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The Neuroscience Graduate Programat the University of Virginia

The Neuroscience Graduate Program PO Box 801392

409 Lane Road, MR-4 Room 5148 University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia 22908

(434) 982-4285 http://www.virginia.edu/neuroscience

Dr. Manoj Patel, Director

Dr. Scott Zeitlin, Associate Director Nadia Cempré, Program Coordinator

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What to Expect

The Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience is designed to provide students

with broad training in Neurobiology and prepare them for careers in modern biomedical research. Our Program begins with 1 year of didactic course

work. During this time, students rotate through two or three research laboratories. By the end of the first year, students have chosen a mentor.

In the second year, students take electives, advanced seminar courses, begin research and explore research topics as preparation for the Area

Paper/Qualifying exam. On the basis of performance in course work, research rotations and the Qualifying Examination, students are evaluated

for Advancement to Candidacy during the third year. After advancing to candidacy, students concentrate on conducting independent research and

formulating their Research Proposal with the guidance of their mentor and research committee. The culmination of the research endeavor is a public

seminar and a written dissertation that is defended orally before a faculty

committee.

Throughout their course of study, students participate in a bi-weekly student coordinated journal club, weekly student seminar and attend the

Neuroscience Graduate Program Seminar Series. The Training Program guarantees financial support for all Neuroscience Ph.D. students who remain

in good standing throughout their course of study. This support includes payment of a stipend, remission of tuition and fees, and health insurance.

Students’ progress through the Program is guided at all times by a committee of faculty advisors and is reviewed annually by the entire Training

Program faculty. Details of each aspect of the training experience are provided in this document, as are details of financial responsibilities of the

Program and participating faculty.

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Checklist and Timetable of Student Activities First Year Requirements

Fall Semester BIMS 6000: Core Course in Integrative Biosciences (CCIB) NESC 8020 Seminar in Neuroscience NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series Rotation #2 (rotation report) (Topical Research) 15 Minute Meeting with Graduate Advisory Committee

Spring Semester

NESC 8020 Seminar in Neuroscience NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series Rotation #3 (rotation report) (Topical Research) NESC 7030, Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental

Neuroscience NESC 8250 Molecular Basis of Neurological Disease NESC 7060, Fundamentals of Neuroscience 15 Minute Meeting with Graduate Advisory Committee Annual report Select Mentor and Research Lab

Second Year Requirements

Fall Semester NESC 8020 Seminar in Neuroscience NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series 15 Minute Meeting with Graduate Advisory Committee Optional BIMS Modules

Spring Semester

MICR 8380 Practical Use of Statistics in Biomedical Research BIMS 7100 Research Ethics Optional BIMS Modules 15 Minute Meeting with Graduate Advisory Committee Annual report Area Paper Form DUE BY APRIL 1ST Area Paper Defense Form DUE BY JUNE 15TH

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Third Year Requirements

Begin thinking about Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation Committee

Optional BIMS Modules NESC 8020 Seminar in Neuroscience NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series Committee Meeting Form Annual Report

Fourth year Requirements

NESC 8020 Seminar in Neuroscience NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series Dissertation Proposal Defense Form signed and submitted by

(ideally by the end of first semester) Committee Meeting Form Annual Report

Fifth Year and Beyond Requirements

NESC 8020 Seminar in Neuroscience NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series Committee Meeting Form (2/year until Thesis Defense) Annual Report Permission to Defend Form Thesis Defense and Thesis Defense Form

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Graduate Advisory Committee- 15 minute meetings

During the first two years, students meet at least twice a year with the Graduate Advisory Committee. This committee consists of the

Director, the Associate Director, and the Program Coordinator. This committee will serve to advise and guide student progress through the

Training Program in the first two years. These meetings are strictly confidential and provide the students an opportunity to voice concerns

about coursework and rotations. Subsequent to that, guidance will largely be from the Faculty mentor and the Ph.D. Committee, although

students are encouraged to continue to use the Graduate Advisory Committee as a resource. The Graduate Advisory Committee does

require that all students submit various updates to the Program Coordinator to track progress. These updates are kept on file and

include, but are not limited to, rotation reports, an annual report, forms for the area paper, dissertation topic defense and a hard-bound

copy of the dissertation itself.

