Integrated Biomedical Sciences (PhD)

First Year

The goal of the course work in the first year is to expose the student to the biomedical sciences to enable them to design and approach a research problem from molecular, biochemical, cellular and organ system perspectives. This broad based approach to disease is the core of the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program. Students will need to complete 37 credits of core course work.

Second Year

Notes:

Laboratory rotations are part of the core curriculum.

Two credits of GCC-699 Dissertation Research is defined as full-time. Students are expected to register for a low number of research credits each term as 18 credits of dissertation research are required for graduation. Two credits are considered to be a full-time commitment to research. In years three through five, the emphasis is on research.

While registration appears similar in years three through five, the nature and character of the research changes and the student passes through a number of milestones towards completion of the PhD.

• GCC - 699 Dissertation Research Credit(s): 1-9

Cognates

For graduation, students will need 4 credits of cognate courses that they select.  

Integrated Biomedical Sciences: Concentration Focused Cognates and Electives

• BMC - 508 Techniques in Orthopedic Biomedicanics Credit(s): 2
• GCC - 519 Intro to Neuroscience Credit(s): 3
• GCC - 611 Cancer Biology I Credit(s): 3
• GCC - 612 Cancer Biology II Credit(s): 3
• GCC - 642 Biosolid Mechanics Credit(s): 3
• GCC - 650 Neuroscience for Basic & Clinical Applic Credit(s): 3
• GCC - 652 The Changing Nervous System Credit(s): 2
• IMM - 507 Basic Immunology I Credit(s): 3
• IMM - 510 Advanced Immunology I Credit(s): 4

Year 1 Classes and Research Experience

The goal of the coursework in the first year is to expose the student to the biomedical sciences to enable them to design and approach a research problem from molecular, biochemical, cellular and organ system perspectives. This broad based approach to disease is the core of the Integrated Biomedical Sciences program. 

Year 2 Course Selection, Research Experience, Qualifying Examination

The selection of research advisor will significantly influence the student’s selection of a research area of interest. Subsequent classes will be dictated by the area specific cognates and electives and by relevant electives offered. The selection of electives should complement research activity and the interests of the students and should help prepare them for the career path identified through the use of the Individual Development Plan (IDP) website (myidp.sciencecarreers.org) and additional resources provided by the Graduate College. The goals of the second year are to learn the relevant laboratory techniques and to develop a research proposal in conjunction with their research advisor. The research project will advance knowledge in a specific discipline and yield first-author scientific publications for the student. The student’s research proposal should include specific aims and be written in the format of a NIH F31 grant proposal (See https://researchtraining.nih.gov/programs/fellowships/F31). The student must select a Dissertation Committee and defend the proposal in front of the committee by the end of the second year.  The written proposal and its defense in front of the committee constitutes the qualifying examination.  Passing the qualifying examination in front of the Dissertation Committee means the student is a candidate for the PhD.

The student’s assessment at this time relates to the following Student Learning Outcomes: The graduate will be able to acquire research skills, collect and analyze data, and interpret results in order to address an original research question.

In addition, this step begins the continuing assessment of the following outcomes: A graduating student will be capable of independent critical thinking and writing as well as proposing, performing and effectively presenting their research.

The student will be able to work collaboratively with other scientists, physicians and health care professionals to give and obtain feedback concerning the approach to research problems, data analysis and implications of research.

The work environment in basic and clinical science is evolving. Students should be aware of the many different types of opportunities available in the workplace and need to prepare themselves for the opportunities and challenges that they will encounter when they graduate. In addition to the research and the coursework, the student will create an Individual Development Plan (IDP) each year to define their areas of interest, skills and values.  Students will review their IDP yearly with their research mentor, Program Director or Graduate College designee to refine their career interests and define their gaps in knowledge or skills that can be pursued in the following year. By the time of graduation, students should have used the IDP, along with mentorship and experiential or other training opportunities to refine their career path.

Student progress is assessed at the end of years two through five.  At the end of two, student progress toward meeting expected outcomes will be evaluated by the student’s research advisor and Program Director. See section on Dissertation Proposal and Presentation.

