For more information about PCOM's Biomedical Sciences Program, click here.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

The Second Year: Three Different Concentrations

Upon completing your rigorous first year as a biomedical student at PCOM, if you choose to continue on with intent to earn your master of science degree, you'll have to choose among three different concentrations to pursue prior to commencing your second year. The three routes are Research, Organizational Development and Leadership (ODL) or Forensic Biology. Each one is a completely different animal from the other, and your choice should strongly play off of your strengths in class, interests and future ambitions upon graduating as a biomedical scientist. PCOM's website does a pretty good job of giving you a basic overview of each program concentration, and in this blog I'm going to expand a bit about each avenue to give any prospective candidate a better idea of what each path is all about.

Research

If you love wet-bench work, and seem to have an insatiable appetite for spending your time wearing your white coat in the lab with a pipetman at hand, then this is probably going to be a good choice for you. Toward the end of your first year, students interested in this direction will be informed on the research projects going on at PCOM which they're welcome to join in on in assisting for their second year. Every year different faculty members at PCOM work on different areas of research. Over the course of your research year, you will be expected to be very much involved in the project and typing up/publishing a paper for your given research assignment. At the end of the year your research group will likely travel somewhere in the country to present your work at a convention. Although most of your time as a research student is going to be geared toward working in the lab with a supervising professor, you will also be expected to make some room for classes such as epidemiology. Understand that if you choose this track, your research at PCOM is going to on a large chunk of your time (think: full-time job). The other two second year concentration tracks offered are considered much more flexible in regards to their schedule.

Organizational Development and Leadership

Although many biomed students are interested in a future where they'll be involved within a clinical or laboratory setting, the ODL program at PCOM will help you develop leadership skills which will advance your communicative and organizational skills within any work environment. Students within the ODL program spend their second year as biomedical students sharpening their abilities on writing, group presentation and the importance of building- and managing- a successful working team.

Forensic Biology

The forensic biology track will start off by continuing to expand your knowledge of the human body with where you left off at the end of your first year. The first trimester is an intensive pathology class taught by the same professor who teaches the medical students pathology at PCOM. The second and third trimesters will then switch gears to focus more upon the forensic nature of medicine both within the worlds of clinical care and law enforcement. The class schedule for forensic biology allows for a more manageable timetable if you're a graduate student who must also work full-time outside of the classroom. Class sessions take place Friday through Sunday from 0800 until 1600. This kind of schedule may sound daunting, but this Fri-Sun gauntlet only takes place one to two times a month. Toward the end of the year, you will be expected to have acquired an internship relating to your interests/future aspirations after graduating with your degree. You are expected to keep a log of your activities during your internship, and upon its completion, complete a capstone research project based upon a specific area of forensic science.