The Discovery Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded program that serves as a paid one-year research program providing experience in outstanding research facilities with leading investigators at The Ohio State University. This program provides comprehensive professional development experiences and workshops to strengthen professional skills in order to excel in biomedical research, which also provides an outstanding growth opportunity for a diverse pool of students before applying to a PhD program at OSU or elsewhere. It is expected that participants will enter a PhD program after completion of the program. Relevant programs at OSU include the doctoral programs in Biomedical Sciences (BSGP), Biochemistry (OSBP) Immunology and Immunotherapeutics (I2GP), Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB) and Neuroscience (NGP).
Discovery PREP Mission
Our long-term goal is to enhance the NIH mission to develop a diverse pool of well-trained post baccalaureates who are ready to enter and excel in research-centric graduate programs within the biomedical sciences. The mission of Discovery PREP is to prepare individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue a doctorate (PhD) in biomedical research. Discovery PREP accomplishes this mission by providing opportunities and training for recent baccalaureate degree graduates to:
- Obtain the intensive research experience needed to gain admission to, and succeed in, a nationally renowned biomedical science PhD program
- Develop the professional skills necessary to thrive in the laboratory setting and excel in a competitive biomedical science doctorate program
Discovery PREP scholar metrics since 2010
86% of PREP scholars have entered research-centric PhD graduate programs since 2016 (when the program was re-designed)
76.8% of PREP scholars entered research-centric PhD graduate programs since PREPs start in 2010
16% stay at The Ohio State University for their PhD
PhD graduate institutions scholars have entered upon completion of Discovery PREP:
- The Ohio State University - Ohio State Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BSGP)
- Harvard University
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- Johns Hopkins University
- Vanderbilt University
- Duke University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Dartmouth College
- Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla
- University of Florida
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Case Western Reserve University
- University of Pennsylvania
- Baylor University
- University of Texas Southwestern
- State University of New York at Buffalo
- Georgetown University
- Emory University
- Mayo Clinic
- University of Michigan
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, San Diego
- Washington University
- Purdue University
- Wake Forest University
- University of Miami
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
- University of Illinois, Chicago