Second Year Student Meeting PhD Candidacy Exam On-topic or - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Second Year Student Meeting PhD Candidacy Exam

On-topic or Off-topic Candidacy Exam?

On-Topic:

• Exam is on student’s own research project
• Your preliminary data is not required

Off-Topic:

• Student writes 3 off-topic abstracts and

Advisory Committee chooses one for the exam

Exam Format Programs On-Topic Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Cancer Biology Cell & Regulatory Biology Clinical & Translational Sciences Genes & Development Human & Molecular Genetics Medical Physics Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Off-Topic Biostatistics, Bioinformatics & Systems Biology Epigenetics & Molecular Carcinogenesis Experimental Therapeutics Either Immunology Neuroscience

Elements common to both exam formats

Student is required to:

• Submit Petition for PhD Candidacy to OAA for

approval by the Academic Standards Committee

Includes

• Dissertation project specific aims (1 page)
• Exam proposal specific aims (1 page)
• Proposed Examining Committee

After ASC approval of petition:

• Six weeks total to prepare for the exam
• Write a proposal in format of an NIH F31

fellowship “6 + 1”

• Give proposal to exam committee two weeks

before exam

• At the exam, student gives a short presentation

then answers questions from committee Some program policies vary, check with your program, GSBS website

Timeline for current second year PhD students

• Submit PhD candidacy petition by August 31
• Take the exam by the end of the Fall semester

Now:  Talk with your Program Director to confirm your exam format and get exam specifics  If off-topic, pick exam subjects and begin writing abstracts  Schedule an Advisory Committee meeting – send calendar invitation

By August:  Write specific aims  Select Exam Committee members, fill out form  Meet with your Advisory Committee to get approval for your petition (for off topic, discuss 3 abstracts, pick 1)  Schedule an exam date with proposed exam committee  Discuss work schedule with your advisor

Timeline for current second year PhD students

• Submit PhD candidacy petition by August 31
• Take the exam by the end of the Fall semester

Your Exam Committee

• Discuss with your advisor
• Include expert
• Experienced chair
• Meet with the chair
• Hand in your proposal on time
• Remind your committee of time/location 2 days before

Tips

Getting Ready for the Exam

• Be ready to:
• Critique and defend your own proposal
• Discuss pitfalls
• Describe alternative strategies
• Provide critical interpretation of data
• Describe the basis for methodology
• Describe recent publications on the subject
• Do a mock exam – don’t use your best friends

Tips

GSBS Website – Candidacy Exam Page

Academics > PhD Milestones > PhD Candidacy Exam > Helpful Info

Example Proposals Example Presentations Suggestions from Post-Candidacy GSBS Students This presentation

Thank you to our panelists: Faculty

• Dr. Kimberly Schluns, Associate Professor, Immunology, MD

Anderson Cancer Center

• Dr. M. Neal Waxham, Professor, Neurobiology & Anatomy,

McGovern Medical School Students

• Kara Schoenemann, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics,

McGovern Medical School

• Smruthy Sivakumar, Biostatistics, Bioinformatics & Systems

Biology, MDACC

• Jena Tavormina, Cancer Biology, MDACC