MBI Admitted Students Q&A February 27, 2020 Welcome to the MBI Program! • The Master of Biomedical Informatics program at Harvard Medical School offers its students the opportunity to learn the tools to develop solutions to a broad range of complex biomedical problems. • Students in the program are part of the Department of Biomedical Informatics community and are able to take advantage of department seminars, networking, and research opportunities. • MBI students are able to leverage their status as Harvard Medical School students to take advantage of opportunities across the different Harvard University Schools and Harvard- affiliated hospitals. What area will the program focus on? Stats, CS, or Genomics? All of the above! The program focuses on the teaching of translational biomedical informatics, giving students the tools to take basic science insights and turn them into clinical application. https://escience.washington.edu/community-level-data-science-and-its-spheres-of-influence-beyond-novelty-squared/ MBI Programs Program Cohort Emphasis Areas Status Traditional MBI Post-baccs Full-Time Program, (48 credits) 3 academic semesters Accelerated MBI Postdocs Bioinformatics Full-Time Program, (36 credits) Clinical Informatics 2 academic semesters Accelerated MBI Postdocs Bioinformatics Part-Time Program, (36 credits) Clinical Informatics 4 academic semesters Please reference sample schedule sent to you for a typical curriculum for your cohort. Program Eligibility • If a student is admitted to the Accelerated MBI Program but later wants to switch to the 48-Credit program, is this possible? • Students are accepted into a program based on their previous degree credentials. Students who hold a previously-earned doctoral degree or are at least 3 years into a doctoral program may only be admitted to and complete the Accelerated Program. • Conversely, students whose highest attained degree is a Bachelor’s degree or another Master’s degree may only be admitted to and complete the 48-Credit Program. Summer Break • Students in the 48-credit and part-time accelerated programs do not take classes during the summer months between their second and third semesters. • 48-credit program students use this time to pursue full-time research opportunities or summer internship experiences. • Students in the part-time accelerated program typically use this time to focus on their professional commitments full-time. Electives • MBI students have the option to cross-register in courses at other Harvard schools and MIT for electives. • Courses at other Harvard schools and MIT cannot be used to substitute for BMI course requirements. • Elective courses at other Harvard schools and MIT cannot be taken if they have a schedule conflict with a required course. • For complete list of previously completed electives: • https://dbmi.hms.harvard.edu/education/master-biomedical- informatics/electives Questions about preparing for the program How can I prepare for the program? What programming languages should we know? How proficient should our programming skills be? Is there a type of laptop that you recommend we use for the program? Questions about curriculum and schedules How rigorous is the course load? Have there been students who have had part-time jobs while being a full-time student? How many hours do students on average spend on course work outside of class hours? What do students typically do during their time off? Is the curriculum more exam-focused or does it place more emphasis on the hands-on application of relevant bioinformatics skills? Does the program help connect students to any internship partners for the summer? Capstone Experience Detailed information on capstone is available at https://dbmi.hms.harvard.edu/education/master-biomedical- informatics/capstone-experience Selecting a Capstone Mentor • Capstone mentors are Harvard University faculty members who have a computational or quantitative research program focused on biomedical data. • This includes faculty based at Harvard schools other than HMS and at the Harvard-affiliated hospitals. • Students are provided with lists of previous MBI capstone mentors and other faculty who have expressed interest in mentoring a MBI student. • Can search for additional faculty using Harvard Catalyst Profiles, a database of all HMS affiliated faculty that allows users to search by research area, institution, and faculty type. • Students are expected to contact and set up meetings with prospective mentors on an individual basis. • Program staff are available to introduce students to potential mentors if no previous relationship exists. Capstone Timelines • Accelerated Program – Full-time • Select mentor by October 1st. • Final Report April 10th • Accelerated Program – Part-time • Select mentor by February 10th, Year 1 • Submit final report April 10th, Year 2 • 48-Credit Program • Select mentor by February 10th • Submit final report November 10th Questions about capstone Can students begin working with their capstone mentor in semester 1? Have most prior students been successful in carrying their capstone project to publication and/or conference presentation by the end of the degree program? Do any capstone mentors offer pre-defined long-term research topics that they would like a new MBI student to continue working on each year? Getting involved in DBMI Activities • Faculty research day • Date: TBA, September • Learn about the different DBMI labs and research through talks, panels, and poster sessions • DBMI Seminars • B3D Seminar Series • Biomedical Informatics Entrepreneurs Salon • Clinical Informatics Lecture Series • DBMI Open Insights • Navigator Seminar Series • Focused on exposing students and trainees to career opportunities and trajectories in the field of Biomedical Informatics • https://dbmi.hms.harvard.edu/dbmi-calendar Opportunities outside DBMI • Harvard Innovation Lab • An innovation ecosystem that exists to support Harvard students and select alumni in their quest to explore the world of game- changing entrepreneurship. • Open to all full-time degree-seeking Harvard students. • https://innovationlabs.harvard.edu/about/ • Harvard Data Science Initiative • A cross-University initiative working at the nexus of statistics, computer science, and related disciplines to gain insights from complex data in nearly every research domain. • https://datascience.harvard.edu/ Career Resources • MBI Program Staff • Connect students to opportunities that come through DBMI • Available to look over resumes, cover letters, brainstorm. • Career and Professional Development Navigator • https://careernavigator.gradeducation.hms.harvard.edu/ • Workshops on crafting a CV or resume, applying to PhD or MD programs, and other topics. • Information on select career fairs and panels that are available to HMS Master’s students. • Navigator Seminar • Features speakers from academia, industry, non-profits, and the public sector who share insights about biomedical informatics career opportunities and advice on preparing for a successful career in the field. Program Tuition and Funding • Tuition rates for the upcoming academic year at Harvard Medical School are not yet confirmed. • Current year tuition and fees: • Tuition • $52,531 for the year, full-time • Registration fee • $250.00 per year • University health fee • $1,206.00 per academic year • Student Health Insurance Plan (BC/BS) • $3,700.00 per academic year • Tuition typically increases by 2-3% per year. • Tuition is billed per semester. Program Tuition and Funding • At this time, we do not have any open scholarship funding for Master’s students at Harvard Medical School. • If you qualify for a scholarship opportunity that becomes available from HMS, you will be contacted as information becomes available. • Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant opportunities are limited and, although many are paid, they cannot be used to directly offset the cost of tuition. Program Tuition and Funding • U.S citizens and U.S. permanent residents are eligible to apply for financial aid through Harvard Medical School by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa • Information on private loan options and lenders, including those that lend to international students, can be found here: https://sfs.harvard.edu/private-loans • More information on the Financial Aid process for Master’s programs at Harvard Medical School can be found here: https://meded.hms.harvard.edu/masters-financial-aid RA and TA Opportunities • Research Assistants • Master’s students have had success in finding paid, part- time work in DBMI and affiliated hospital research labs. • Teaching Assistants • Qualified and talented second-year students may be considered to TA BMI courses. • It is unlikely to find TA-ships outside of DBMI or during the first year of study. Student Outcomes • Students graduating from the Accelerated MBI program have gone on to positions at academic health centers, academic research laboratories, pharmaceutical, or healthcare technology companies. Some have started PhD programs in the field. • First two 48-credit cohorts: • Accepted into PhD programs • Accepted into MD programs • Positions in academic and hospital research labs • Industry positions as data scientists • 50/50 between students who have pursued further academic training versus finding full-time positions. • Does the program offer transition opportunities to its own DBMI PhD program? Longwood Medical Area • Harvard Medical School is located on the Harvard Longwood Campus