The five biomedical science PhD programs in the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences stem from the Institute for Biomedical Sciences (IBS). This interdisciplinary umbrella admissions and oversight program brings together a wealth of research opportunities at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences, the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences and the Children’s National Hospital Health System. 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 PhD 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. Program-specific graduate program directors guide and oversee students through completion of remaining coursework, a grant-style qualifier examination, and dissertation research. Over 75 faculty members participate in one or more of the 5 PhD programs, and our current student enrollment numbers approximately 70. PhD 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.
