Joint Microbiology Program offers benefits from the University of Chile and the University of Santiago de Chile

This is the Doctorate in Sciences with a mention in Microbiology that arose from the desire to create a synergy between the developed areas of both establishments and bring together what little nucleus there was of microbiologists.

The duration of the program is 4 years, where each student enrolls in a different university, however, academically they act jointly, sharing activities, classrooms, opportunities and benefits.

The collaboration agreement was signed in 2000 and is taught at the University of Santiago de Chile under the name PhD in Microbiology and at the University of Chile as Doctorate in Sciences with mention in Microbiology.

Since its inception, the program has already been accredited 3 times and is currently in the process of its fourth accreditation, “as a result of the pandemic, the accreditation process was stopped, and it was only reactivated in 2021. This year we already received the notification that it is accredited for 7 years, which obviously also applies to USACH” indicated Dr. Jennifer Alcaíno, member of the faculty and Coordinator of the UCH Program. In addition, she pointed out that today progress is being made towards the convergence between the two programs, since it is expected to achieve the joint degree in the near future.

The lines of research addressed by the joint plan consist of Molecular Microbiology (MM), Virology (V), Microbial Ecology and Environmental Microbiology (EMMA) and Molecular Pathogenesis and Immunology (PMI).

In relation to the study plan, it is composed of compulsory courses (Molecular biology; Molecular Virology; Microbiology and Environmental Biotechnology), elective courses / English language, Research Units, Qualification Exam and Thesis Project, Thesis Advances, Thesis, Private Examination and Public Thesis Defense.

The coordinator mentioned that there are students who enroll in the Usach and do their theses with professors from the UCh.

“It is not an impediment since academically we are totally equivalent, we have the same faculty, the same courses and the same study plans”.

The goal of the program is to train researchers prepared to tackle their work in the different areas of Microbiology, with a solid conceptual base, capable of leading a scientific research group and teaching at the university, in order to effectively promote the development of the discipline.

To date, more than 150 doctors have graduated, some of whom have joined the program’s faculty, others are members of the Frontier Science of the Chilean Academy of Sciences and others are Presidents of Chilean Scientific Societies such as: the Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Society of Microbiology of Chile and the Society of Biology of Chile. It should be noted that the latter awarded the BiosChile Young Scientist Award to Dr. José Manuel Pérez (2014), a graduate of the program.

In relation to the graduates between 2017 and 2022, a search was carried out where it was concluded that 50% are working postdoctoral, 28% are Research Assistants or LabManager, 8% are teachers in the university system, 5% work in the private system (consultancies, foundations, corporations, NGOs), 3% work in the public system (Ministries, Municipalities, COSAM, CESFAM) and 6% work independently in other professional activities.

East tuesday october 11 the program will offer an informative meeting with the Director mario tello from the University of Santiago de Chile and Jennifer Alcaíno from the University of Chileso that those interested can ask questions directly to those in charge and solve their doubts related to the operation of the program and their application.