Neuroscience Graduate Program Seminar Series

During the Fall & Spring Semester, scientists are brought in from Academia and Industry to present their research. The NGP Seminar

Series is held on Tuesday afternoon at 4 pm. It is expected that students will attend these seminars whenever they are offered. The

students may also have the opportunity to meet with the speakers to discuss research and postdoctoral opportunities. Attendance at NGP

Seminars is required of all students, even those who have completed classes.

NGP Student Seminar

The Neuroscience Student Seminar provides an opportunity for students to learn how to present a seminar and how to critically

evaluate important papers in the original literature. Papers are chosen

for their relevance, quality of science, and novelty. Fellow students and the Faculty Advisor analyze presentations to provide feedback on

how to improve future presentations. Senior students are offered the opportunity to present their own research. Students that have

completed their coursework are still expected to attend and present yearly.

NGP Student Journal Club

Journal club is a student-organized opportunity for informal scientific discussion between peers. The journal club meets bi-weekly to discuss

papers selected by the student presenting that week. Faculty are not involved in this program. Typically, someone in their second year is

selected to organize the journal club. Their responsibilities include notification of the student body about upcoming presentations and

coordinating meeting times and places. There is administrative

support for this program.

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Laboratory Rotations

Incoming students are encouraged to begin their rotations during the summer before their coursework begins. This summer rotation allows

the student a period of time in the lab without the distractions of classes and seminars. Summer rotations can begin as early as July

1st. The NGP will assist incoming students with the selection of their summer rotation.

The rotation consists of an 4-8 week period wherein the student joins

the research laboratory of one of the Faculty mentors in the Neuroscience Graduate Program. Students may also wish and can gain

permission, under certain circumstances, to conduct short rotations in certain labs in order to gain training in a specific technique. Students

may petition the graduate committee to perform a single rotation with a faculty member who is not a member of the Training Program

faculty; however such faculty must be member of the Graduate

Faculty of the University. The purpose of the rotation experience is to acquaint the student with a particular area of research, a particular

laboratory setting and/or a potential mentor. Students are required to submit a 1-2 page description of each laboratory rotation to the

Program Coordinator for inclusion in their files. In cases where a student has extensive research experience (e.g., as a full time

laboratory technician), s/he may petition the graduate committee to have this experience considered as a single laboratory rotation.

Likewise, students may petition the graduate committee to perform an additional (fourth) laboratory rotation or to have other academic

experiences, e.g., an internship in an industrial setting, considered as laboratory rotations.

Students should contact faculty via telephone or email to arrange for

individual appointments to discuss a possible lab rotation. (see

appendix)

Choosing a Mentor Dissertation research mentors are to be chosen from amongst the

approximately 60 faculty participating in the Training Program.

Mentor/student partnership is by mutual agreement and is subject to approval by the Program Director in consultation with the graduate

committee. The student is expected to have decided on a mentor and been accepted into his/her laboratory no later than the end of the

second semester of study.

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Academics

First Year Summer Session Courses:

NESC 9998 Non-Topical Research (Rotation 1) 6 credits Total Summer Credits 6 non-topical credits

First Year Fall Semester Courses: BIMS 6000 Core Course in Integrative Biosciences 10 credits

NESC 8150 Introduction to Research 1 credit NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series 1 credit

Total Fall Credits 12 topical credits First Year Spring Semester Courses:

NESC 8020 Seminar in Neuroscience 2 credits NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series 1 credit

NESC 7060 Fundamentals of Neuroscience 2 credits NESC 7200 Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience 2 credits NESC 8160 Introduction to Research 1 credit

NESC 7030 Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Neuroscience 2 credits NESC 8250 Molecular Basis of Neurological Disease 2 credits

Total Spring Credits 12 topical credits

Second Year Summer Session Courses:

NESC 9998 Non-Topical Research 6 credits Total Summer Credits 6 non-topical credits

Second Year Fall Session Courses:

NESC 8010 Seminar in Neuroscience 2 credits NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series 1 credit NESC 9998 Non-Topical Research 9 credits

Total Fall Credits 12 non-topical credits

Second Year Spring Session Courses: MICR 8380 Practical Use of Statistics in Biomedical Research 2 credits BIMS 7100 Research Ethics 1 credit

