Training in the EPGP
Education and training at for the EPGP commences with a common first year BBSC course schedule and then upon the student’s declaration of commitment to a specific program they follow a training program that has been designed by that Program. A typical schedule for graduate students at UTMB is outlined below including components that are required/recommended by the EPGP. To help the EPGP students plan their studies at UTMB, we have a carefully described color-coordinated schedule in our student handbook for guidance which tells a student exactly what they should/could be doing at each semester.
A Typical Year-by-Year Ph.D. Experience
Year 1. Since 1999, entering students (representing 8 of the UTMB graduate programs) are enrolled as “generalists” into the BBSC. Thus, this training program cannot directly recruit students; rather we encourage appropriate students to apply to the GSBS. The aims of the BBSC are two-fold. First, the GSBS offers a contemporary, integrated, multidisciplinary curriculum that provides a strong basic training in biomedical sciences prior to specialized training. Second, the GSBS gives students the opportunity to experience the many different attributes of graduate education, resources and faculty at UTMB. BBSC students are financially supported by the graduate school during their first year of study. The Recruitment and Admissions Committee reviews and assists BBSC students to identify research opportunities and faculty with whom they might work via BBSC orientation, including a session to meet the EPGP Director and a poster session during the first term where students get to meet EPGP faculty and learn about their research. GSBS regulations require all first year students to be considered generalists and housed in BBSC space. Each graduate program and has weekly "work-in-progress" seminars and journal clubs for trainees to attend and keep abreast of current developments in their fields. Schedules for these events are published in a weekly calendar and monthly planner available to all students. In each of the first three years of pre-doctoral training, EPGP students are expected to attend a minimum of one "work-in-progress" seminar a week. In addition to coursework, during the first term students meet faculty, and graduate students who already selected mentors, in poster sessions, receptions and other venues to determine which faculty match up with research interests of the BBSC students. During the first two terms, each BBSC student is required to attend two seminars per week from those offered by graduate programs to become familiar with ongoing UTMB research. Students are required to write reports on seminars. In the second and third terms, students take two to four 8 or 16 week research rotations to gain further experience in the laboratories of potential mentors. Thus, by the end of year one, students are expected to have selected their graduate program and their supervisory professor. To ensure appropriate matching of trainee and mentor, and maintain high quality standards for participating students and faculty, each rotation involves written assessment of the trainee's and mentor's performance by the mentor and student, respectively, for submission to the GSBS.
All first year BBSC students take the “Academic Success Skills and Ethics” course. Additionally, the GSBS graduate school has established a course "Ethics in Science" taught in workshop format by The Medical Humanities Program in collaboration with the senior members of the faculty of the other programs. Each year all faculty receive a letter from the Vice-President for Academic Affairs reminding them of the UTMB policy for responsible conduct in research and their responsibility as mentors. UTMB also has an Institutional Ethics Program.
Year 2. Students start to develop their dissertation projects during the early part of year 2 and the introduction of the BBSC has enabled all graduate students to complete their qualifying exam to enter doctoral candidacy by the end of year 2. Also, all graduate programs have requirements for teaching and grant proposal writing in the second year of study. EPGP students continue in the collaborating graduate programs to complete specific program requirements as described in the handbook. The EPGP Preliminary examination is described below. EPGP students are required to give a seminar as part of their Graduate Program commitment (for example the Experimental Pathology weekly research in progress seminars PATH 6115). These seminars are evaluated by a minimum of faculty, students and post-doctoral trainees who provide the trainee with an informal summary of the "strengths" and "weaknesses" of his/her seminar to help the trainee improve his/her presentation skills. EPGP students are also expected to attend other seminars, for example those interested in Infectious diseases typically enroll in the Infectious Disease and Immunity colloquium series (Frontiers of Infectious Diseases PATH 6245). The policy of the graduate school is that all students are funded during dissertation work by the sponsoring laboratory and mentor.
Year 3. Students initiate (or continue) their approved dissertation work and complete any additional course work desired or suggested by the dissertation and Admissions and Recruitment committees. Regular participation seminars is expected, and mentors are expected to support attendance and presentations at regional and national meetings. Each EPGP student must present a one-hour seminar on their research during this year which is evaluated as described above. Primary direction and day-to-day advice and evaluation are obtained from the mentor and the dissertation committee.
Years 4 and 5. Students continue dissertation work, seminar presentations, and attendance and participation at regional and national meetings.