Bridge to the Doctoral Degree: University of Puerto Rico to University of Medicin

描述(由申请人提供)：此建议旨在更新博士学位的桥梁：UPR到UMDNJ，一直在帮助未被充分代表的少数族裔(URM)研究生从波多黎各大学马亚格|埃兹校区(UPR-M)的生物学硕士项目过渡到博士学位课程。UMDNJ-皮斯卡塔韦校区生物医学研究生院(GSBS)的分子生物科学课程，与新泽西州立大学(RU)罗格斯大学(Rutgers)联合提供。UPR-M的生物学硕士项目的学生主要是波多黎各人，但该项目不提供博士学位，为学生成为生物医学科学高级研究人员做好准备。然而，UPR-M在其他机构培养优秀的博士候选人方面有着长期的记录，包括UMDNJ-GSBS，Piscataway和RU。为了促进UPR-M硕士研究生的过渡，设立了这个为期3年的课程，包括在UPR-M学习一年的课程，然后在UMDNJ进行两年的课程学习和研究。完成这一桥梁项目的学生获得UPR的硕士学位，并以较高的地位进入UMDNJ-GSBS的博士项目，与现有的UMDNJ-罗格斯大学管道项目(IMSD奖)相结合，该项目支持URM博士候选人在最初几年的学习。现在已经是第九年了，我们已经招收了19名学生。在这些人中，有3人已经完成了博士学位，9人正在攻读硕士或博士学位。在9名继续学习的学生中，1名在UPR-M，8名在UMDNJ，包括4名目前处于论文研究高级水平的学生和4名处于资格预审阶段的学生。 在该项目的8年里，7名学生在头3年的学习中离开了该项目：其中1人在其他地方攻读博士学位，2人进入PR医学院，1人在UPR-M攻读硕士学位，2人是技术科学家，1人正在寻找科学就业机会。没有一个人离开了生物医学科学。我们继续修改该计划，以处理招收和选择合适的学生、在UPR-M准备、从UPR-M向UMDNJ过渡期间的适应以及UMDNJ的计划灵活性等问题。鉴于在UMDNJ的第一次研究经验先于UPR-M的理科硕士课程的桥牌学生的成功率增加，我们建议在UMDNJ进行最初的夏季研究以及在UPR-M进行个人研究。该计划继续增加UPR-M有才华的波多黎各学生的机会，并增加UMDNJ和罗格斯大学URM博士项目的学生数量，从而扩大学生进入博士水平生物医学研究职业的范围，并为UMDNJ和RU的URM学生创造更好的培养环境。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal seeks to renew the Bridge to the Doctoral Degree: UPR to UMDNJ, which has been assisting underrepresented minority (URM) graduate students in making the transition from the M.S. Program in Biology at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayag|ez Campus (UPR-M) into the Ph.D. Programs in the Molecular Biosciences at UMDNJ-Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), Piscataway Campus, offered jointly with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (RU). The M.S. in Biology Program at UPR-M has a student population that is predominantly Puerto Rican, but the Program does not offer a Ph.D. to prepare students for careers as senior investigators in the biomedical sciences. However, UPR-M has a long record of producing excellent candidates for the Ph.D. at other institutions, including at UMDNJ-GSBS, Piscataway, and RU. To facilitate the transition of M.S. candidates at UPR-M, this 3-year Program was established, consisting of one year of course work at UPR-M, followed by 2 years of course work and research at UMDNJ. Students completing this Bridge program receive the M.S. degree from UPR and are admitted with advanced standing into the Ph.D. programs at UMDNJ-GSBS, interfacing with the existing UMDNJ-Rutgers University Pipeline Program (IMSD Award), which supports URM candidates for the Ph.D. in their initial years of study. Now in the 9th year, we have enrolled 19 students in the program. Of these, 3 have completed the Ph.D., and 9 are progressing toward the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. Among the 9 continuing students, 1 is at UPR-M and 8 are at UMDNJ, including 4 now at an advanced level of thesis research and 4 at the pre-qualifying exam phase. During the 8 years of the program, 7 students left the program during their first 3 years of study: 1 of these is in a Ph.D. program elsewhere, 2 entered medical school in PR, 1 is pursuing the M.S. at UPR-M, 2 are technical scientists and one is seeking scientific employment. None have left the biomedical sciences. We continue to modify the program to deal with issues of recruitment and selection of appropriate students, preparation at UPR-M, acclimatization during the transfer from UPR-M to UMDNJ, and program flexibility at UMDNJ. Based on the increased success rate of bridge students whose first research experience at UMDNJ preceded M.S. coursework at UPR-M, we propose to make an initial summer of research at UMDNJ as well as individual research at UPR-M integral parts of the program. This program continues to increase opportunities for talented Puerto Rican students at UPR-M, and to increase the number of URM students in the Ph.D. program of UMDNJ and Rutgers, thereby expanding the range of students entering biomedical research careers at the Ph.D. level, and creating a more nurturing environment for URM students at UMDNJ and RU.