As a young girl, Krystal Johnson loved playing with her Easy-Bake Oven — mixing ingredients and working in her very own pretend culinary lab. Now as a student in the UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, she is living out her childhood fantasy as a scientist in a research lab. For Krystal and thousands of students like her, UT Southwestern is the perfect place to follow their creative spark.
UT Southwestern is home to four distinguished schools — the School of Health Professions, the O’Donnell School of Public Health, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Medical School — educating nearly 4,000 students and trainees annually.
The School of Health Professions (SHP) integrates rigorous instruction with hands-on patient care and research, leading to high licensure pass rates and excellent job placement. John Giacona, Ph.D., PA-C, an Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern, credits his success to his training in SHP’s Physician Assistant and Applied Clinical Research programs. “They provided me with the essential skills for a successful career as a clinician-scientist,” he says. SHP offers eight accredited degree programs, including doctoral degrees in applied clinical research (Ph.D.) and physical therapy (D.P.T.) and master’s degrees in clinical nutrition, physician assistant studies, prosthetics-orthotics, genetic counseling, and health informatics.
The O’Donnell School of Public Health (OSPH) is UT Southwestern’s newest addition. This consequentialist institution delivers excellence for impact and tackles the pressing public health challenges in our communities. OSPH offers a range of degrees — including a Ph.D. in Public Health, Master of Public Health (in both full-time and part-time formats), and a Master’s in Clinical Investigation — along with one-year certification programs to enhance public health and research skills.
“Through academic achievement, innovative research, and impactful community engagement, I believe my fellow students and I are well-equipped to champion health equity,” says M.P.H. student Zoe Osei-Appiah.
As the school continues to expand, it proudly welcomes its second cohort of students supported by a distinguished faculty committed to shaping the future of public health. Alongside Krystal, over 500 students are pursuing a doctoral degree in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Students work in two divisions — Basic Science and Clinical Science — across 11 degree-granting programs, including Neuroscience, Immunology, Cancer Biology, and more. Krystal points out, “Our scientists are ranked among the top 1% of highly cited researchers in the world and we have over 400 active labs, but UT Southwestern still feels like a small community where you can walk down the hall and have access to a broad range of experts all in one place.”
Students have access to train at nearby medical institutions, volunteer in the Dallas community, and join various student organizations. Located in the heart of Dallas, they can enjoy the vibrant, cosmopolitan Metroplex with something for everyone.
The possibilities are endless.