NESC 8020 Seminar in Neuroscience 2 credits NESC 8080 Neuroscience Graduate Student Seminar Series 1 credit

NESC 9998 Non-Topical Research 6 credits Total Spring Credits 12 non-topical credits

Second Year Summer Session Courses: NESC 9999 Non-Topical Research 6 credits

Total Summer Credits 6 non-topical credits Third Year & Beyond

Fall and Spring Semesters NESC 9999 Non-topical research 12 credits

Summer Sessions- NESC 9999 Non-topical research 6 credits

***Note: Even though you do not formally register for the Neuroscience Seminar Series in these years, attendance is required of all students. Registration for courses takes place through the Student Information System. The Program Coordinator will register you for all courses but it is up to the student to make sure that that registration is accurate.

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Key Dates

Please note that these are the latest dates on which these milestones are to

be completed. It is recommended that you achieve these before these deadlines.

1st year

Second Semester BIMS Degree and Mentor Declaration Form

2nd year Fall Semester Organize advisory committee for area paper

April 1st Area Paper Information Form due June 15th Area Paper defense due

3rd year

Fall Semester Committee Meeting Spring Semester Committee Meeting

Fall/Spring Organize dissertation committee

4th year Fall Semester Dissertation Proposal Defense

Spring Semester Committee Meeting

5th year and beyond Fall Semester Committee Meeting

Spring Semester Committee Meeting Fall OR Spring Dissertation defense

Advancement to Candidacy

Upon completing the required coursework, the student is eligible to

take the Qualifying Examination, which is also called the Area Paper (see

detailed description below). The student will apply to take the examination

by submitting for approval by the Executive Committee, a document

indicating that the student has successfully completed the course

requirements (unofficial transcript is fine), lists the members of the

examining committee, a tentative title and outline for the Area Paper (obtain

the appropriate form from the Website). Upon approval, the student will

arrange meetings with committee members to discuss the proposed outline

for the Area Paper.

The student will be advised immediately following the Qualifying Examination

as to the outcome, of which three are possible: Pass, Conditional Pass or

Fail. After passing the examination (or upon satisfying the remaining

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conditions for passing) the student’s record over the first two years will be

evaluated by the Executive Committee in order to determine if the student

may advance to candidacy. This evaluation will consider performance in

coursework and in the laboratory, as well as the recommendations of the

Examining Committee and any endorsements from the student’s mentor. A

passing performance in the Qualifying Examination is necessary, but

not sufficient for advancement; satisfactory performance in all areas

is required for advancement to candidacy.

Qualifying Examination (Area Paper)

The means to evaluate the academic capabilities of the student are

provided by the Qualifying Exam. At the end of the second year of graduate

work the students are expected to complete the requirements for

advancement to candidacy. In particular, the core course work must be

completed, a major area paper must be written and the Qualifying Exam

must be taken. The purpose of the Qualifying Exam is to evaluate the

student on intellectual capabilities that are not revealed by formal course

work and success in laboratory research. In essence, the exam and its

antecedents (the written work described below) are to examine the student's

ability to synthesize information from original sources, identify the critical

questions/problem areas, criticize existing work in a creative fashion, and

propose experiments that would resolve the remaining issues.

Students are expected to organize a faculty area paper committee

during the Fall and Spring semester of the second year. This committee is

to include a member of the Executive Committee or designee and three

other members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program (no more than

two of which may be from the same department). This rule is intended to

ensure breadth in the Committee. The Primary Mentor may attend the

Qualifying Exam as a “silent member”, participating only when called upon

by the other members.

The responsibility of this advisory committee is to: (1) Ensure that the

student is making satisfactory academic progress in the program and has

completed or is in the process of completing all course requirements, (2)

Determine an appropriate written instrument (see below) for the

advancement to candidacy, and (3) Meet periodically (approximately every

other month) with the student during the completion of the written work to

evaluate progress, and re-direct the student if problems are encountered.

After the completion of the written work, the candidate defends the work to

the committee. The combination of the completed core course work,

laboratory research, Major Area Paper and the oral defense are the

requirements for the advancement to candidacy.

