Dr. Kenneth Palmer does not think of graduate students as guests, outsiders or visitors in faculty laboratories. Instead, he sees graduate students as an integral part of the entire scientific enterprise, like the faculty members, the centrifuge, or the computer. They are elements of the lab that simply must be there if research and investigation are to thrive, he says.

Amy Kitchen, a PhD student in Dr. Donal O'Leary's lab, said the new IBS curriculum will benefit students.

"Graduate students are a vital part of the scientific and intellectual atmosphere in a school," said Kenneth Palmer, PhD, assistant dean for graduate programs. "In the past, we have relied on the expertise of our faculty members to advance our research ranking and build our reputation. It's time for us to have the same level of standards for our students. If we train better graduate students, we do better research, secure additional funding, attract faculty, and ultimately attract more great students."

Dr. Palmer has garnered the support of graduate students and is helping to make their educational experiences more applicable.

Charged with responsibility for 400 graduate students, almost half of whom are PhD candidates, Dr. Palmer came to his new post in 1999, after serving as a faculty member in the department of pathology for nearly 20 years. But he hasn't been away from his student days too long to remember what that was like; and he hasn't been in administration too long to simply accept the way things are.

Dr. Palmer is fostering practical advances in the graduate programs and graduate education. First, he is guiding and monitoring the new Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (IBS) curriculum, currently in its second year at WSU. Second, he is instituting non-traditional master's degree programs for professionals in science-related fields. And third, he is improving the experience of doctoral and post-doctoral students, who traditionally haven't been showered with academic luxuries or conveniences. 

In essence, Dr. Palmer is trying to make biomedical graduate degrees more applicable and attainable for students. "But science training has been done this way for 50 years, so we are thinking cautiously about how to do it better," he said.

IBS curriculum improves PhD education
"It would be easy to teach science as a collection of facts, but then science wouldn't be much different than teaching Spanish. It's not the memorization of facts, but the experimental part of learning that is most important," said Robert Pauley, PhD, director of the graduate school's new Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (IBS) Core Curriculum.

The IBS curriculum was established at Wayne State University in 1998 to emphasize experimental science, multidisciplinary research, and problem-solving skills. Dr. Pauley, who directs the IBS curriculum, says the major change is that PhD students are now required to complete a one-year common curriculum, which introduces all students, regardless of their specialty, to common areas of science.

Although the IBS program is new to Wayne State, multidisciplinary and integrated courses are catching on across the country. According to Dr. Pauley, approximately one-third of the nation's graduate schools have adopted an interdisciplinary curriculum, and it is proving to be a worthwhile effort. As scientists share information and findings, new linkages and applications are made to advance many fields.

Programs like the annual Graduate Student Research Day allow young investigators to share their work with colleagues.

The one-year curriculum is comprised of three core sections: molecular biology, cellular biology, and systems biology. These courses, which are organized into categorical blocks, are team-taught and include small-group sessions of 10 students or less. Students also participate in electives, seminars, journal clubs and laboratory rotations. "The experimental nature of science is emphasized in lectures and reinforced with problem-solving and research literature sessions," said Dr. Pauley. "In this way, the interdisciplinary nature of modern biomedical science is always key."

For example, in a specialized discipline, students might spend an entire career studying only one or two enzymes. In a multidisciplinary setting, students don't delve into one particular enzyme. Instead, they learn to understand the triggers, systems, outcomes and mechanisms associated with major enzymes. "This type of learning makes more sense," said Dr. Pauley. "It is better for the students' education, it's better for the faculty, and it promotes better research contributions."

Students like Dwayne Baxa agree. As one of 35 PhD candidates in the inaugural IBS program, Baxa commented that the common class work provides a forum for PhD students to interact and share knowledge across a broad spectrum of the sciences. "At some point, everybody gets into their own specialty, but it's important not to lose touch with other fields," said Baxa. "Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the particular system you are studying, but you have to step back and remember that all systems are related. Other research may have a significant impact on your own work, and vice versa."

