Immunology & Microbiology Interview Information

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for applying to the Immunology & Microbiology Graduate Program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. 

We have completed a review of your application and are delighted to invite you for a personal interview with our program faculty.

2022 Interviews will be held:

• Jan. 27-28
• Feb. 10-11

The date for your interview is included in the email notification you received.

Please e-mail your availability to our program administrator, Alisha Harrison (Alisha.harrison@bcm.edu) at your earliest convenience.

All interviews will be virtual this year. You will receive a detailed schedule for your interview days along with Zoom links one week in advance. We recognize the challenges you are facing in selecting a graduate school this year and pledge to do all we can help you gather the information you require to determine if the BCM I&M program is right for you. Unfortunately, you will not have the opportunity to walk our campus or to have the casual encounters on interview visits that provide a true picture of the diverse and supportive culture of program. Our Admissions Committee has worked tirelessly to put together a virtual interview day experience that we hope will provide you with the same excitement you would experience with an in-person visit.

This website has been developed especially for you to provide additional information to aid you in preparing for your interview and collecting the information you need to determine if our program is right for you.

In addition to meeting with program leadership and faculty, you will have the opportunity to meet with current students, hear short presentations from students on their research and take a virtual tour of the Texas Medical Center and BCM campus.

We look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to email or call (see below) if you have questions about the program and travel/interview details.

Sincerely,

Christine Beeton, Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Program in Immunology & Microbiology
beeton@bcm.edu

One of the strengths of the I&M program is that each student has the freedom to choose a mentor from a select, multidisciplinary group of over 70 outstanding world-renowned scientists. As part of your itinerary, you will meet with the I&M director and associate directors, as well as faculty who work in research fields of interest to you. Please review the program faculty at the link below to identify faculty members with whom you would like to meet. We request that you identify 5-10 I&M Program faculty and send the list when you communicate with Alisha. Please note, the faculty you select may not be available during your interview times, but we will do our best to accommodate your request.

View All Faculty

View Faculty by Research Interests

To help your interview days go as smoothly as possible, we encourage you to:

• Check that you have a stable internet connection.
• Use a computer or tablet with a good webcam and microphone (Phones may be used, but a computer or tablet will improve stability).
• Find private, quiet and well-lit space.
• Test your technology before the interview starts– check your microphone and camera to make sure they are working well and the picture and sound are not poor quality.
• Check your internet speed. You can do this at SpeedTest.net. Sometimes switching from Wi-Fi to a wired ethernet connection improves your internet speed. If your home’s internet connection is to slow, consider going to a local library or find a space at your school where you can do the interview in a private room with stable Wi-Fi if possible.
• Look at the device’s camera, not the screen, and keep your head and shoulders centered in the camera’s view.
• If possible, record yourself before your interview so can get a sense of your eye contact, sound quality and whether you are fidgeting, swiveling in your chair or making distracting gestures, such as covering parts of your face.
• Make sure your device is fully charged and have a charger with you so you can plug into an outlet in case there is a problem with your battery.
• Have a backup plan in case technology fails – the email you receive with your schedule will contain a cell phone number you can call if you have any last-minute issues. Be sure to have this number with you just in case.