The written portion of the Qualifying Exam can take one of two

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forms. The student may write a Major Area Paper, which is a scholarly

review of a well-defined field of research. The paper should identify the

research themes and the goals, evaluate the state of knowledge of the field,

and identify areas where further work is needed. A particularly important

aspect is the critical but creative evaluation of the literature. This

paper takes the form of a major review article. The second route toward

advancement to candidacy is through the writing of a Research Proposal.

The research proposal is in the format of an NIH or NSF grant application,

except that an extensive "background" section should substitute for any

sections which normally enumerate the previous work of the applicant or

preliminary experiments by the applicant related to the grant. This

proposal differs from the dissertation proposal in that it should focus

on a critical evaluation of existing literature and the logic of

experimental design rather than on practical considerations.

Students defend the proposal on the basis of the appropriateness of the

experiments proposed, the logical cohesiveness of the proposal, and the

critical and creative synthesis of the field of knowledge that led to the

specific experiments. This format should still include a major review of the

literature portion.

The oral defense is meant to evaluate the student's ability to utilize

all facets of their previous training during interchanges similar to those encountered at scientific forums. They should be able to verbally present

material in a manner that is understandable and succinct. They should be able to defend their ideas in a professional manner, and should be able to

accept and react positively to criticism. The students should, at this point, behave as an emerging professional scientist capable of expressing and

exchanging ideas with colleagues. They also should be capable by this stage of evaluating evidence, and distinguishing between data and interpretation.

The Dissertation Proposal

After advancement to candidacy and after the student has made

sufficient progress in research to begin formulating a possible dissertation

project, the student, in consultation with the advisor, organizes a

dissertation committee. The role of this committee is 3-fold: (1) To aid the

student in developing a dissertation proposal, (2) To be the examining body

for the presentation and defense of the dissertation proposal, and (3) To

serve as the examining body for the presentation and defense of the

completed dissertation. The philosophy of the Neuroscience Graduate

Program is to organize these committees early and have them meet with the

students often. The dissertation committee should be comprised of one

member of the executive committee and four faculty members including the

student’s mentor. Of those three remaining faculty choices, it is

recommended that two are from the NGP but the last one may be from

another department or from outside UVa. The faculty members may not all

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be from the same department. The dissertation committee may be

comprised of the members of the faculty advisory committee that

the student assembled for advancement to candidacy, but need not

be. In general, meetings with the dissertation committee take place at least

once each semester.

The dissertation proposal itself has two parts. The first part should

represent an introduction to the research area, a presentation of the outstanding problems, and an historical perspective indicating the

importance of the work. It should in fact represent the first chapter of the dissertation. This introduction may represent a part of the document

prepared for advancement to candidacy if appropriate, or may evolve from that document. The second portion of the dissertation proposal should

describe in detail the specific experiments to be carried out, anticipated results, and possible interpretations. The defense of the proposal will

involve an evaluation of the student's grasp of the problem area, their research methodology, and their understanding of the possible

interpretations of any data that may be obtained.

In general, the dissertation proposal is written in much the same

format as a research grant. The introduction consists of (1) A statement of

overall objective of the research, (2) A review of the previous significant

work and the current status of the research in the area, (3) The rationale for

the proposed research plan, including the assumptions which are made in

carrying out a given series of studies, and (4) Any preliminary studies

relating to the problem.

The second portion of the proposal should (1) List the specific aims of

the research, (2) Describe in detail the methods of procedure including

experimental protocols, and the methods of data analysis, and a realistic

schedule for the study, and (3) Provide a consideration of the possible

interpretations and significance of the study.

The Dissertation and Defense

The student must complete an independent research project under the

close supervision of the primary mentor. The student’s dissertation

committee must be consulted regularly regarding progress, meeting at least once per academic year. Timelines and assessment of progress should be

explicitly discussed at each committee meeting. The research must constitute an original and significant contribution to the field and is to be

fully presented in the candidate's dissertation. As evidence of this level of achievement, the Graduate Program expects that students will author

research papers, including some as first author, and these papers will appear in recognized, peer-reviewed journals. Specifically, the program requires at

least one primary peer-reviewed research paper on the student’s dissertation project with the student as first author in order to graduate.

