PIKE-PREP: Preparation in Interdisciplinary Knowledge to Excel - Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program

PIKE-PREP is a one-year program designed to prepare students for admission to and success in a top tier biomedical graduate school.  

In this mentored research and training program, underrepresented students interested in pursuing a PhD or MD-PhD degree in biomedical sciences will participate in PIKE-PREP experiences and activities throughout the year at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Who is this program for?

This program aims to reach underrepresented students which include American Indians and Alaska Natives, African Americans, Latinos/Hispanic and Pacific Islanders, individuals with disabilities, and/or individuals from a disadvantaged background that are pursuing a PhD or MD-PhD in a biomedical or behavioral sciences field.

 

This program is not for students interested in applying to MD programs without a PhD focus or for students who are only exploring the idea of a future career in scientific research. If you are interested in pursuing an MD degree, please apply to the PRESTIGE program instead which is a post-baccalaureate program for future medical students.

PIKE-PREP is a one-year program beginning in June and ending the following June. Scholars will have the opportunity to continue in PIKE-PREP for a second year if this is deemed necessary to further prepare them to complete their individualized development plan (IDP). This will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Important Dates:

• November 1, 2022 - March 30, 2023: Program Application Open
• December 7th: Early review #1 application deadline
• February 8th: Early review #2 application deadline
• March 30, 2023: All applications due
• June 15, 2023: Program start date

Timeline:

Summer

• Introductory program activities including a meet and greet with the staff and mentors and a tour of the CU Anschutz graduate program laboratories and facilities.
• Lab safety training.
• Development of the Individualized Development Plan (IDP).
• Partnering with mentors and research laboratories within CU Anschutz.
• Other PIKE-PREP activities and trainings.
• Optional GRE preparation workshop.

Fall/Winter

• Continue research work with mentors.
• Participate in journal club meetings, research-specific seminars, workshops, and/or retreats, skill development workshops, and other PIKE-PREP activities.
• Take a biostatistics course.
• Take optional graduate and/or undergraduate courses needed to enhance the scholar’s graduate application.
• Prepare graduate program applications with support and guidance from the PIKE-PREP team and mentors.
• Attend the CU Anschutz graduate program recruitment weekend.

Spring

• Wrap up research projects.
• Attend or present at a national science conference.
• Take optional graduate and/or undergraduate courses needed to enhance the scholar’s graduate application.
• Complete work towards meeting IDP goals.
• Support PIKE-PREP with the recruitment of the next class of scholars.
• Attend the end-of-year celebration.

• A salary of approximately $35,000, plus an additional $5,000 to pay for health, dental, and vision benefits,
• Tuition remission for PhD courses and/or undergraduate science courses deemed necessary to enhance the scholar’s preparedness for graduate school,
• Travel expenses to attend or present at a scientific conference,
• Exceptional mentored research experience at CU Anschutz, 
• Support in developing and preparing a competitive PhD program application to a top tier graduate school,
• High-quality professional and career development activities designed to meet each PIKE-PREP scholar’s needs and goals,
• And networking and community building opportunities to enable the scholar to integrate into the social and research environment.

As a comprehensive biomedical research university with numerous T32 and R25 training and education grants, students will have a diverse array of biomedical research subject areas to choose from including:

• Cancer Biology
• Cell Biology, Stem Cells, and Development
• Computational Bioscience
• Community & Behavioral Health
• Environmental & Occupational Health
• Epidemiology
• Human Medical Genetics and Genomics
• Immunology
• Integrated Physiology
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Neuroscience
• Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Rehabilitation Science
• Structural Biology and Biochemistry
• Toxicology

 

