Comprehensive graduate immunology education for today’s job market 4120

Abstract Description The immunology field is experiencing a golden age. Diverse biomedical research disciplines such as physiology, oncology, pharmacology, neuroscience, and developmental biology are increasingly turning to immunology to better understand human health and disease. Furthermore, immunotherapies are revolutionizing how we treat autoimmunity, cancer, fibrosis, and cardiovascular disease. As a result, there is high demand for well-trained immunologists in industry, academia, and the public sector. Immunology educators face many challenges as they train students to fill this unmet demand. The Center for Immunology at the Medical College of Wisconsin has taken a comprehensive approach to disign a curriculum that meets the expectations of our graduate students with different research backgrounds and diverse training requirements. Flexibility is built in to the curriculum so that each student can customize their education based on their individual immunology training needs. At each level of education, basic and applied immunology lectures incorporate a mixture of didactic, paper-based, and reverse-classroom styles, with an emphasis on student participation and engagement. New technologies and clinical/translational applications are integrated into the course material. By taking a comprehensive approach to graduate immunology education, we hope to better train the next generation of immunologists to meet today’s diverse market needs. Topic Categories Immunology Education and Communication (EDU)