Qualifying Examination

The goals of the second year are to learn the relevant laboratory techniques and to develop a research proposal in conjunction with the student’s research advisor. The research project will advance scientific knowledge in a specific discipline and yield first-author scientific publications. For the Qualifying Examination, the student’s research proposal should include a hypothesis and specific aims and be written in the format of an NIH F31 grant (https://researchtraining.nih.gov/programs/fellowships/F31). The student must select a Dissertation Committee and defend the written proposal as an oral defense in front of the committee by the end of the second year.  All members of the Committee or appropriate substitutes must be present at the Qualifying Examination and the dissertation defense either in person, on the phone or using electronic media.

If the student does not complete the Qualifying Examination by the end of the summer of their second year they will be reported to the Academic Standards Committee and placed on probation during the fall of their third year. If the student has not taken the examination by the end of the term of probation the student will be again reported to the Academic Standards Committee for potential dismissal.  Since the Advisor shares in the responsibility to ensure student academic progress, including completion of Program milestones in a timely manner, advisors of students who do not take the qualifying examination by the end of fall term of their third year will not be allowed to take a new student into their laboratory for the subsequent two years.  

Following the defense of their Qualifying Examination, students will submit their written proposal as an Individual National Research Service Award (F31) [https://researchtraining.nih.gov/programs/fellowships/F31] or a comparable grant application.  While a student is conducting dissertation research the student will present their progress every six months to their committee in an identical format as the original proposal meeting until the committee has agreed that the student can write their dissertation. The Advisory Committee meetings will consist of an oral presentation of research progress by the doctoral student to the committee.  This oral presentation will be followed by a discussion of progress and career development.  A detailed written account of progress will be distributed by the student to their Committee prior to this meeting.   It is recommended that the Rush career development IDP (https://rushedu-auvic.formstack.com/forms/idp) be used for IDP tracking.

Year 3-5 Research Progress/Publications/Dissertation

For evaluation in years three through five, the student will submit a written report documenting their progress. The research advisor and Program Director will also submit their assessment of student progress for each year. A meeting with the student, research advisor and Program Director will take place at the end of each year to discuss the student’s progress.

The research advisor monitors the day-to-day progress of the student. The Dissertation Committee will meet at least every six months to monitor progress and to approve any changes to the proposed research project. They may meet more frequently, especially after the approval of the student’s research proposal. The student is expected to attend national meetings, make presentations, posters etc. and become a part of the scientific community. Likewise, the student should be submitting research articles. The Integrated Biomedical Science PhD Program requires that the research project yield at least one first authored research article accepted for publication in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. The publication requirement is necessary for graduation but not sufficient. The Dissertation Committee will continue to assess student progress on the aims and determines when the student has completed his/her dissertation. (See Dissertation Proposal and Presentation below).

The student’s assessment continues on the outcomes listed above with emphasis on the growth of research and communication skills. Likewise, it is expected that the communication outcomes will also become more centered on written communication in the form of abstracts, peer-reviewed journal articles and the dissertation as the student begins to complete the following outcome:

• The graduate is able to contribute to the scientific literature in an area of expertise via published abstracts, a dissertation and by the publication of a first-authored research article in a scientific refereed journal.

Dissertation Document, Presentation and Approval

The student is expected to write a dissertation (format approved by the Center for Academic Excellence) and present the work in a public forum attended by the Dissertation Committee, and University faculty and students. The Dissertation Committee will then meet with the student in a closed session to address any additional questions and to deliberate on approval of the dissertation. Typically the meeting immediately follows the public defense. The student may be asked to make revisions before final approval of the dissertation by the committee.  The student must notify the Registrar’s Office of impending completion of the degree by the submission of an Intent to Graduate Form at the beginning of the final term. Prior to completion, the student should consult with the Center for Academic Excellence to ensure that the dissertation is formatted correctly. Once the dissertation is approved, the student will complete the Degree Approval Form.

Minimal Credit Hours Required for the Integrated Biomedical Sciences (PhD) Degree

The PhD in Integrated Biomedical Sciences should be completed in five years and requires completion of 80 credits distributed as follows: core courses (22), concentration specific cognates (4) and dissertation research (54). Students must also pass the Comprehensive Examination and the Qualifying Examination and publish a first-authored, scientific, peer-reviewed manuscript on their research project. The core curriculum, which is common to all students, builds knowledge and skills in research theories and methodology, data analysis and statistics, laboratory applications and skills, and the molecular and cellular sciences basic to health and disease. These courses provide systematic exposure to the contemporary process of scientific discovery and will serve as the basis for the remainder of the curriculum. Advanced students entering with a Master of Science (MS) degree in a biomedical science or a Doctor of Medicine (MD or DO) degree may have satisfied the requirement for some of the core classes based on their prior records. Therefore, some core course requirements may be waived, the requirement of core course hours can be compensated by taking extra hours of laboratory rotations or pre-dissertation research. These students may be able to complete the degree in a shorter time period providing that they progress through the other program requirements. IBS MS students who enter the IBS PhD program will be on a separate plan of study which requires fewer cognate and elective credits based on the number required for the IBS MS program.