Name	Department/ School	Research Interests
Rajesh Agarwal, PhD	Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences	Cancer Biology, Cancer Pharmacology, Warfare Vesicants
Leslie Berg, PhD	Department of Immunology & Microbiology - School of Medicine	Understanding the roles of T-cell antigen receptor signaling in protection against infectious diseases, in tissues damage caused during autoimmunity, and in eradication of tumors.
Evelinn Borrayo, PhD	Department of Community & Behavioral Health - Colorado School of Public Health	Health Disparities, Cancer Among Ethnic Minorities, Women, and Older Adults, Latina and Latino Cancer
Cathy Bradley, PhD, MPA	Cancer Center & Colorado School of Public Health	Health and Labor Market Outcomes, Productivity Costs of Disease, Health Insurance Influence of Employment-Contingent Health Insurance on Treatment and Labor Supply, Socioeconomic Healthcare Disparities, Healthcare Delivery, Medicaid
Carlos Catalano, PharmD, PhD	Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences	Seeking to understand the molecular mechanisms of virus development in the complex double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses.
Katrina Claw, PhD	Division of Biomedical Informatics and Personalized Medicine – School of Medicine	Using genetic information and biomarkers for personalized medicine, and understanding ethical cultural and social implication of genomics research with populations historically  underrepresented in health research.
Sean Colgan, PhD	Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology – School of Medicine	Mucosal inflammation in the context of inflammatory bowel disease and other GI diseases (microbiota, host immune system, genetic background, and environmental influences).
Eduardo Davila, PhD	Division of Medical Oncology – School of Medicine	Understanding the cellular and molecular signals that promote generation of potent and long-lasting tumor-specific T cell responses.
James DeGregori, PhD	Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics - School of Medicine	Understanding how carcinogenic conditions promote cancer evolution and discovering pathway dependencies in cancers that can be exploited therapeutically.
Heide Ford, PhD	Department of Pharmacology – School of Medicine	Understanding the parallels between normal development and tumorigenesis/tumor progression by looking at developmental transcription factors and the immune microenvironment using mouse and zebrafish models.
Michael Harris - Love, PT, MPT, DSc, FGSA	Physical Therapy - School of Medicine	Geriatric Physical Therapy, Muscle Disease, Autoimmune Disorders
Christine Huang, PhD	Department of Surgery, Divisions of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and Transplant Surgery - School of Medicine	Transplantation immunology with a focus on developing clinically relevant protocols for the establishment of transplantation tolerance
Aaron Johnson, PhD	Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics - School of Medicine	The formation and regulation of chromatin domains and their roles in epigenetic genome regulation.
Craig Jordan, PhD	Division of Hematology – School of Medicine	Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Leukemia Stem Cells.
Ross Kedl, PhD	Department of Immunology & Microbiology - School of Medicine	Understand the boundary between the innate and adaptive immune systems and seek to identify practical methods of intervention for the purposes of vaccine discovery, development and design.
Arjun Krishnan, PhD	Department of Biomedical Informatics – School of Medicine	Diverse team of researchers working in the areas of computational biology and biomedical data science. We are passionate about using machine learning to turn massive collections of public data into biomedical insights about the genes and molecular mechanisms underlying complex diseases.
Daniel LaBarbera, PhD	Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences	Multidisciplinary cancer drug discovery and development, including high-throughput and high-content screening (HTS/HCS); drug design and medicinal chemistry; cancer biology and lead drug mechanism of action determination, and in vitro and in vivo pharmacology.
Karin Payne, PhD	Department of Orthopedics – School of Medicine	The development of functional regenerative medicine approaches for bone and cartilage tissues, with a particular interest in treating growth plate cartilage injuries affecting the pediatric population.
Roberta Pelanda, PhD	Department of Immunology & Microbiology - School of Medicine	Uncovering the molecular pathways that guide the development, selection and activation of autoreactive and non-autoreactive B cells and that, thus, lead to the generation of the naïve B cell repertoire.
Nidia Quillinan, PhD	Department of Anesthesiology – School of Medicine	The excitability and plasticity changes in the brain following cerebral ischemia. Of particular interest is in the cerebellar networks that are affected by stroke and cardiac arrest and the role of sex hormones and their receptors in acute neuronal injury and long-term hippocampal function.
Tania Reis, PhD	Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes – School of Medicine	Understanding the genetic basis of obesity and neuronal control of energy balance using Drosophila as a model system.
Diego Restrepo, PhD	Department of Cell and Developmental Biology	Understand how brain circuits mediate decision making using high density electrical recording, advanced microscopy, closed loop optogenetics and computational neuroscience.
Mario Santiago, PhD	Division of Infectious Diseases – School of Medicine	The interplay between the innate and adaptive immune response against retroviruses to conceptually advance vaccine and cure strategies against HIV/AIDS.
David Schwartz, MD	Division of Pulmonary Sciences & Critical Care – School of Medicine	Genetics and genomics of pulmonary fibrosis, gene discovery in innate immunity and epigenetics of environmental lung disease.
Tamim Shaikh, PhD, MD	Department of Pediatrics Clinical Genetics and Metabolism - School of Medicine	Copy number variation in human disease, genome instability and mechanisms of rearrangement, and discovery and functional characterization of candidate disease genes
Jamie Studts, PhD	Division of Medical Oncology - School of Medicine	Population Health Science for Lung Cancer Prevention and Control
Meredith Tennis, PhD	Division of Pulmonary Sciences & Critical Care – School of Medicine	Translational lung cancer prevention research by studying signaling pathways in premalignant lung lesions and lung cancer chemoprevention.
Yuwen Zhu, PhD	Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology - School of Medicine	Discovery of novel immunosuppressive pathways and their applications in cancer therapy
OTHER PIKE-PREP MENTORS (Not available to take 2022-2023 Cohort Students)
Thomas Anchordoquy, PhD	Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences – Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences	Mechanisms to exploit exosomes for drug delivery, and strategies that harness the nanoparticle-induced immune response to limit off-target accumulation of nanomedicines and promote tumor regression.
ADDITIONAL MENTOR POSSIBILITIES
Go to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Graduate Program Website to learn more about our graduate programs and faculty to identify additional possible mentors you would be interested in working with during your PIKE-PREP experience.