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As part of the requirements for graduation, the student must write a

dissertation and defend it. The dissertation defense is constituted in two required parts, a public dissertation seminar (should be attended by the

members of the dissertation committee and is open to all members of the University of Virginia and the community as a whole) and a private

dissertation defense (must be attended by the members of the dissertation committee). The two portions of the defense do not have to take place on

the same day but may. Notice of the dissertation defense seminar must be given at least two weeks in advance of the public seminar. This notification

must originate from the Program Coordinator so that all individuals involved in the program are properly notified.

Before a student schedules the defense, s/he needs to obtain explicit permission to defend the dissertation work. This permission must be granted

to the student by the dissertation committee via a committee meeting. The signed form indicating permission to defend must be returned to the

Neuroscience Graduate Program office. If the student has not yet

published a first author paper at the time of requesting permission to defend, the following guidelines shall be followed:

The private dissertation defense may be scheduled upon submission of

the first author manuscript. The dissertation committee will advise the student on a realistic time frame for receiving reviews, carrying out

revisions and resubmission, and determine a reasonable defense date. The manuscript must be ACCEPTED for publication in a peer-reviewed

journal prior to the student’s public dissertation presentation.

GSAS Graduation requirements

www.gsas.virginia.edu

Please visit this website regularly for GSAS graduation requirements. .

Please see the Program Coordinator or the below website with questions about completing all the necessary milestones before

graduation.

http://gsas.virginia.edu/enrolled-students/thesis-submission

This website also contains detailed information regarding the format for the title page of your thesis and thesis submission information.

All NGP students are required to order a copy of their dissertation for

the NGP to keep. The Neuroscience Graduate Program will reimburse the student for the copy of the thesis that is required to be submitted

to the program.

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Money Matters

All Neuroscience Graduate Students in good standing are supported

financially. Good Standing means passing (B- or better) courses and maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 and timely achievements of

Program benchmarks. There are multiple sources of funds used for support of students. Thus, during your career you may be paid via a stipend and/or

wage. The difference between the stipend and wage are as follows:

Method Frequency Details:

Stipend Monthly A stipend is paid monthly generally at the end of the month. Example: A payment on

September 24th is for the month of September.

Wages Bi-weekly Pay schedule will be provided to you by the Program Coordinator.

Health Insurance

Each student will be provided Health Insurance, as well as reimbursement for Dental coverage, each year while in the Program.

(Amounts are subject to change). The University has contracted with Aetna for student health insurance.

Health insurance enrollment is now online. Send payment with your

application for enrollment ONLY if you select a plan other than Student

Medical Only. Aetna will invoice the University for the Student Medical Only plan. In other words, if you choose the option Student Medical Only, we will

be billed and pay for this, not the student.

If you select the dental plan, you will need to provide remittance for the additional cost of the Plan with your application for enrollment. You must

pay out-of-pocket for Dental Insurance, you will get reimbursed once you fill out the proper paperwork and provide proof of purchase. Please see the

Program Coordinator to find out the details of the procedure.

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Other Information

The Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BIMS) Handbook is a detailed

resource of other information, including important offices and phone numbers, as well as relevant degree forms.

Please refer to the BIMS handbook as well as the following useful resources:

http://bims.virginia.edu/

http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/education/phd/gpo/home-page

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Important Considerations When Choosing a Research Professor (According to Jay Purdy, M.D., Ph.D., who lamented that he had done so

once too often.)

Area of Research This is the most obvious of criteria. The short summaries in departmental

literature give only a brief outline and can be used to narrow the field. The only realistic way to get an understanding is by talking to professors. Make a

list and call for appointments. Five to ten is reasonable. This also gives you a chance to make judgments on the criteria mentioned below.

Personality of Researcher

As a student will be working with the professor for years, a good relationship

is critical. This consideration is often overlooked, although I feel it is more important than #1. No matter how interesting the work, if you hate your

professor, life will be hell in the lab.

Accessibility. Many professors are quite busy; unless they are

willing to make a significant effort, they will never have time to discuss problems with students. This risk is large in a faculty

with clinical responsibilities (they see patients). A large lab will have postdocs that can answer questions; however, you should

feel comfortable with this type of arrangement.

