History
 The
CMB Training Program has been an important component to
graduate education at Duke University since 1975. It grew
from a Biochemistry Training Program into a Training Program
that became highly interdisciplinary and included all the
departments of the basic biological sciences at Duke. In
an effort to be inclusive and to provide the highest level
of training over the broad range of cell and molecular topics,
currently there are about 140 faculty participants in the
Training Program. At present there are about 100 predoctoral
students in the Program, and well over 250 predoctoral students
have been supported by the Program since its inception.
At the core of the Program is the excellent research environment
in the Basic Sciences of the Medical School and the Biological
Sciences of the University. Ten departments are now involved
in the Program. The Departments of Biochemistry, Biology,
Cell Biology, Genetics, Immunology, Microbiology, Neurobiology,
the Nicholas School of the Environment, Pathology, and Pharmacology
each have faculty in the Training Program. In addition, faculty
in the Clinical Sciences who have secondary appointments in
the basic sciences and who have a strong focus on basic research
are members of the Program, giving our students a nearly unprecedented
range of research options to choose from.
Through the Training Program, predoctoral students receive
classroom and laboratory training that prepares them for competitive
research at the highest level. The success of the Training
Program through the years is evidenced by the ongoing success
of our former students. Of those who have entered and passed
through the Program in the past 10 years, more than 91% have
received or are on track to receive the PhD degree. Of those
who received PhDs, more than 96% are pursuing careers in research.
Of course, many of those are still in postdoctoral training;
but of those who have moved beyond the postdoctoral years,
most remain in academic research (88%) while the majority
of the others have moved to industry (5%). The remaining group
includes those who have gone on to medical school. These statistics
indicate that most of our graduates have remained active in
research and suggest that our Trainees have been prepared
for productive careers in science.
In great measure the success of the Program depends upon
an ability to attract excellent students. Our admissions and
recruitment efforts in a competitive market have consistently
provided us with outstanding and eager students. These students
have contributed greatly to the scientific life of Duke University.
Over the years their productivity has contributed to more
than 1000 publications.
Naturally, the competition each year for the 15-18 students
receiving fellowship support from the Program is extremely
intense. Our admission standards are quite high, and the pool
of applicants who accept Duke University for their training
continues to remain excellent. Foreign students should take
note that United States Government funding rules limit the
number of spaces available for foreign students, so competition
for the few spaces we do have is particularly keen.
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