 

Mentor Responsibilities

Research Experience

• Collaborate with the scholar to design and conduct a research project.
• Provide research-related guidance and support.
• Help the scholar prepare a review article for publication.

IDP Development and Review

• Support the scholar and team in developing the IDP.
• Participate in tri-monthly IDP review meetings to monitor the scholar’s progress towards their goals.

Meetings and Activities

• Meet regularly (weekly) with the scholar.
• Attend and support PREP-related activities, which may include teaching on a topic in which you are an expert.
  

Training

• Attend “Mentor Training”, “Unconscious Bias”, and “Harassment Training."

Program Reviews and Evaluation

• Complete quarterly mentor surveys and progress reports on the scholar’s progress in the program.
• Review Ph.D. and MD-Ph.D. school applications.
• Attend and provide feedback on the scholar’s research presentation.

Celebrate

• Attend the end-of-year celebration.
• Enjoy your mentorship experience!

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is the largest academic medical center in the Rocky Mountain region. As one of the only integrated health science campuses in the country, our campus brings together research facilities, hospitals, biotech/industry organizations, and clinics to transform healthcare.

There are five health professional schools at the Anschutz Medical Campus:

• The School of Medicine
• The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• The Colorado School of Public Health
• The College of Nursing
• The School of Dental Medicine

School of Medicine

Biomedical Science Graduate Programs

The Biomedical Science PhD Programs specialize in conducting basic and translational research that can bridge the research and clinical worlds. Through this graduate program, students can study cancer biology, cell biology, stem cells, and development, computational bioscience, human medical genetics and genomics, immunology, integrated physiology, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, rehabilitation science, or structural biology and biochemistry.

Medical Scientist Training Program

The Medical Scientist Training Program provides rigorous training for students interested in a career in clinical medicine and basic science research. In this program, students will gain training to excel as clinician-scientists.

Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD Programs

At the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD Programs breakthrough research and groundbreaking discoveries happen every day. The PhD programs include specializations in pharmaceutical sciences, clinical translational science, pharmaceutical outcomes research, and molecular toxicology.

Colorado School of Public Health

The Colorado School of Public Health takes a trailblazing approach to the science and art of public health by applying a blend of research and practice to the real world to improve health. In this program, students can earn a PhD or a Doctor of Public Health in Community & Behavioral Health, Environmental & Occupational Health, or Epidemiology. 

Nursing Graduate Program

The PhD in Nursing Program is designed to prepare nurse scholars to advance the art, science, and practice of nursing. In this program, students will focus on health care systems, caring science, or bio-behavioral science-based research.

Dental Medicine Research

Although the School of Dental Medicine does not offer a PhD in Craniofacial Biology, graduate students have the opportunity to conduct oral health research by enrolling in the graduate training programs with the biomedical science graduate program and electing to work with the School of Dental Medicine research faculty who are members of these training programs.