Relationship. Some people get along better than others. You

must feel comfortable talking and asking questions of your professor.

Managerial style. While related to the above, this is clearly a separate consideration. Professors range from those who want

reports of each gel to those who won't talk to you for years

(literally). Be sure your professor isn't too hands off or too hands on for your liking.

Temperament. Professors can be thought of as kings and queens of their labs and some act like it. Some people are unaffected by

being the focus of fits of rage, others are quite bothered.

Environment. Labs usually reflect the professor’s tastes and vary greatly with cleanliness and order. While there is the aesthetic

component to this question, many labs handle radioactive materials and other biohazards that make mess, clutter and dirt

risky. Find a lab where conditions allow you to work comfortably.

After a full rotation through a lab, a professor's personality will be readily

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apparent. However, students get only three rotations out of the hundreds of

possible labs. Thus, it is important to make decisions based on the above before choosing their rotations. I suggest:

The initial interview. Take the time to think about each of the above. If the professor cancels the appointment or cuts its short, it is likely that you will receive the same type of treatment as a

student. Look around his/her office and lab and draw conclusions by what you see.

Older students. This is a valuable resource often overlooked.

Find out what other students think of possible professors.

Students/lab techs in that lab. Ask them for good points and bad

points. Find out how long they have been there and how long it has taken past PhD students to get their degree in that lab. If

the last PhD took 10 years, watch out.

Funding Situation One of the most discouraging things that can happen is to have a professor

move in the middle of your work. This is directly related to funding so ask point blank about their grant situation before making any permanent

decisions (I'd even suggest doing this before a rotation). Ask if they are

happy here, if they are considering moving, etc.

Other Lab Personalities Surprising to me, a large percentage of labs contain personnel that dislike

coworkers to the point of affecting the work generated. Situations of open lab warfare not only diminish the quality of data but make life miserable,

even for innocent bystanders. Ask lab workers about conditions and about interpersonal lab relationships.

Choosing a Thesis Lab

[By Skip Brass, Prof of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, 10 October 2003]

Choosing a thesis lab and a mentor is probably not the toughest problem

that you will ever face, but it is an important one, and you will want to get it

right the first time. For many of you in combined-degree programs, this will be your first chance to develop a long-term relationship with a faculty

member of your choice. The ideal thesis mentor should be successful as a scientist, experienced as a mentor, and willing to commit the time and

resources needed for you to become successful yourself. Your relationship with your thesis adviser will be most intense from the time you enter the lab

to the time you depart with your thesis completed, but it probably will last even longer, as you call upon them later for career advice and letters of

recommendation for future positions.

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So Many Labs, So Little Time

OK, it is an important relationship and you need to choose wisely. How do

you do that? Depending upon how they are organized, graduate training programs may present students with anything from a dozen to a few

hundred faculty members who are approved to be thesis mentors. You may have encountered some of them in class, but most will appear merely as

names on a Web site.

This essay is intended to provide some generic guidelines based on my experience with combined-degree students at the University of Pennsylvania

and on my own experience as an M.D./Ph.D. student. The advice should apply fairly well to trainees in most M.D./Ph.D. programs offering graduate

work in the biomedical sciences. With some exceptions, it should apply to students doing only a Ph.D., but it is written with future physician-scientists

in mind.

Students in M.D./Ph.D. programs are faced with a different set of pressures

than most Ph.D. students. Chances are, you will do several years of postgraduate clinical training as well, and you are more likely to end up in a

clinical department than in a basic science department. Chances are, you will achieve your first job as an assistant professor (if that is your goal) with

fewer years of research training than your "Ph.D.-only" compatriots, who typically do a couple of extended postdocs of three or more years before

reaching the point where they can compete for a faculty appointment. Their research training will be continuous; yours--as an M.D./Ph.D. trainee--will be

interrupted by the return to clinical training after you complete your Ph.D. All these factors make the choice of a thesis lab more critical.

First Principles

A good place to start your search for the ideal mentor and the perfect lab is

to consider what the goals of doing a thesis are, or should be, beyond the obvious fact that you have to do one in order to earn the Ph.D. After all, why

not just get an M.D. and hope for the best? Reduced to essentials, your goals in doing a thesis should be:

1. To learn how to ask interesting and important questions.

2. To learn how to translate these questions into experiments that will produce verifiable results.

3. To learn how to critically evaluate the results of these experiments. 4. To learn how to present your ideas and data to the scientific world in

written and oral form.

