<p>What makes me an authority is that I can read. I know about the UW and the private biotech field in Madison that now employs about 16,000 people. You keep brushing off the fact the there are PLENTY of real live companies in Madison to get some of that all important real world experience. Many of them are close to the UW and others maybe not so much. I don't know how many jobs you need to have to get experience but with over 100 biotech firms in the area there is a good chance you can fine something.<br>
Why are you being so obtuse--because it does not fit your preconceived notion that the only good stuff comes out of California or Boston?? UW has the basic patents on stem cells--something that Stanford or any school in the US would kill for. They discovered one drug that probably has saved as many lives as any invented--Warfarin the anti-coagulent. They did the research that cured the once common disease of Rickets--that Vitamin D in every glass of milk came from the UW. GE worked with UW to perfect UW's invention of magnetic resonance and has a large facility in the state because of that. They are turning the academic work directly into companies which you seem not to comprehend. Academics and business are working hand in hand and UW profs are actually ENCOURAGED to turn research into business. The WARF, local VCs and even the state will kick in cash to get them off the ground.
So UW has the academic underpinnings of offering majors in every significant area of biotech from genetics to nanotech at the undergrad level. There are more than adequate levels of biotech business activity to get any level of experience you could want. You can have the college life many would die for. Profs at UW are well connected with the area firms as they helped found some of them and do research for them. </p>
<p>So what exactly is your beef? Can you actually say now that you have been informed that the UW would not be a good place to begin working toward a biotech career at any level? And if you think it's hard to make the jump from Madison to California--it is not. I did it back in the 70's. There are around 25,000 UW alums in California. Even your Governor claims a UW degree. You probably did not know that either.</p>
<p>"This world-famous athlete and actor was born in Austria in 1947, and at 20 became the youngest person ever to win the Mr. Universe title. He came to America shortly after, winning an unprecedented 12 more world bodybuilding titles. Challenging both his body and mind, he earned a college degree from the University of Wisconsin and became a U.S. citizen in 1983. Three years later he married broadcast journalist Maria Shriver." From his official state bio.</p>