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- Research Training
Students will enter the Molecular Medicine Program upon choosing a
research mentor from among the participating Molecular Medicine faculty by
the beginning of the second year of PhD study.
- Research Proposal
Students prepare a short written research plan outlining proposed future
experiments in their area of research.
This proposal will be developed during their second year in
consultation with the advisor and 5-member thesis advisory committee, and
forms the basis for the Second Exam (see further details under
Examinations, Comprehensive Examinations).
The proposal should demonstrate the student’s ability to engage in
rigorous and critical thinking.
The proposal should be 5-10 pages long (single- spaced, exclusive of
literature citations) and should conform to the “Instructions for Writing
a Research Proposal” on page 18 of the MCG Graduate Student Guide, Policies and
Procedures, PhD Programs. Preliminary data are encouraged
but not required. The proposal should outline plausible
experiments that could lead toward a viable dissertation project.
However, it is understood that the exact content of the student’s
dissertation may change during the course of their graduate studies.
Therefore, the final dissertation project may reflect changes in
research direction developed in consultation with the advisory
committee. The completed proposal will be approved by the
advisory committee, the program director, and the Dean of Graduate
Studies after the Second
Exam has been completed.
- Research (MOL9300) and/or Investigation of a Problem (MOL9210)
Beginning in the second year, students will spend at least half of
their time on laboratory research under the direction of their faculty
mentor. Each student's progress will be monitored at regular intervals
(i.e., at least annually) by the thesis advisory committee. The
Investigation of a Problem course number is used prior to passing the
Second Examination. The Research course number is then used for the
dissertation research.
Student research culminates in the preparation of a doctoral
dissertation, which presents results of an original independent
investigation. The dissertation must give evidence that new information
was obtained, as well as provide scholarly and critical judgment as to the
relationship of this information to the past literature and overall field
of study. The dissertation should clearly demonstrate the appropriate
methodology, techniques, statistics, and scientific logic that require
acceptance of this new information. Students in the Molecular Medicine
Program will be strongly encouraged to publish the information contained
in the dissertation, usually in the form of one or more articles in
peer-reviewed scientific journals. The dissertation is defended orally as
described below.
- Other Research-Related Activities
In order to encourage a sense of community within the program, special
events take place throughout the year. Students are required to
attend a minimum number of seminars presented by outside speakers and are
encouraged to participate in
interdisciplinary journal clubs when appropriate. In addition, students
will be encouraged to attend and speak at an annual retreat that is held
by the Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics.
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