Doctoral Program Subcommittee on Biomedical Informatics at the College of Physicians and Surgeons
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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: Stephen
B.
Johnson, Ph.D.
622 West 168th Street, VC5
Tel:
212.305.1858
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 seeks 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. The Ph.D. program requires three years of
full-time study beyond the M.A. to complete the M.Phil., and typically two
additional years to conduct research and write the dissertation. The M.A.
degree can be completed in two to three years, depending on the degree of research
involvement and full versus part-time training commitments.
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,
graduate fellowships include some teaching and research apprenticeship.
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.
