FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions about Applying for Graduate Studies in the Department.
Q: Do I need to take the GRE subject test and forward this score to the Department for my application to be complete?
A: Applicants to the Department of Microbiology do not need to take the subject test section of the GRE. We only require that scores from the general section of the GRE be reported to the Graduate School.
Q: Where do I send the scores from my GRE general test?
A: This is an important question. Wake Forest University has two campuses. If you are applying to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, it is important that the scores from the General GRE test be sent to the Graduate Office of the Hawthorne campus of Wake Forest University. Use the GRE code 5920 for programs in the Biomedical Sciences at the Medical Center. The address to send materials is:
Dean of the Graduate School
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Medical Center Blvd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1001
Tel: (336) 716-4303
1-800-GET-GRAD
Q: Does the Department require personal interviews for the applicants?
A: Applicants to the Department of Microbiology and Immunology are first reviewed by the Graduate Recruitment Committee. Selected candidates are then invited to visit to the Medical Center as a group during a weekend in Feb or March. One aspect of this visit involves personal interviews with Department Faculty. This offers the opportunity for candidates to see first hand the Medical Center, the Department, the Faculty and Students, as well as the City of Winston-Salem.
Q:What is the deadline for submitting an application and is there an application fee?
A: The official deadline for submitting an application is January 15. However, early application is strongly encouraged, as the review process will begin in early January. There is an application fee of $45 for domestic applicants and $55 for international applicants.
Q: My letters of recommendation will not ready at the same time as the rest of my application. Should I wait for the letters and submit the application only when I have collected each of the required items?
A: No. We have an open application policy. This means that items such as your GRE scores, transcripts and letters of recommendation are added to applications as they are received. While each item is important for the review process, it is not neces sary that they be submitted at the same time.
General Questions About the Graduate Program.
Q: How many graduate students and how many faculty members are in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology?
A: The number of students varies each year, but is on average between 20 and 25 students. Currently, there are 16 faculty members in the Department.
Q: Is Wake Forest University School of Medicine the same thing as Wake Forest
University?
A: The Department of Microbiology and Immunology is located at the Medical School of Wake Forest University. Previously, the Medical School was named The Bowman Gray School of Medicine.
Q: Do you offer a masters degree?
A: No. The Department of Microbiology and Immunology awards only the Ph.D. degree.
Q: What is the stipend level? Do students have to pay tuition
A: The current stipend level is $20,000. Students do not have to pay tuition since each matriculating student receives a tuition scholarship that covers the total cost of their tuition. Please note that the cost of living in Winston-Salem is relatively low so that students can live comfortably on their stipend. In addition, students receive a supplement to help cover health insurance costs.
Q: I have heard that graduate students finish their formal classwork in the first year. Is this true?
A: A unique aspect of our Graduate Program is that students take all of their required formal coursework in the first year. The core curriculum for this year consists of coursework in bacteriology, bacterial genetics, immunology, virology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. An advantage to finishing formal coursework in the first year is that students can then devote themselves to research full time.
Q: How do first year graduate students choose a lab for their Ph.D work?
A: In addition to coursework, first year students participate in research through three laboratory rotations, each of which is 8 weeks long. These rotations allow the student first hand experience in bacterial and viral pathogenesis, cellular and molecular immunology, and the cell and molecular biology of microbe-host interactions. At the end of the first year, students select their research area and dissertation advisor.
Q.: What's it like living in Winston-Salem?
A: Winston-Salem is a community of approximately 170,000 people. It is home to Wake Forest University, Salem College, Winston-Salem State University and Forsyth Technical Community College. Wake Forest University has an undergraduate school, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as well as professional schools in Business, Law and Medicine. The North Carolina School of the Arts is not only a major training institution in acting, dance, film and music, but also a major source of outstanding, affordable performances.
The Piedmont Triad Symphony, the North Carolina School of the Arts Symphony, the Piedmont Opera Company and other smaller groups provide many opportunities for enjoying classical music. There are also a number of very good local theater groups in Winston-Salem. Those interested in arts and crafts will find a number of venues including the Piedmont Craftsmen Association.
Winston-Salem is situated in the western Piedmont region of North Carolina and thus is near the Blue Ridge Parkway and the mountains where opportunities abound for outdoor activities including white-water rafting, hiking, camping, canoeing and kayaking.
Housing is quite affordable in Winston-Salem. You may wish to visit the local newspaper, The Winston Salem Journal to check out the range of available possibilities. Check out rental lisitngs at http://wfubmc.edu/housing. In addition, you might like to take a look at the Winston-Salem homepage for all types of information about the city and its offerings.