Mission

The overriding mission of the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (MCGSBS) is to train future leaders in biomedical research and education. In order to pursue this goal, we will:

• Enroll outstanding students
• Utilize the unique education, research and clinical practice resources of Mayo Clinic to foster the individual academic strengths of each student;
• Engage students in interactive learning and research experiences that enhance their critical thinking, problem solving, and biomedical knowledge.

A fundamental goal of MCGSBS is to promote an academic environment that supports trainee and faculty development and facilitates biomedical innovation.

History

The Mayo Clinic developed gradually from the family medical practice of Dr. William Worrall Mayo and his sons, Dr. William James Mayo, and Dr. Charles Horace Mayo. The elder Dr. Mayo came to Rochester in 1863 to practice medicine. His sons assisted him during their boyhood years and later joined him in the practice of medicine. As the demand for their services increased, the Mayos invited other physicians to work with them.

This pioneering venture in the private group practice of medicine became known in the early 1900s as Mayo Clinic. This name today describes an organization of over 3,300 scientists and medical and surgical specialists working together as a team for the advancement of medical and biomedical education, research in medicine and related sciences, and medical care.

Mayo awarded its first Ph.D. degree in 1917 in affiliation with the University of Minnesota. Since 1984, Mayo has been an independent, degree granting institution. In January 1989, MCGSBS became a separate unit that administers Ph.D. and Master’s degree programs in the biomedical sciences. Enrollment currently includes approximately 330 Ph.D. and M.D.-Ph.D. candidates, and 110 Master’s candidates in biomedical science.

Other educational components of Mayo Clinic include:

• Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, organized in 1915 to offer programs of graduate medical education. Enrollment currently includes nearly 1,600 residents and fellows in clinical fields.
• Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine (MCASOM), an undergraduate medical school offering the M.D. degree, opened in 1972. Current enrollment includes over 200 students on the Rochester, Minnesota campus and 200 on the MCASOM Arizona campus.
• Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, organized in 1973 to provide training and certification in the health professions allied to medicine. The school offers 120 programs with an enrollment of more than 1,800.
• Mayo Clinic School of Continuous Professional Development, organized in 1977 to provide continuing education for care providers within Mayo Clinic, nationally and internationally. 

Mayo Clinic is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, https://www.hlcommission.org/.

Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education pursuant to Minnesota Statutes sections 136A .61 to 136A .71. Registration is not an endorsement of the institution. Credits earned at the institution may not transfer to all other institutions.

Faculty

All staff appointments are made to Mayo Clinic and this staff constitutes the faculty for the educational programs of Mayo Clinic. The 4,000 plus faculty members include full-time investigators in the biomedical sciences, clinician investigators, and clinicians. Each member of the staff is full-time salaried and individual staff members have ample opportunity to teach. Members of the staff have the overall responsibility for undergraduate and graduate education in medicine and the biomedical sciences, for continuing education and research, as well as for the care of patients. Graduate faculty privileges are awarded to qualified faculty members with interest in delivering graduate level courses and in supervising candidates for graduate degrees.

See listing of graduate faculty with full privileges and their research interests in the Find a Mentor Tool on the MCGSBS intranet page.     

Facilities

Educational programs, clinical practice and research are conducted within three key locations; Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; and Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona.   

Technology

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Arizona and Florida are linked via a sophisticated telecommunications system, which provides videoconferencing and data transmission. Staff and students in Rochester, Arizona and Florida can have live, interactive courses and seminars via TV monitors. In addition, Mayo has a telephone dialing and pager system that ties all three sites together.

Mayo Clinic also provides delivery of education in a virtual setting to accommodate students who cannot be physically present in a classroom on the Mayo campus. MCGSBS utilizes Brightspace, a learning management system designed for use in online teaching, in addition to Microsoft Teams, Zoom and other virtual delivery tools. The Education Technology Center and Learning Solutions Center have partnered to provide resources for students and instructors for learning in a virtual setting. 

Graduate Student Association

The Mayo Graduate Student Association is comprised of students enrolled in the MCGSBS Ph.D. and MD-PhD programs. Its purpose is to facilitate interaction between graduate students and graduate school administration. It provides a means for students to share input or bring forward any concerns on behalf of the student body.