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Doctoral Program Subcommittee on Biomedical Informatics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons
Degree Programs:
Full-Time: M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.; Full-Time/Part-Time: Free-Standing M.A.
Interim Chair:
George
Hripcsak, M.D., M.S.
622 West 168th Street, VC-5
Tel:
212.305.6896
Graduate Program Director:
Rita
Kukafka,
Dr.P.H.
622 West 168th
VC-5
Tel:
212.305.9193
Biomedical Informatics studies the flow of information in health care, medical education, and biomedical research. The field explores techniques for assessing current information practices, determining the information needs of health-care providers and patients, assisting in molecular biology and genomic research ,developing interventions using computer technology, and evaluating the impact of those interventions. This research seks to optimize the use of information in order to improve the quality of health care, reduce cost, provide better education for providers and patients, and conduct biomedical research more effectively. Columbia University offers two programs in Biomedical Informatics: an advanced degree program leading to the M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees and a postdoctoral training program. The degree program focuses on the theory and application of information science in the domains of clinical medicine, public health, imaging, and bioinformatics. The program trains students for academic careers as researchers and teachers as well as for professional positions in biomedical research and health-care information processing. The curriculum incorporates course work from computer science, public health, and biostatistics, with core courses and projects in biomedical informatics serving to integrate approaches and illustrate practical applications. Students earn both an M.A. and M.Phil degree en route to the Ph.D. During the first two years of the Ph.D. program, students typically spend most of their time in coursework and obtain the M.A. degree. The two to four years are spent conducting research that leads to the M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees. For students in the free-standing M.A. program, the degree can be earned in two to four years, depending upon the student's full or part-time degree status.
The specific goals of the program are: (1) to teach the fundamentals of
biomedical informatics through formal course work and to enable the student to
gain proficiency in several defined areas, including physiology, computer
science, biostatistics, experimental design, and evaluation methodology related
to medical informatics; (2) to provide a structured research experience that
includes development of a research proposal, execution of the research project,
evaluation of the outcome of the project, and the preparation of written
documents describing the project’s accomplishments; (3) to offer students
experience in learning the necessary domain knowledge and communication skills
to conduct collaborative research with faculty in clinical and basic medical
science departments; (4) to aid the students in implementing innovative
solutions to real-world problems, by testing explicit hypotheses about the
effectiveness and utility of information systems in medical care, research, or
teaching.
Fellowships are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and in
expectation of scholarly success. Teaching and research experience are
considered an important aspect of the training of graduate students. Thus, Ph.D. and postdoctoral students are required to serve as a teaching assistant for two courses as well as conduct full-time research in fulfillment of their degree requirements.
Student Profile
Biomedical Informatics students have come from many countries, including China,
India, Argentina, Ukraine, South Africa, and the Philippines as well as the
U.S. There are approximately 60 students in the program, half of which are
master’s students, including postdoctoral fellows, and forty percent of which
are women.All Ph.D. trainees are fully
funded by the department, either through our National Library of Medicine
Training Grant or as graduate research assistants.
Career Placement
Graduates of the M.A. and Ph.D. programs have found employment in academic and
nonacademic institutions in the U.S.
and abroad. For example, individuals pursuing academic careers currently have
positions at the University of California at San Diego
Cancer Center,
Marquette University,
King Faisal
Specialist Hospital
and Research Centre, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, University
of Tennessee, Columbia
Genome Center,
and Columbia University. Others work in industrial
settings such as Pfizer, Medihub.com, GE, and Torex Health Ltd., or in health
care institutions, including Columbia
University Medical
Center.
Special Admission Requirements
The requirements listed on our website are specific to the biomedical informatics degree program and must be read in conjunction with the general requirements of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The basic requirement for admission as a student in the Biomedical Informatics program is a bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, biology, nursing, medicine, public health, information management, or similar discipline. The applicant should have demonstrated strong mathematical and computer science skills.
All applicants must apply online.
Inquiries: Office of Graduate Affairs, Room 406, Hammer Health Sciences Center, 701 W. 168th St., New York, NY 10032; Tel.: (212) 305-8058; Fax: (212) 305-1031.
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