissions and oversight program brings together a wealth of research opportunities at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences and Children’s National Hospital. The common IBS core curriculum includes interdisciplinary cell and molecular biology and physiology courses, biostatistics, and professional skill courses in scientific writing, biomedical careers, and responsible conduct. Foundation courses in each Ph.D. program begin in the second semester, and still allow student flexibility. Students participate in three rotations in the first year of graduate training in order to identify a faculty research advisor. NIH T32 training grants support PhD training in Cancer Biology or HIV Persistence and many students win independent fellowships. Program-specific Graduate Program Directors guide and oversee students through the completion of remaining coursework, a grant-style qualifier examination, and dissertation research. Over 60 faculty members participate in one or more of the 5 Ph.D. programs, and our current student enrollment numbers are approximately 70. Ph.D. alumni go on to research careers in academia, industry/biotech, and government/nonprofit, as well as careers in science communication, science teaching, and science policy.