Students are required to select from concentration-focused cognates. The selection of coursework should involve the participation of the research advisor and committee. All students will be required to participate in area-specific advanced topic seminars and to complete a minimum of 18 credits of dissertation research following admission into candidacy for the PhD. Dissertation credits in the Graduate College typically involve laboratory-based research required for completion of the dissertation, and include training in various types of skills including: analyzing published data; developing a research proposal; learning and applying advanced methodologies and statistical data analyses; developing skills to write and submit a pre-doctoral training grant application; practicing presentation skills to disseminate one’s own research findings in national conferences; writing a research publication; and developing and defending a dissertation project.

Research Advisor Selection

During the first year the student will select up to three laboratories for research rotations. Based on these rotations, the student will identify their laboratories of interest and submit the names of three potential advisors with a priority ranking to the Academic Standards Committee. The Committee, in consultation with the potential advisor(s) will approve the advisor-student matches. Students who are already committed to a particular laboratory (funded by the research advisor’s grants) are required to perform a minimum of two laboratory rotations. The student’s research project should advance knowledge in a specific discipline and yield first-author, peer-reviewed, scientific publications for the student.

Milestone Exams

Qualifying Examination (Dissertation Proposal and Presentation) -  For the Qualifying Examination, the student will write a research proposal in the style of the NIH F31 fellowship, including a hypothesis, specific aims, and a detailed research strategy (see: https://researchtraining.nih.gov/programs/fellowships/F31). The student must select a Dissertation Committee and present the proposal to the Committee by the end of the second year. 

Advisory Committee

By the end of the summer term of the first year the student should have selected a research advisor and begun to collect preliminary data. Once a research advisor has been selected, a Dissertation Committee must be selected by the end of the following term. This committee advises the student and serves as the Qualifying Examination committee and the Dissertation Committee. The Graduate College requires that the committee is comprised of five members. One member will be the student’s research advisor. A majority of the committee (at least three members) must be faculty at Rush University who are members of The Graduate College. The chair of this committee, who cannot be the student’s research advisor, will be chosen at the first committee meeting and will preside at all subsequent meetings and arrange for a timely completion of the dissertation work. The Dissertation Committee strives for consensus in all its actions. A majority vote of the committee’s membership, however, is sufficient for all activities except the final approval of the dissertation.

In addition to the five committee members, the Program Director will serve as an ex officio member of the committee. The ex officio member can participate in the meetings but cannot vote.  The purpose of having an ex officio member is to monitor the quality of the examination experience. The ex officio member will ensure that the Graduate College rules are followed.

Data Defense and Dissertation

In the candidate’s final year, a dissertation data defense will be presented to their Dissertation Committee demonstrating that satisfactory progress has been made on the project to justify development of a plan to complete all experiments and to start writing their dissertation. Upon completion of the data defense and writing of the dissertation, the student will provide the dissertation to their Committee for approval at least two weeks prior to their public defense. The public defense will be comprised of a public one-hour lecture attended by the Dissertation Committee and faculty and students of the University. The Dissertation Committee then meets in closed session to examine the candidate and approve the dissertation. Typically the meeting immediately follows the public lecture. The committee strives for a consensus, but the dissertation can be approved over the objections of a single committee member. However, if two or more committee members disapprove of either the written dissertation or its oral defense, then the dissertation is not approved. The awarding of the PhD degree requires the demonstration of a capability for independent research and a contribution to scientific knowledge. Similar to the Qualifying Examination, all members of the committee or appropriate substitutes must be present at the dissertation defense either in person, on the phone, or using electronic media.

Since a scientific peer-reviewed first authored research article is required for the degree, the dissertation is not considered complete until the publication of at least one peer-reviewed first authored publication. If publication is pending, the committee may approve the dissertation, but the Graduate College will not sign the Degree Approval form until the paper is accepted or published as verified by appearance on PubMed.