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Common 1st-year curriculum attracts applicants by Dick Peterson Public Relations Not every student considering application to the MUSC College of Graduate Studies is ready to pick a program, said associate dean George Lindenmayer, M.D., Ph.D.  “But a curriculum common to all first-year graduate students in the biomedical sciences promises to attract those students who haven't yet decided which of the college's programs they want. Some students,” he said, “have some idea of what they want, but any indecision could mean they do not choose this school.” Lindenmayer said that the first-year curriculum now under development will include a “rich variety of lectures in the biomedical sciences.” Elaborating, he said that first-year students will be introduced to the science, to all the college's Ph.D. programs and faculty, and to topics such as the critical reading and discussion of scientific papers, science writing and presentation skills, to the electives available to them, and to seminars, statistics, bioethics, and occupational and radiation safety. For several years, development of a common first-year curriculum has been a point of discussion in the college, Lindenmayer said. “But when Dr. (Perry) Halushka, was appointed dean, he made it clear there would be a common core curriculum.” “It is probably true to say that no program is getting everything wanted in the first-year curriculum,” Lindenmayer said. “But there is an excellent spirit of cooperation, and I have to say it's coming along great. We're meeting deadlines and we should be good to go in April. This should be a richer experience than any one program could have provided.” Lindenmayer said that by having everything in place by April allows for slippage time to August and the beginning of the fall semester to work out any remaining details. He stated that the common first-year curriculum will evolve with feedback from students and from faculty input to a standing curriculum committee. And a progress committee will advise and counsel students as they advance through their programs. Steps to increase student applications to the College of Graduate Studies seem to be paying off. Lindenmayer reports a 66 percent increase over last year at this time. Waiving the application fee to Ph.D. applicants and offering prospective students a good look at the MUSC campus during a two-day weekend in Charleston were two steps taken at a meeting of the college’s Graduate Council and the college's recently formed Admissions Committee.  But Lindenmayer also credits announcement of plans to have the college’s first-year common curriculum in place for the fall semester in August for the heightened interest among applicants.