Thank
you for considering an undergraduate career in Microbiology & Immunology.
The following section provides information about the
program and this department
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What is Microbiology? |
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Microbiology “is a branch
of biology dealing especially with microscopic forms of life”.
It is a field whose concerns and interest range from the
clinical effects of the AIDS virus on the human host to the
biochemistry
and molecular biology of producing human insulin in simple
bacteria or
yeast cells. Efforts are being made to reprogram the human immune system to reject
malignant cancer cells. Microorganisms are being utilized as gene transfer vehicles.
Microbiology and Immunology is concerned with those living
organisms which exist in the microscopic or submicroscopic realms. They include
bacteria, viruses, yeast, molds, and protozoa that can cause diseases.
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| What Should You Expect? |
You will begin your studies by learning
to cultivate, isolate, and
identify microorganisms within the laboratory (MIC 301 lab).
Next, they are considered as individual living systems and
their biochemical makeup, physiology, genetics,
and replication schemes are examined.
Finally, studies focus on how various microorganisms spread
within the environment, infect hosts, and produce disease.
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Cox Science Center |
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The
Cox Science building is where the Microbiology
undergraduate department is located and where some of your
classes will take
place.
This building is the hub of your
undergraduate career here at the University.
The Microbiology & Immunology laboratory, is equipped with clinical
microscopes as well as other instruments which will provide you with a
foundation for your studies. Additionally, some of these
microscopes can be connected to the student tables allowing for the
image to be seen by all.
The faculty in the department, are medical
school professors and researchers. One of the advantages
of having professors from the medical campus
is that they are aware of new developments in their field, and are enthusiastic
to share that information, with you, the students.
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| Interests [Personal Qualities] |
An inquisitive mind.
A special curiosity about those forms of life usually
not seen by others.
An interest in accepting the challenge of studying the smallest
of all creatures.
The desire for the hands-on experience of laboratory
investigation.
An imaginative mind that wants to pose questions that have
not been asked before.
The maturity to accept negative or ambiguous results
with the tenacity and resolve to persevere
until you finally get it right.
A person can elect to be generalists or a specialist; work
alone or as a member of a team; work with
the confines of a laboratory or go to where
the microbe is found in nature; work with a special orientation,
e.g. biochemistry, ecology, genetics, or public health.
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| Career Opportunities |
Graduates in Microbiology and Immunology
are prepared to
contribute in the following major areas of microbiology:
Clinical/environmental
Food/beverage
Industrial
Research
Technical sales
Within these major areas, the principle effort may be concernedwith diagnostic
procedures such as:
Quality control
Process operation
Product development
In these settings, the individual will be functioning as either a:
Bacteriologist
Immunologist
Mycologist
Virologist
The laboratories for these activities are to be found in corporations,
governmental agencies, hospitals, research foundations, and
universities. The majority of medical technologists are employed in
hospital laboratories; however, other opportunities are available in:
Physicians’ offices
Clinics
Commercial firms
Research facilities
Armed Forces
Peace Corps
Public health agencies
Veterinary clinics
While some medical technologists spend all their time performing clinical analyses, others expand these roles to become:
Laboratory administrators
Education coordinators
Researchers
Commercial supply representatives
NOTE: Some of the listed career options may require additional education and/or training beyond bachelor's degree.
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| Graduate and Professional School
Opportunities |
Graduates choose to go to professional
schools in:
Medicine
Dentistry
Veterinary medicine
Law
Business
Pharmacy
Microbiology and Immunology is especially an ideal major and
an
excellent preparation for Medical School. Students may also
choose
to continue their education in:
Microbiology
Molecular biology
Biochemistry
Immunology
Virology
Clinical microbiology
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| Experiential Opportunities |
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Increasing
opportunities are becoming available for microbiology majors to
participate in summer internship programs in research programs in
university, governmental and industrial research laboratories.
One program that we have a strong partnership with is the Roswell
Cancer Center in Buffalo NY. Many students also become involved
in summer or part time and volunteer work as research and clinical
laboratory technicians. Many also work in laboratories, doctors offices
and nursing homes to further their clinical interests. It is
recommended that students wishing to pursue a career in medicine
acquire the following experiences prior to attending medical school: Direct patient interactions (Usually done during the summer months) Research experience (can be done for credit at a certain point to count toward MIC major but can be volunteer until) Extracurricular (particularly leadership experiences) |
What is important to get into medical school, graduate school...?
| GPA, GPA, GPA
MCAT score / GRE score
A
well rounded undergraduate curriculum. UM's liberal arts degree
partnered with our major, will prepare you for anything you plan on
doing post-grad.
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| Microbiology and Immunology Club |
Quite possibly the jewel
of the undergraduate department, the club has grown over
the years from about
a handful of members to over one hundred.
The club is not only for microbiology members;
it allows people of all disciplines to
take part in this organization’s activities.
Miami Rescue Missions, AIDS walks, and an educational
series that members take to local high schools
are all part of the club’s activities.
The club connects its members to the community
in this way, and increases the public’s
awareness of certain diseases they may encounter.
for more information about the club and it’s activities
visit us at http://www.miami.edu/studorgs/microbiology/
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