Baxa said although the curriculum is new and needs some fine-tuning, the overall idea and content are a step in the right direction. He enjoyed the problem-solving blocks, the small-group focus, and the one-on-one interaction. He said it allowed students from many different backgrounds to learn from each other. For instance, Baxa joined the WSU PhD program with substantial practical experience as a research coordinator from Henry Ford Hospital. Other students may be practicing physicians from foreign countries, or scientific theorists who have had no time in the laboratory. "There is great diversity among the students," Baxa said. "In essence, I think the common curriculum levels the playing field and starts everybody at the same point, with the same basic knowledge."

Science for non-scientists
"The reality of the world is that many careers draw on science, although they don't require you to work directly in the lab," said Dr. Palmer. "There are professions that manage other aspects of science and scientific exchanges. For example, science writers are journalists who require basic scientific knowledge. Grants administrators are account managers and business professionals, but they can be even more effective if they understand the research."

Such emerging science-based careers require concentrated training programs to suit the needs of specialized audiences who may not be on an academic career track, but still require pointed science education. With rapid advancements in biomedical industries and technologies, Dr. Palmer sees a great opportunity to capture large groups of professionals who may want to utilize WSU graduate programs for different reasons and career paths than ever before. 

In the past, medical schools were not well-equipped to handle non-traditional graduate students, but new leaders at the WSU School of Medicine are making changes that they see as highly beneficial to the students and the school.

Matthew Galloway, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences and pharmacology, is leading a committee to identify particular career tracks which could benefit from Wayne State University's graduate programs for additional science education or refresher courses. So far, his group has identified the following growth areas in which biomedical training at the master's level may complement already-defined professions or careers:

• Grants administration: As national competition for research grants increases, the function of managing research grants has become even more important. Since many grant administrators only receive on-the-job training, Dr. Galloway suggests that training in science education, research protocols and business principles could bring new expertise to the field.
  
  
• Legalities of biomedicine: Genetic tools and powerful technology have brought complex legal issues to the field of biomedicine. Studies regarding patent laws and technology transfer may be extremely beneficial to scientists in corporate industries and the academic arena, as well. Furthermore, advanced training in biomedical science would be of great benefit to attorneys who specialize in technology transfer.
  
  
• Science-based management: Preliminary discussions have taken place between Wayne State's medical school and business school to offer courses which train scientists to manage, budget and compete for research grants. This program would help academic researchers manage the business of science.
  
  
• Science instruction and education: Traditionally, scientists shared their knowledge with new generations of scientists through student assistantships and lectures. Good scientists do not always equate with good teachers, however. A combined science and education curriculum could do two things. First, it could provide existing laboratory scientists with a fundamental basis in educational theories and tactics. Additionally, the program could provide non-research science teachers with a competitive edge by exposing them to modern techniques and scientific concepts. 

"There are many exciting careers in science and science-related fields," said Dr. Galloway. "We would like WSU to become a leading training site for these types of professionals." 

The student experience
Another goal of Dr. Palmer's is to improve the quality of life for graduate and post-doctoral students. He understands that they often find themselves consumed with work and pressured to begin competing for funding. New initiatives are being enacted to alleviate some of the woes that are typically expressed by scientists-in-training.

New curriculum enhancements include more interactive, small-group sessions like this one, led by Dr. Pauley.

Ongoing efforts in the WSU graduate school include the following:

-Recruiting more Michigan-educated students, thereby upholding WSU's mission as a state institution to educate and train state residents;

-Providing competitive stipend support to graduate students;

-Fostering productive mentorships and partnerships between students and faculty members;

-Improving career counseling and resource connections for pre- and post-doctoral students;

-Providing due credit and recognition for the research students perform; and

-Encouraging a sense of community with social and peer supports such as the graduate student council and social activities.

These activities and improvements are an important part of the educational experience, according to PhD student Amy Kitchen. "It's really starting to feel like a community, and that sense of community breeds strength in the students," she said. Kitchen, who expects to complete her degree this spring, represented her fellow graduate students on the IBS executive committee. "I was impressed with the faculty and administrators who made the decision to adopt the new curriculum. They really had the students' best interest at heart and the changes they've made are absolutely to benefit us."

Dr. Palmer said, "I want our graduate and post-doctoral students to be treated as colleagues by faculty members. I want them to know they are part of the research and discovery process within the School of Medicine. And I want them to have positive experiences as they are brought into the culture of science."