More than one in every six Yeshiva students majors in biology. Over the past few years, the department has grown steadily as more and more Yeshiva students choose to immerse themselves in the study of the natural world that surrounds them-- and focus on getting accepted to prestigious medical schools. The overwhelming majority of biology majors are Pre-meds, with a handful of pre-dents, and a few students interested in pursuing other careers. Judged by the single criterion most important to these students, the department has been extremely successful. Last year, 80% of Yeshiva medical school applicants were accepted. Compared to a national average of 36%, that statistic looks impressive. But whether the Biology Department is successful beyond merely serving as a breeding ground for future health professionals remains unclear.

The high medical school acceptance rate reflects Yeshiva students' exceptional MCAT scores and the general reputation of Yeshiva's undergraduate program. In an independent departmental review conducted last year, though, four outside professors commended Yeshiva's biology department for the high level of its courses and knowledgeable students. Due to strong demand, the biology department can offer a relatively diverse range of introductory and advanced level courses, including team-taught advanced interdisciplary sections like this semester's Science, Society and Ethics and last year's Victorian Web.

Most students majoring in biology seem to concur with the independent review and are satisfied by the department. In spite of the rosy report, one particularly salient complaint is the lack of serious research on campus. The vast majority of pre-med students work research jobs over the summer and fulfill that requirement. However, students interested in pursuing graduate work in biology have found it virtually impossible to develop strong experimentation and research skills at Yeshiva College.

"I did research outside of YU over all of my colleg summer vacations," recalled recent Yeshiva College graduate and Bio major Ari Schick. "Each year, my interest waned, because it wasn't complemented by research in Yeshiva over the year, since none was going on." A Yeshiva College senior Bio major echoed Schick's complaint, pointing out that "The department has never sought student feedback on the desire for off-campus mid-semester research."

In another weak point cited in the departmental review, the school was criticized for poor laboratory facilities. Many larger undergraduate programs share laboratories with medical schools that maintain more extensive staffs and better resources for conducting research.

"The labs in Furst Hall are scandalously outdated and undersupplied," griped one irate Yeshiva College Senior Bio major. Yeshiva professors cited lack of research facilities as a complaint as well. "It is more difficult to get grants to work on projects in YU because of the main campus' poor facilities," revealed Dr. Barry Potvin, who teaches Genetics and Biochemistry, and conduct most of his research off-campus, at Yeshiva's Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Three years ago, though, the department built a state-of-the-art molecular biology laboratory on the 14th floor of Belfer. The lab was stocked with expensive equipment and modern teaching aids. Plans to modernize the school's research facilities have been in the works for the past few years, but a lack of funds has held up progress. Labs would only be a beginning, since in order to do serious research the college would have to get additional infrastructure of lab assistants and technicians.

Using Einstein as a site for undergraduate research seems unfeasible as well, as the physical distance between the campuses prevents students from taking advantage of their facilities. There are a limited number of Roth Scholarship summer research grants available for Yeshiva students to do study at Einstein, but that program is necessarily limited to a handful of applicants. In theory, undergraduates are eligible to enroll for graduate courses at Einstein. In reality, it is virtually impossible for to accommodate the commute to the Bronx in a packed YU schedule. Even for dedicated students, the graduate courses themselves would probably prove too time consuming.

In spite of these faults, the report did not cite the transitional problems faced by the department due to recent departures of key instructors. Despite losing Dr. Ken Danishefsky and Dr. Allen Burdowski, the focus of the department and the courses that it offers have remained essentially unchanged, as two new adjunct professors were hired to replace them and keep the number of full-time professors steady.

Dr. Susan Prattis brings her background in neuroscience, developmental biology and pathophysiology to Yeshiva College. She has extensive teaching and research experience at a variety of colleges other professional institutions. Prattis has been "favorably impressed" by the students here and she is in the process of relocating her primary nanobiology research to Belfer Hall.

Dr. Shopon Mollah comes to Yeshiva from post-doctoral work at Einstein and will be teaching courses in cell and molecular biology. He too is in the process of bringing his main research projects to our campus.

While the new faces help keep the department's course steady, veteran professors lead it. Dr. Carl Feit has been teaching at YU since the late 80's, and succeeded Rabbi Dr. Moses Tendler as head of the department. He does most of his research on immunology and cancer diagnosis, and he also teaches the introductory course for majors as well as cell structures, and Science, Society and Ethics in conjunction with Rabbi Tendler.

Rabbi Tendler's own specialty in bioethics adds a unique dimension to the department. The combination of expertise in biology and halakha that he brings to his courses gives students a rare opportunity to take a course integrating Torah and Madda.

Rounding out the department are Dr. Potvin, Ms. Sandra Solomon, who oversees the 15-20 lab courses that the department offers each semester, and Dr. Vincent Chiappetta, who teaches the introductory course for non-majors and Ecology.

The Bio Department's growth will probably continue as long as there are nice Jewish boys aspiring to be doctors. While the current number of instructors seems adequate, the number of advanced courses remains a sticking point among students, as does the lack of serious undergraduate research. "If the Bio department wants to be serious," a junior Bio major commented," they need to work on developing students that are interested in Bio as more than just a ticket to medical school. To do this," he suggested, "they need real research right here on campus."