The Graduate Program Guidelines
A. GENERAL POLICY
The graduate training program in Physiology and Pharmacology is an interdisciplinary curriculum that leads to the Ph.D. degree in Physiology and Pharmacology. The major goal of the program is to train students for independent research and teaching in Physiology and Pharmacology for careers in academia, government or the private sector. The program faculty have primary or joint appointments in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. The program of study is designed to provide a firm background in the basics of physiology, pharmacology and neuroscience at the molecular, cellular, systems and behavioral levels, while also providing advanced course work designed to meet the objectives of the students and the laboratories in which dissertation research is performed. Areas of research focus of the program include aging, alcohol abuse, drug addiction, hypertension/ cardiovascular science, cancer biology, and neuroscience. The Department of Physiology and Pharmacology has a significant presence in the biomedical community at large, ranking 3rd in the nation among Pharmacology Departments in NIH funding during 2003.
B. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION
The Graduate Program in Physiology and Pharmacology is administered by the Co-Directors of Graduate Studies (Sara Jones, Ph.D. and Jeff Weiner, Ph.D.) on behalf of the Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology (James E. Smith, Ph.D.). The Director of Graduate Studies is available to assist students with any aspect of graduate education at any time. The Director is assisted by the Curriculum Committee and the Recruitment Committee (see below for current rosters). The responsibilities of the Curriculum Committee include determination of requirements for graduation, oversight of subject matter covered in Departmental courses and evaluation of courses, course directors and participating faculty. The responsibilities of the Recruitment Committee include evaluation of prospective applicants to the program and coordination of interviews.
C. GRADUATE RECRUITING
The program accepts students with a variety of undergraduate degrees including majors in the biological sciences, chemistry, psychology and neuroscience. Applicants have usually successfully completed courses in general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics and mathematics through calculus.
Applications are evaluated by the Graduate Program Recruitment Committee. A decision is made whether to consider an applicant for admission based on (1) quality of the undergraduate training record and grade point average, (2) extent and quality of research experience, (3) verbal and quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), (4), letters of reference, (5) a statement of personal interests and, in the case of applicants whose native language is not English, (6) the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
From the pool of applications received, qualified applicants are selected and encouraged to visit Wake Forest University School of Medicine for an interview. Major criteria for evaluation of the interview are the degree of motivation for a career in science, the quality and extent of the applicant’s undergraduate scientific training and quality and extent of research experience. Applicants that meet the requirements for admission to the Graduate School whom the committee wishes to accept are offered a position in the next matriculating class. Use our pre-application form to get started with the application process.
D. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Students are required to take the following core courses unless they are able to demonstrate prior mastery of the subject matter to the satisfaction of the Physiology and Pharmacology Curriculum Committee. One week prior to the start of Graduate School, all students take an Ethics course (ETHS 700).
Fall Semester, First Year:
- PSPR 701 Phys/Pharm I: Cellular & Molecular Physiology (3 credits)
- PSPR 705 Journal Club (1)
- PSPR 797 Research (first laboratory rotation (1-9)
- GRAD 700 Introduction to Professional Development (1)
Spring Semester, First Year
- PSPR 702 Phys/Pharm II: Basic Physiology & Pharmacology (6)
- PSPR 706 Journal Club (1)
- PSPR 798 Research (second laboratory rotation) (1-9)
- GRAD 700 Introduction to Professional Development (1)
*** Selection of Dissertation advisor and laboratory ***
Summer Session, First Year
· PSPR 797 Research (third laboratory rotation if necessary) (1-9)
Fall Semester, Second Year
· PSPR 703 Phys/Pharm III: Systems Pharmacology (3)
· CEHS 730 Statistics (3)
· PSPR 705 Journal Club (1)
· PSPR 797 Research (1-9)
Spring Semester, Second Year
- PSPR 704 Phys/Pharm IV: Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology (5)
- PSPR 706 Journal Club (1)
- PSPR 798 Research (1-9)
- ----- Elective, if desired (1-3)
Summer, Second Year
- Written Qualifying Exam (mid-May)
- Compose Dissertation Committee
- Oral Qualifying Exam (By Oct. 1)
*** Admission to Ph.D. candidacy ***
Remaining Semesters
- PSPR 705, 706 Journal Club (1)
- PSPR 797 Research (1-9)
Elective courses include those graduate level courses offered by the Graduate School.