Eligibility

PIKE-PREP is intended for recent baccalaureate graduates who have a committed desire to pursue a PhD or MD-PhD in biomedical research. This program is not intended for students who either have not committed to a future career in research or for students pursuing an MD program.  If you are interested in pursuing an MD degree, please apply to the PRESTIGE program instead which is a post-baccalaureate program for future medical students.

• Before applying, ensure that you meet the following criteria. Applicants must:
• Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
• Belong to an underrepresented group in the biomedical field per the NIH guidelines which includes: Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, having a disability, or being from an educationally, culturally, socially, and/or economically disadvantaged background.
  • For more information see the Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity.
• Have a baccalaureate degree in a biomedical field within the last three years or completed before entry into PIKE-PREP from an accredited college or university.
• Demonstrate a strong scientific background in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences in addition to mathematics as demonstrated through undergraduate coursework.
• Be committed to pursuing a PhD or MD-PhD program in biomedical research following participation in the PIKE-PREP program.
• Not be enrolled in any graduate program during the PIKE-PREP program period. 

Note: While there is no minimum GPA requirement for admission to this program, the applicant’s cumulative and science GPA as well as the number and type of science-related courses completed will serve as an indicator of readiness for graduate-level work and prior research experience will be viewed favorably.

We encourage all interested applicants to apply. If you have questions about your eligibility, please reach out to us to discuss this further (PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu).

Candidate Selection/Review Process 

Once your application has been submitted it will be reviewed along with all supplemental materials in their entirety. It is important to apply early as we will hold two early reviews prior to the final candidate review which will occur after the March 30th application date. 

The selection committee will consider your eligibility criteria, coursework, grades, research experiences, answers on the application, statement of purpose/intent, and letters of recommendation. We are looking to bring in scholars that have demonstrated a clear passion for science and scientific research and who intend to enroll in a PhD or MD-PhD program immediately following PIKE-PREP. We also want to understand why you are interested in PIKE-PREP and what you need to develop a competitive graduate program application as well as how the program will benefit you moving forward into a PhD or MD-PhD program.

Application Reviews

We will review applications that are completes by the dates below (must have letters of recommendation submitted as well):

• December 7th, 2022
• February 8th, 2023
• March 30th, 2023

Top candidates with completed applications will be reviewed early during one of the two early review dates. You will be notified if you receive early admission into the program. All other applications will be rolled into the final review occurring after the March 30th, 2023 due date.

 

Before beginning your application, please have the following information ready and completed:

1. Copy of your Resume or CV.
   
   
2. Copies of the official or unofficial transcripts from all universities/colleges attended. The graduation date must be included. 
   
   
3. Names and contact information for a minimum of two and a maximum of four faculty members who have agreed to write and submit a professional reference on your behalf by the application deadline.
   • Note: Your letters of recommendation should be professional references from your college/university faculty members who know you personally and who can attest to your future career plans and goals. Examples include science course professors and instructors, professional counselors, and major advisors.
     
     
4. You will be asked on the application to identify your top three research areas you are interested in for your PIKE-PREP research experience. Please review the information in the “Research Areas and Program Mentors” tab on the PIKE-PREP website and have your top three identified for both before beginning your application.
   
   
5. Write a one-page personal statement (single-spaced, with 0.5-inch margins, in 11-12 pt. font). 
   Use your personal statement to help the PIKE-PREP admissions committee to get to know you, understand your reasons for wanting to attend PIKE-PREP at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and learn about your professional goals. Please be sure to describe:
   • Why you have chosen to apply to PIKE-PREP,
   • What you hope to gain from participation in the program on a personal and professional level,
   • Any life experiences, including personal challenges, that have impacted you and your decision to pursue a career in biomedical research, and
   • Yourself, your sense of identity, and how this will contribute to the diversity of PIKE-PREP, CU Anschutz, and ultimately the field of biomedical research.
     
