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This fall, students in a new cross-disciplinary PhD program in biomedical sciences will matriculate at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Because of SARS-CoV-2—the coronavirus responsible for the current COVID-19 pandemic—whether or not the program’s 15 enrollees can meet in person in September is still up in the air.
“All of us are waiting to see how the next month or two goes, so that we can have an idea of what is going to happen before we pull the trigger and decide” about in-person classes, says Georgiana Purdy, a microbiologist and the director of the new program at OHSU. Fall term, when first-year students spend most of their time in class together, is really important for building a sense of community within the cohort, “and I don’t know if you get the same thing if you have to be online,” she adds. “It’d be really ...
