Training in medical microbiology is also an option. This curriculum is designed to provide a firm foundation in molecular biology, then build on this foundation with advanced and elective courses and specifically designed reading courses with individual faculty members. In a collaborative effort, students and faculty members work together to design a course of study that meets all academic requirements as well as the needs of students. All graduate programs in the School of Medicine now have a combined admissions and first-year curriculum so that after their first year, students may select a mentor from any one of the seven programs available within the medical school. Thus, students enter the department in their second year and immediately begin working in their chosen area of research.
Students also participate in departmental seminars to gain confidence in oral presentations.
In a six-week rotation, graduate students gain experience teaching microbiology to medical students. At the end of the second year, every doctoral candidate is required to submit a written research proposal in the format of an NIH or NSF grant application and defend it orally. Successful completion affords advancement. In addition to modern, newly renovated laboratories, students have access to several specialized facilities, a transgenic mouse center, an antibody engineering facility, protein and DNA sequencing services, a biosafety level 3 laboratory, and the Margaret McCormick Doisy Learning Resource Center, which houses a central medical research library connected to the School of Medicine. The School of Medicine's principal teaching facility is located in Schwitalla Hall, a five-story building housing 49,000 square feet of basic science research space, four lecture halls, and faculty and administrative offices.