biomedical sciences training program

EARNING THE PH.D.

Once you select your advisor, you become a member of a Graduate Program and fulfill the requirements of that program.

• An original thesis. Your research discoveries, as well as a scholarly overview of the field and the intellectual synthesis of your contributions will be assembled into a dissertation.
• Coursework. Each program will recommend required as well as elective courses to address current issues relevant to your work and discipline.
• Examinations. Every Ph.D. program has a form of a Qualifying examination whose passage is essential for you to become a Ph.D. candidate. Most programs ask that you prepare a short version of an NIH-style grant proposal and defend the study to a faculty committee. Some programs also require a preliminary exam after the first year.
• Publications in scientific journals as first author. It is important that you learn to describe and communicate your research discoveries to others, and Case biomedical Ph.D. programs require you to publish scientific articles as first author as part of your graduate work.
• Seminars and journal clubs. Every Ph.D. program requires that students attend seminars with invited speakers in that discipline, as well as journal clubs in which current advances are discussed. Most programs ask that students prepare to present at least one journal club-type presentation each year to develop analytic and presentation skills.
• Retreats and other program activities. Most programs have specialized retreats, workshops, student-invited speakers, holiday parties, etc. that complete your education in a particular field.

Each graduate program has a Graduate Program Advisor who will advise you about courses, thesis research, examinations, and graduation requirements in that program.