     
6. Write a one-page research statement (single-spaced, with 0.5-inch margins, in 11-12 pt. font). Use your research statement to summarize your past research experiences and research-related classroom experiences if you have not had a formal research experience. In addition, please include a description of:
   • Your interest in and passion for biomedical research,
   • Specific research fields or topics of study you find most interesting and why,
   • How you have contributed to or solved a challenging problem or research question (if applicable),
   • What you have learned about yourself through your past research experiences or research related classroom experiences, and
   • Your professional goals, how a PhD fits with these goals, and where you envision your career to be in 5 to 10 years.

Once you begin your application you will have the option to save your work, resume at a later time, and review your application before submitting it.  

To begin your application to PIKE-PREP, click the Apply Now button below.

How do I apply to PIKE-PREP?
The application window for PIKE-PREP is between November 1st - March 30th. At this time, the application will be live. Click the Apply Now tab on this website and you will be taken to the application.

Once I start the application, can I save my progress and resume at a later time?
Yes, you will be able to start the application and return to it to complete it at a later time. You will be prompted to write down the code that is given to you at this time and enter your email to receive the link to return to your incomplete application.  As you will only be allowed to create one application, it is important you save both of these or you will not be able to return to your application to complete it. Your application won’t be submitted to the PIKE-PREP team until you click finish and submit.

What is the deadline to submit my PIKE-PREP application and supporting documentation?
The final deadline for the application and all application materials is March 30th, 2023.

Will my application be considered if my references have not submitted their letter of recommendation by the March 30 due date?Yes, your application will still be reviewed (following the March 30th deadline) even if your letters of recommendation have not been submitted, however, this could affect the committee’s consideration of you as a candidate. If your letters of recommendation have not been submitted by the early review deadlines, you will not be considered for early admission. Please stay in contact with your references and ensure they are clear on the application due dates. Email PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu with questions or concerns you have regarding your letters of recommendation.

How soon after the application deadline will I be notified if I am accepted into the program?
All applicants will be notified of the results between April 15th and May 1st.

Who should I get to write my letters of recommendation for the program?
Your letters of recommendation should be written by people who are able to attest to your personal, academic, and research skills and interests. A letter of recommendation from a research mentor is ideal if you have had research experience. Faculty members who have worked with you in laboratory-based courses and who know you and your research interests would be other good sources for letters of recommendation. All letters of recommendation should address your commitment to pursuing a PhD or MD-PhD degree and your future career plans and goals.

What should I do if my recommenders did not get the recommendation request emailed to them?
First, double check that you entered their email into the application correctly. Next, ask your recommenders to search their inbox, spam, and trash for PIKE-PREP. Our recommendation requests can easily end up in spam or be accidentally deleted. If they still do not have the recommendation request, reach out to us at PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu and we can regenerate the email request to your recommender.

I see there is a list of mentors on the PIKE-PREP website that I might have the opportunity to work with during my time as a PIKE-PREP scholar. Do I need to select my desired mentor before applying to the program?
Potential mentors are listed on the website for your information. In the application you will have the opportunity to note any potential mentors you are interested in working with, however, ultimately mentor placement will be done by the PIKE-PREP leadership team. We will strive to place you with the best mentor based on your research interests. Scholars should not contact mentors and try to arrange their own lab placement. That is the job of the PIKE-PREP leadership team.

What if I am interested in working with a specific faculty member that is not listed as a current PIKE-PREP mentor?
If you have a specific faculty member in mind that you would like to work with as a PIKE-PREP scholar that is not listed as a vetted and trained mentor with the program, we are happy to reach out to them to see if they are interested in serving as a PIKE-PREP mentor and working with you as a scholar. You will have the option to provide us with their name in the PIKE-PREP application.

Does my baccalaureate degree have to be from a biomedical field if I have taken numerous and well rounded science courses?
Yes, your baccalaureate degree must be from a biomedical field. Having a degree in a biomedical field from an accredited institution allows you to demonstrate that you have the foundational knowledge and skills needed to pursue admissions to a top-tier biomedical graduate school. Students applying to PIKE-PREP should have completed rigorous coursework in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences in addition to mathematics.  If you have specific questions about your eligibility based on your degree or coursework, please email PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu.

I completed my baccalaureate degree more than three years ago but have been taking courses since this time. Do I still qualify to apply?
In order to be eligible to participate in PIKE-PREP, you must have completed your baccalaureate degree within three years or less of the program start date.