E. LABORATORY ROTATIONS
It is highly recommended that student work in at least two different laboratories during the first year. A student may elect to do a rotation during the summer semester of the first year if he/she wishes. Working in at least two different laboratories provides students with opportunities to learn research techniques that are used in each lab. Prior to the beginning of classes, students consult with selected faculty of the Physiology and Pharmacology Program concerning ongoing research projects. Sometime prior to the beginning of classes, each student chooses potential laboratories in which to work during the first semester rotation. A major goal of the laboratory rotations is for the students to obtain in-depth views of the laboratories in which they may wish to pursue their research. The rotation is an opportunity for the student and potential faculty advisor to evaluate whether they have mutual interests that would aid in the student's career development. The length of the rotations ranges from 10-15 weeks; selection of the second rotation should be made as far in advance as possible and at least 4 weeks prior to terminating the current rotation. The Director of Graduate Studies confirms assignments of all students to rotation laboratories. At the end of each lab rotation, the faculty member heading the laboratory should prepare an evaluation of the student's overall performance, discuss it with the student, then send the evaluation to the Director of Graduate Studies. Any concerns raised will be addressed immediately.
The choice of research area for a student is guided by the principle that both the student and advisor should be in a position to make a well-informed choice before any decisions are made. Furthermore, to provide an optimal graduate training experience, the advisor must have adequate time and resources to devote to each student. Also, the advisor must have sufficient research funds to insure that adequate supplies and equipment are available for the student’s research. For this reason, only certain laboratories may be available for students to do their dissertation research at any given time.
After the rotations have been completed, students choose a laboratory in which to perform their dissertation research, with the consent of the faculty member that heads the laboratory in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.
F. GRADING
Minimum grade requirements for Physiology and Pharmacology are governed by the guidelines and the policies of the graduate school as stated in the Bulletin of the Wake Forest University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Graduate students must maintain an average grade point of 2.5 or better (4.0 scale). A student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.5 is placed on probation. The student has one semester to return to academic good standing. A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 is required prior to taking the Qualifying Exams.
G. SEMINARS AND SYMPOSIA
The Department coordinates several seminars during the academic year which broaden the educational experience. Students are expected to attend seminars sponsored, in whole or in part, by the Department. Each Physiology and Pharmacology graduate student presents his/her research once each year during the Monday afternoon seminar series. Departmental and visiting faculty present their research at the Thursday seminar series. Other special seminars occur periodically throughout the semester and several other departments and programs sponsor seminar series that may be of interest.
H. DISSERTATION COMMITTEE
During the spring semester of the second year, a student and his/her faculty advisor select members of the student’s Dissertation Committee. The committee is composed of the faculty advisor, three additional faculty members from the Physiology and Pharmacology Department and one member from outside the department. The outside faculty member serves as the Committee Chair. It is the responsibility of the committee chair to report to the Graduate Program Director the results of the meetings of the Dissertation Committee.
The functions of the committee are to advise the student on the course of their research, to administer the oral portion of the Candidacy Examination, and administer and evaluate the dissertation defense. The committee shares responsibility with the primary dissertation advisor for informing the student of expectations concerning the progress of his/her research and of the student’s performance in meeting those expectations. The committee, in concert with the dissertation advisor, will be responsible for assuring that the proposed dissertation research has goals that are achievable within an appropriate time frame for receiving the Ph.D. degree.