Much of the rest follows from these simple goals. You want to be in a successful lab where you can get good advice and work with other scientists

and trainees who will help you learn how to do good work. The project you

work on should be one you care about, but its value as a training vehicle is at least as important at this point in your training.

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Frequently Asked Questions When I meet with first- and second-year M.D./Ph.D. students to discuss the

choice of a thesis mentor and topic, certain questions always seem to come up. Is it better to be in a big lab or a small lab? Should I pick a lab where

other combined-degree students are already working? Should I try to work for a physician-scientist, or is a Ph.D.-only basic scientist just as good?

Should I pick a lab or a topic (or both) based on what I think I want to work on later? Should I avoid working with a junior faculty member? Should I pick

a project that I am sure will work (if such a thing exists), or should I pick one that is riskier? How long should it take to complete my thesis? Who

decides when I am done? Should I seek, or avoid, labs that do "translational" research? Is it better to work with someone in a basic science

department or a clinical department?

Frequently Offered Answers

Choose a successful lab. If the lab has been successful before, it probably will be again. If it hasn't been successful in the past, it may not be in the

future.

How do you measure success? Successful labs publish frequently in good journals. Successful labs are frequently successful in winning research

grants. In successful labs, previous students--if there have been any--have successfully completed their thesis projects in a timely manner.

Choose a lab that is committed to you. Pick a mentor who will be committed

to your success as a trainee and spend the time that's needed for you to achieve your goals. Although you will be working independently most of the

time, it is reasonable to expect your adviser to set aside time for you on a regular basis. If you pick a lab with a successful PI who travels a lot, make

sure the lab is well staffed with other experienced researchers who will help

you when your adviser's away. Make sure that you have a pipeline to your mentor--and a support structure--for times when you need it. Big labs can

be great places to work, but it is possible to get lost in them; will they know you are there and provide an adequate safety net?

Understand your learning style. Some people work best in crowded, noisy

environments; others work best with fewer people around. Some people like to have their supervisor around most of the time and talk to him or her

several times per day; others prefer infrequent encounters. Some people like to have immediate access to the lab director; others prefer to wrestle with

problems on their own before finding help. Any of these approaches can work, but make sure that what works best for you is in sync with the way

the lab you are considering operates.

Someone else's best choice may not be your best choice. With so many

choices available in most programs, it is not surprising that combined-degree students decline to "boldly go where no one has gone before,"

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choosing instead to go to a lab where there are other combined-degree

students. Be careful about doing that. The best choice for someone else may not be the best choice for you. Pick wisely, and not just because others have

made that same choice. Do a bit of self-analysis, applying the principles described elsewhere in this article, and choose a lab that's right for you.

Basic versus translational research. This is an issue on which you may get

different opinions. Some feel that the best training in research comes from a "basic science" project. Others think that a natural niche for a physician-

scientist is to do translational research, so why not start that while doing the thesis project? The critical issue is whether the lab and project will allow you

to meet the goals of doing a Ph.D. This can happen in both basic and translational research settings. So ...

Pick a problem that interests you. You will be living with it for a long time.

Make sure it is something you will want to wrestle with even when the going

gets rough. It has to make you want to get up early, work late, come in on the weekend, and think about it in the shower.

Junior faculty members can be great, but make sure they are up to the task.

Working with someone who has recently completed training can be exciting. The lab will be small, and he or she will have more time for you. You will

represent a larger fraction of their workforce and will, consequently, be valued more. On the other hand, a recent faculty hire will not have had a

chance to accumulate a track record as a trainer of graduate students. Your higher value to the lab can also be a disadvantage; you may be asked to

carry too much of the responsibility for your adviser's future success or failure. He or she will not have had a chance to prove that they can match

their success as a postdoc when they are doing it completely on their own; not all will succeed as independent investigators.