Parental, medical, or other well-justified leave for personal or family situations is not included in the 3-year eligibility limit, nor is national service (e.g., Peace Corps, or service in the National Guard or Armed Forces Reserves).

I received my first baccalaureate degree more than three years ago but I returned to school and received a second baccalaureate degree within the last three years. Am I eligible to apply to PIKE-PREP?
Yes, as long as the last baccalaureate degree you earned was no more than 36 months from the start date of PIKE-PREP, and it was in a biomedical field you are eligible to apply.

I have already earned or am completing my Master’s degree, am I still eligible for the program?
Yes, you are still eligible to apply to PIKE-PREP even if you have earned a Master’s degree. The eligibility requirement is that you may not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the same time as you are participating in PIKE-PREP AND that you earned your baccalaureate degree within 36 months of the start of PIKE-PREP.

I do not belong to any of the categories that would classify me as underrepresented in the biomedical field. Am I still eligible to apply for the program?
PIKE-PREP is specifically designed for students who are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. If you are not classified as one of the categories described below, you are not eligible to apply for the program. The categories are Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, having a disability, or being from an educationally, culturally, socially, and/or economically disadvantaged background. For more information see the Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity.

While my coursework demonstrates a strong scientific background in biological, chemical, and physical science as well as mathematics, I struggled in one or two of these courses.  Should I still apply for the program?
Yes, you should still apply. The goal of PIKE-PREP is to support our scholars in addressing areas they may have deficiencies in that would impact their ability to be accepted into competitive graduate programs.  You will have the opportunity to retake undergraduate courses or take graduate-level courses with support from the PIKE-PREP mentors and team during your time in the program.  

I am uncertain if I would like to do research and pursue a PhD or MD-PhD degree in the future. Is PIKE-PREP a good program to enable me to explore research as a future career?
No, PIKE-PREP is not an exploration program. PIKE-PREP is for scholars who have already decided to pursue a future career in research and who need more support, development, and training in order to have a competitive application to graduate school.  

I do not have prior research experience.  Should I still apply?
Yes.  You do not have to have prior research experience to be accepted into PIKE-PREP.  This may be the area where you have a gap that PIKE-PREP can address in your graduate program application. You should, however, already have experiences that have led you to know that a future career in biomedical research is your desired career path and be able to articulate that in your PIKE-PREP application.

What are you looking for in a competitive application?
The selection committee will consider your eligibility criteria, coursework, grades, research experiences, answers on the application, statement of purpose/intent, and letters of recommendation. We are looking to bring in scholars that have demonstrated a clear passion for science and scientific research and who intend to enroll in a PhD or MD-PhD program immediately following PIKE-PREP. We also want to understand why you are interested in PIKE-PREP and what you need to develop a competitive graduate program application as well as how the program will benefit you moving forward into a PhD or MD-PhD program.

How will the COVID-19 pandemic impact the program?
We anticipate that we will be able to maintain all of the planned programming for our scholars in the upcoming cohort. While we recognize that the delivery method of the programming could be modified for safety, our scholars should be able to engage in research on campus provided that all state and University COVID-19 guidelines are followed such as masking and social distancing.

Can I visit the campus and labs before making a decision to either apply for or accept an invitation to join the program cohort?
At this time we are unable to accommodate lab and site visits, however, applicants are encouraged to review the information on the PIKE-PREP website, reach out to the PIKE-PREP program team with any questions at PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu, visit the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus website, and the Biomedical Science Graduate Program website. 

What if I am not eligible to apply to PIKE-PREP? What other recommendations do you have to help me prepare for a PhD program?
There are other preparatory programs at universities across the country. You could research to find other programs that might be a better fit for you. Alternatively, interested students could consider obtaining a job in a research laboratory such as a research assistant, research coordinator, or laboratory technician. These positions may also offer tuition remission or reimbursement for employees to take graduate courses while working. These experiences could also help you prepare for graduate school and enable you to further develop the skills and experience you need to be accepted to a graduate program. To find listings for positions at CU go to the CU Careers Website. 

If you are interested in receiving research mentoring, check out the National Research Mentoring Network, which connects students with potential mentors across different disciplines.

Do you have other questions?
Reach out to the PIKE-PREP team at PIKE.PREP@cuanschutz.edu