The committee for each student should meet at least once each year and more often when necessary. The purpose of the meetings is to evaluate the progress being made in the student’s research and to make recommendations for the immediate future. The meetings should be scheduled by the faculty research advisor to ensure that they occur in a timely fashion.
I. CANDIDACY REQUIREMENTS
Each student must fulfill the following requirements for admission to candidacy in the Ph.D. program in Physiology and Pharmacology: (1) pass their required courses with final cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better; (2) pass a written qualifying exam and (3) pass an oral defense of a written research proposal.
If a student does not pass a required course with a grade of "B" or better, the Graduate Program Director may decide to have the student retake the course, to remediate the necessary material or only the necessary exam(s) in that course (the next time the course is offered) that led to the low grade. This examination must be completed before the student may be admitted to candidacy. A failure to pass the re-examination of the course or any portion of the course with a grade of at least "B" will be grounds for dismissal from the Ph.D. program.
J. WRITTEN QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
During the summer of the second year, students complete a three-day written portion of the qualifying exam. The first day consists of a written examination covering material presented over the first two years from the core courses. The questions are highly integrated and typically will require 1-2 hrs each to answer (4-6 questions will be asked). The second day’s exam covers integrated material that is more focused on the student’s specialty area (e.g., cardiovascular pharmacology, behavioral pharmacology, etc). Departmental faculty who presented lectures in the departmental courses compose questions related to their lectures. The exams on the first two days are administered at the PTCRC from 8am-5pm. On the third day of the exam, students receive a journal article at 8am and are required to complete by 5pm a written critique of the article in the style of a manuscript review. Papers will be assigned to each student by the Departmental Curriculum Committee and will be from published work in the research area of the student. The Curriculum Committee will identify three faculty to grade each student's review.
K. ORAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL DEFENSE
Following successful completion of the written portion of the candidacy exam, students are required to present an oral defense of their research proposal, which is written in the format of a NIH National Research Service Award (NRSA, see below for comments regarding format). The date set for the oral exam should be scheduled for early fall of the third year (deadline is October 1), unless approval of extension is granted by the dissertation committee and the Director of the Graduate Program. Students are encouraged to submit an NRSA prior to the start of their third year; the written document can be used as the dissertation proposal that is defended orally in the fall of the third year.
After submission of the written proposal, the oral exam will proceed no sooner than 2 weeks after the committee has received it. At this stage, the function of the committee is to determine acceptability of the student for advancement to degree candidacy by critically evaluating the scientific quality of the project, the clarity of the written proposal, the completeness of the literature survey, and the student’s originality and understanding of relevant concepts. Following the exam, the committee will make a decision on acceptability of the student for admission to degree candidacy. There are three potential outcomes of the exam: pass, conditional pass, and fail. Conditional pass signifies that the student performed sub-optimally in the exam. The student will be offered the opportunity to remediate his/her performance. Typically this will be in the form of a written document that addresses specific questions set forth by the committee. The student will be given one month in which to prepare written responses to these questions. The committee will then review the responses and assign a final grade of pass or fail to the preliminary exam. The committee chair will communicate the decision of the committee to the Program Director within one week of receipt of the student response. In the event that a student fails the oral exam, the examining committee can recommend that the student be refused admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. program or that reexamination be allowed no earlier than six months from the date of the first exam. A student may be reexamined only once. If the committee does not recommend the student for advancement to Ph.D. candidacy, the student may, at the discretion of the faculty, have the option to complete the M.S. degree program. The chair of the committee will inform the Graduate Program Director of the outcome of the preliminary exam. The Graduate Program Director will then inform the Graduate School office.
Proposal Format: The proposal should be patterned after the NIH guidelines for a National Research Service Award (NRSA). The student should consult with the examining committee on questions of format during the preparation of the proposal. Typing width should be no smaller than 15 characters per inch and type height should be no less than 11 points. The proposal should consist of the following sections (see: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-04-032.html).
