Microbiology vs. Immunology PhD program... what is the difference?

[Goteborg]

Hello there! I am looking to apply to some sort of microbiology doctoral program. I have noticed, however, that some program titles combine microbiology and immunology, while other schools have programs dedicated to each discipline. What exactly is the difference between a PhD program in microbiology or immunology, and how should I choose between one or the other? I am extremely interested in bacterial infection, and possibly working to develop novel antibiotics. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[singlecell]

If you are interested in pathogenic microbiology, schools which have combined microbiology/immunology PhDs should be good for you (since pathogens and immune responses go hand in hand). Of course every program is different, and each program should list requirements on their website or be willing to send you that information. For my search, I knew I was more interested in environmental micro than pathogenic micro so combined immunology programs were obviously not appropriate. I did not want to be bogged down in immuno coursework, knowing I am not interested in pathogenesis or mammalian host systems at all. I guess think hard about the type of lab you want to be in, the type of research you ultimately want to do, and ask if having an immunology component to your curriculum is a help or a hindrance to your goal.

Also think about the size of the programs... a school with 12 labs that is ~half Immunology would have left me with only 6 to choose from, but this might not matter to you. A larger program with 24 labs would not have bothered me as much if half the labs were Immuno focused since I would still have 12 potential labs of interest. Just DON'T go to a school that only has one PI or lab you are interested in The more potential labs the greater chance you have for 6 years of happiness and good fit.

Last, I suppose if you want to teach it would open up more job prospects if you could be hired to teach Microbiology and Immunology courses...... It's all about what's right for you. Sorry for rambling.

[Goteborg]

Thanks so much, singlecell! Didn't think you were rambling at all, I prefer extra details. Now I have a better idea of what I'm looking at, and I think I would prefer to have immunology as a facet of the program. I took the new GRE in August and still don't know what my final score is... ugh! I am struggling to create a final list of schools to apply to. I would like to apply to a few good schools (preferably in the Chicago area), and then have a few "mid-level" options.

[Goteborg]

If you are interested in pathogenic microbiology, schools which have combined microbiology/immunology PhDs should be good for you (since pathogens and immune responses go hand in hand). Of course every program is different, and each program should list requirements on their website or be willing to send you that information. For my search, I knew I was more interested in environmental micro than pathogenic micro so combined immunology programs were obviously not appropriate. I did not want to be bogged down in immuno coursework, knowing I am not interested in pathogenesis or mammalian host systems at all. I guess think hard about the type of lab you want to be in, the type of research you ultimately want to do, and ask if having an immunology component to your curriculum is a help or a hindrance to your goal.

Also think about the size of the programs... a school with 12 labs that is ~half Immunology would have left me with only 6 to choose from, but this might not matter to you. A larger program with 24 labs would not have bothered me as much if half the labs were Immuno focused since I would still have 12 potential labs of interest. Just DON'T go to a school that only has one PI or lab you are interested in The more potential labs the greater chance you have for 6 years of happiness and good fit.

Last, I suppose if you want to teach it would open up more job prospects if you could be hired to teach Microbiology and Immunology courses...... It's all about what's right for you. Sorry for rambling.

Also, I see you're headed to UW Madison. Do they offer full tuition waivers for PhD students?

[whirlpool4]

I am also interested in pathology and almost all the programs to which I'm applying are some combination of micro / immuno. Look specifically at the topics of the faculty - if you like what they are doing, it shouldn't matter which department they are in. I also figured most, if not all, of the programs have lab rotations, so I can get a feel for both micro and immuno in passing.

[BassAZ]

Just to further specify the difference between micro and immuno, it will be on what your focus of your thesis will be. In one case, someone might be looking at the effects of shigella on the M cells in the gut and the different kinetics/factors different shigella mutants confer. <--- Microbiology project

Another person might look at the effect of CD8 CTLs and whether they play a major role along with neutrophils during an infection of shigella. Because this person is focused mainly host-side, it is likely this person will be in an immunology project.

So basically, ask yourself if yourself if you're more interested in host-side or pathogen side. Choosing one or the other doesn't pigeon-hole you into anything in particular but generally the focus of the lab will be the focus of your thesis work. Case-in-point, I'm working in a micro lab but my project is focused mainly on host-side factors because we use a bunch of different bugs to model our system.

[Xanthan]

There are some good replies on this thread already. I'd add that depending on your exact interests, you might even consider programs other than micro or immuno. For example, I'm interested in bacterial genetics. I knew that going in, and I'm now in a genetics program. It helps that at my school, I can pick pretty much any lab from any department.

[th3s3raph]

i am in a phd program where the phd title is microbiology and immunology. i feel like the degree covers a little of everything. most of my dept are virologists (myself included), but there are also bacteriologists and immunologists. as mentioned, there is a lot of blending for example virologists that study virally-induced oncogenesis or immunologists that study bacteria-host pathogenesis. i agree with singlecell, if you are interested in anything related to bacterial pathogenesis, you will probably find more PIs in your discipline if immunology is involved especially since microbiology can divide up your dept between medical and environmental microbiology. look into programs at health science centers, these schools are great if you are interested in disease-causing microbes.

Edited November 28, 2011 by th3s3raph