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Programs
> BMEP > Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What
Is B.M.E.P.?
The Biomedical Sciences Exchange Program arranges for the
international exchange of advanced students (postgraduates
or young scientists) in the biomedical sciences for the
purpose of developing leadership in the Field.
It originated in 1979 through the joint efforts of Hilmar
Stole, M.D. faculty member of the Hannover Medical School
in Germany, and of the late John Boylan, Pa.D., then faculty
member of the University of Connecticut Medical School.
Since then BMEP has arranged for the productive exchange
of over 1000 students, primarily between Germany and the
United States. They are assigned to prestigious universities
and medical schools for study and research under a mentor
in their field of interest.
How Are Students
Selected?
The applications are screened and scored by a committee of European scientists and the
applicants are interviewed so that their personal attributes
and language skills may be assessed. Individuals are then
recommended for fellowships by the granting organizations,
with the decisions announced in mid-winter. Approximately
20 students each year receive Financial assistance.
American and other non-German students
apply throughout the year upon the recommendation of their
faculty advisors and are placed in medical schools in Hannover
or Berlin for research or clinical experiences. Some financial
assistance is available for basic living expenses.
How
Are Mentors Selected And What Is Their Role?
Most mentors are drawn from the
extensive professional network of colleagues that has developed
over the years. The mentors are usually senior faculty members
and/or research scientists in the host institution. Their
primary role is to see that the student is engaged in a
productive learning situation, with the secondary role that
of lending guidance or assistance with some of the inevitable
questions that may arise with regard to housing and university
procedures.
How
Is The Program Funded?
Most students receive a stipend
from the German Academic Exchange Program (D.A.A.D.) or
other foundations such as the Studienstiftung, Conrad Adenauer
Foundation, Friedrich Neumann Foundation, etc. which provide
for travel expenses and an allowance for basic living expenses.
Tuition and registration fees are waived by both American
and European host institutions, but the student must show
evidence of the financial ability to cover additional routine
expenses.
The infrastructure on both sides
of the Atlantic is modest and has functioned with support
from the D.A.A.D., the Carl Duisberg Society, Hannover Medical
School, Humboldt University and the Free University in Berlin.
What
Are Our Long Term Goals?
Our goals are:
(1) to extend the geographic parameters
of our student selection process to include more countries
of Western & Eastern Europe;
(2) to encourage greater participation
by American and other non-German students; and
(3) to broaden our selection within
the discipline to provide for the increasingly important
area of technology transfer. In order to meet these goals,
we are seeking additional sources of funding for both infrastructure
support and for student fellowships over a broader geographic
and academic range than can be provided for by current funding.
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