If you are going to commit three (or more) years to working with him or her, you want to be sure that they will be there with you until you finish. Few

things are as difficult as having your thesis adviser not receive tenure and be obliged to look elsewhere for an adviser. So if you are considering working

for a new faculty member, look hard not only at what they did while a postdoc and graduate student but also at what they have done (or plan to

do next). It is OK to ask about funding, if only because they are going to ask to help support you. It is OK to ask when they are coming up for tenure. You

have a right to know these things.

Senior faculty members can be great, but make sure they are up to the task. Senior faculty members are typically associate professors or professors. In

schools where tenure can be granted, they will probably have tenure. A decision to work with a more established investigator avoids some potential

problems that can arise with junior faculty members but can raise others. At

the very least, they should have a track record by which to be judged. But make sure that the success is ongoing. Look them up in PubMed. Are they

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still active or just coasting?

Your thesis topic need not be in an area that you are planning to embrace

forever. Most people don't know what they will be doing in the future; chances are that it will change over time. However, make sure it provides

you with opportunities to gain the skills you need to be successful as a scientist.

Avoid "Ph.D. lite" (a.k.a. "combined-degree Ph.D."). M.D./Ph.D. students

understandably feel pressure to keep moving through the various phases of their training. Don't succumb to the temptation to do less than your best.

Give yourself the time you need. Set the tone for your career as an investigator by choosing challenging questions that might take a while to

answer rather than just doing incremental studies that are designed to be finished quickly. In the long run, you will be far better off.

Be thoughtful in choosing a thesis committee. Pick people who are experienced in training graduate students as well as expert in the area of

your research. The chair should be someone with sufficient weight to act as a counterbalance to your thesis adviser should any difference of opinion

arise. Meet with the committee regularly to avoid getting bogged down when things aren't working. ("This experiment didn't quite work the way I wanted

it to the first 87 times, but I am sure that if I do it once more it will.") Proper use of a well-chosen thesis committee not only gives you a chance to

practice your skills at presenting your work, it also helps you use your time as efficiently as possible.

How long should it take? As long as it takes to accomplish the goals you set

out, and to accumulate an identifiable body of creative work. Most combined-degree students take 7 to 8 years for the entire program. Taking

longer can be fine. The key is to be focused and efficient and to work hard.

Your thesis committee in consultation with your thesis adviser will decide when you are done. The decision is usually based on evidence that you've

mastered the field, achieved the goals of doing a thesis, and made a scholarly contribution to the field. Most programs strongly encourage

M.D./Ph.D. students to complete and defend their thesis before they return to medical school to complete their clinical rotations.

Learn how to recover from failure. Success feels great, but you must also

learn how to recover when things don't work. I've known combined-degree program graduates who sailed through their thesis research only to crumble

when faced with bigger challenges when they returned to the lab after completing their clinical training. Suddenly, being a full-time clinician seems

much more attractive than wrestling with experiments that typically fail the first time around.

How Do I Start? When you arrive on Grounds, establish a habit of attending events in your

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department or graduate group. Chances are the training program will have

an event in which faculty members describe their interests; go. Talk to the faculty members who you are considering. Don't be shy; this is an important

relationship for you and for them. Ask critical questions about their commitment to training you, their success at training others, and (in general

terms at the least) the status of their funding for the period you will be working with him or her. Ask junior faculty members how soon they will be

up for tenure and whether they think they will get it. Ask if there is a chance that they might leave the program while you are still doing your thesis

research. Look at PubMed and make sure that they are publishing regularly in quality journals, including Cell, Science, and Nature. Read their

publications. Talk to the people who are working in their lab. Find out what really goes on. Tap into the collective experience of other M.D./Ph.D. and

Ph.D. students who worked in the lab. If possible, "try before you buy" by doing a lab rotation. At the very least, go to the lab's weekly meeting and

listen to the discussions. How much give-and-take is there? Do students

seem engaged?

Final Thoughts Many of us who have completed training look back on the years when we

were thesis students with fondness. No doubt, this is partly a result of imperfect memories; anxieties and stresses fade over time. Nevertheless,

this is a special time. This will be one of the rare periods in your life when you focus all or nearly all of your energy on research. Take advantage of

that. Choose your thesis lab and thesis mentor carefully, and enjoy the process as well as you enjoy your accomplishments.

Copyright © 2003 by the American Association for the Advancement of

Science.