The sections described below should be well-formulated and presented in sufficient detail that it can be evaluated for both its research training potential and scientific merit. It is important that it be developed in collaboration with the sponsor, but it is to be written by the applicant. Include sufficient information to permit an effective review without reviewers having to refer to the literature or any previous application. Brevity and clarity in the presentation will be considered indicative of an applicant's approach and ability to conduct a superior project. Subsections (1) through (3) of this item are not to exceed 10 pages, including all tables and figures. Follow the format below:
(1) Specific Aims: State the specific purposes of the research proposal and the hypotheses to be tested.
(2) Background and Significance: Sketch briefly the background to the proposal. State concisely the importance of the research described in this application by relating the specific aims to broad, long-term objectives. Use this section to provide an account of any preliminary studies that might demonstrate the utility of the proposed project as a training experience.
(3) Research Design and Methods: Provide an outline of:
- Research design and the procedures to be used to accomplish the specific aims;
- Tentative sequence for the investigation;
- Statistical procedures by which the data will be analyzed;
- Any procedures, situations, or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and the precautions to be exercised; and
- Any courses planned which support the research training experience. Potential experimental difficulties should be discussed together with alternative approaches that could achieve the desired aims.
(4) Literature Cited: List all literature references. Each reference must include the title, names of all authors, book or journal, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. References should be limited to relevant and current literature.
L. WRITTEN DISSERTAION
Ideally, the dissertation should consist of at least 2 published research papers (i.e., chapters) anchored by an Introduction and a Summary. With approval from the dissertation committee and the Director of Graduate Studies, a dissertation consisting of narratives (unpublished chapters) can be acceptable.
M. FINAL EXAMINATION (DISSERTATION DEFENSE)
The defense of the dissertation begins with a formal public seminar to the examining committee and the University community who choose to attend, followed by examination by the dissertation committee. The format of the examination will adhere to the Graduate School Guidelines.
N. REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING THE Ph.D. DEGREE
The Graduate School’s requirements for the Ph.D. include: (1) passing all required coursework with a grade of B or better, (2) completing a minimum of 24 credit hours and (3) the submission of a written dissertation to the Dean of the Graduate School at least four weeks prior to the proposed final examination date. Acceptance of the written dissertation by the advisory committee must occur at least ten days prior to the proposed final examination date. The final examination must be passed at least ten (10) days prior to graduation.
PHYSIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM
Jeff Weiner, Co-Director [336-716-8692; jweiner@wfubmc.edu ]
Sara Jones, Co-Director [336-716-8533; srjones@wfubmc.edu ]
Lucy Fasano, Administrative Assistant [336-716-8627; lfasano@wfubmc.edu]
Physiology and Pharmacology Curriculum Committee
- Scott Hemby, Chair
- George Christ
- Paul Czoty
- Charles Eldridge
- Susan Hutson
- Sara Jones
- Brian McCool
- Mike Nader
- Jack Strandhoy
- Ann Tallant
- Jeff Weiner
- two student representatives (to be named)
Physiology and Pharmacology Recruitment Committee
- Sara Jones, Chair
- Allyson Bennett (NCCU Bridge Program Co-Director with Allyn Howlet)
- Mike Nader
- Paul Czoty
- Osvaldo Delbono
- Scott Hemby
- Tony Liguori
- Brian McCool
- Ann Tallant
- Jeff Weiner
- one student representative
David K. Sundberg Award Committee
- Charles Eldridge, Chair
- Debra Diz
- Kathleen Grant
- Michael Nader
- William Sonntag
- Jack Strandhoy
Physiology and Pharmacology Core Courses
- PSPR 701 • Brian McCool (Fall)
- PSPR 702 • Scott Hemby (Spring)
- PSPR 703 • Jeff Martin (Fall)
- PSPR 704 • Sara Jones (Spring)
- PSPR 705 • David C.S. Roberts (Fall, Spring)
- Monday Student Seminar Series • Paul Czoty
- Thursday Seminar Series • Allyson Bennett
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