Matriculation

All students matriculate without a formal commitment to a particular training area, except for those who are interested in the Neurosciences program. While they may affiliate as closely as they wish with a group of researchers in their initial area of interest, they are allowed and encouraged, by an academic advisor, to consider new combinations or interests during their first year. Students pursue a series of rotations through diverse research laboratories before formally choosing a Ph.D research mentor and one of eight Multidisciplinary Training Areas (MTAs).

Core Requirement

During the first year, students complete the Core Requirement, which includes Core I: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Core II: Cell and Developmental Biology, Core III, Biostatistics, Responsible Conduct of Research, Introduction to Journal Club I and II, and Laboratory Rotation. There is an alternate core sequence for Pharmacology and Systems Biology students that substitutes part of Core I. Students who are interested in the Neuroscience MTA follow the core courses offered by this training area.

Advanced Coursework

Second-year students enroll, under the guidance of the chosen research mentor and the Advisory Committee, in one of eight Multidisciplinary Training Areas (MTAs). Students pursue advanced courses that are recommended by their MTA and appropriate for their particular interests. Students who enter Mount Sinai with equivalent courses may seek exemption from those courses that cover material already mastered. Many advanced courses are modular: i.e., three one-credit modules are offered in a given semester, and students may register for all three or individually for one or two modules. This arrangement enables students to "mix-and-match" modules from different areas, e.g. an immunobiology module and a signal transduction module and an oncogene module, to best fit their interests.

Seminars and Journal Clubs

Seminars and Journal Clubs are part of the students' programs throughout their tenure in the Program. They are many, varied, and excellent. Each MTA and many individual or groups of labs offer them. In addition, there are:

• The Dean's Seminar Series: distinguished scientific guests and dynamic presentations by our own faculty
• Signal Transduction Group
• Extracellular Matrix Journal Club
• Cancer Biology Seminar
• Molecular Medicine Seminars
• and so many more....

Multidisciplinary Training Areas (MTAs)

Students may pursue their individual training goals and also accommodate their diverse tastes in training style by choosing one of the eight MTAs which are constructed in a broader multidisciplinary mode.

Core Facilities

The Core Laboratories for research are a major research and training vehicle for students as well as faculty.

Career Guidance

Mount Sinai students present and publish widely; they learn how to prepare a scientific paper and present a talk.

Our students meet with the many scientists, including Program alumni visiting our campus from other academic settings and from industry. Additional presentations on fields such as scientific publishing are given by field experts.

Sessions on preparing grant and fellowship applications are given annually.

Our graduates return individually and in groups to discuss their own career paths with current students. We are gratified by these interactions and the reports received.

Teaching

While Ph.D. Program students are not asked to fulfill a specific teaching requirement, there are opportunities for the students who seek to enhance their skills and experience beyond the Program's strong emphasis on presentation skills. The teaching opportunities include teaching assistantships in selected Medical and Graduate School courses, student mentorships in the Introduction to Journal Club course and in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program.

Program of Study

All students are guided by two academic advisors who help with the planning of coursework and guide the student in the choice of first-year rotations. These research rotations facilitate the choice of a mentor and enhance the exposure of the first-year student to different research problems and techniques. The rotation experience also enriches the student's awareness of the interactions between different research laboratories and often results in an initial publishable piece of scientific work. Once the student has chosen a research laboratory in which to pursue the dissertation project, the student's research mentor chairs a reconfigured committee that is composed of those faculty who can be of most assistance to the student with the particular area of investigation. Students should meet with their advisors  at regular intervals and present progress reports that allow identification of special opportunities and achievements, as well as early detection of technical or other problems.

During the first year, students generally complete the regimen, including Laboratory Rotation, which usually involves two or three laboratory experiences. Students who enter with focused disciplinary interests are welcome to affiliate immediately with a particular Multidisciplinary Training Area, though they will not declare that Area formally until the end of the first year of study. Students are assisted by their academic advisors in the selection of interdisciplinary rotations with training faculty.  Advanced students together with their advisory committee will choose advanced courses, journal clubs, and seminars.

Students who have completed relevant graduate coursework at other institutions can get graduate credit for their coursework and may often be exempted from specific core requirements on the basis of courses already taken.

Journal clubs and seminars are an important part of the student's program throughout the training period. Students learn to analyze, evaluate, and prepare written and spoken research presentations. Every opportunity is given to graduate students to meet with distinguished visiting scientists and to discuss their own projects with those guests. Students complete the Core Requirement during the first year of the program. Completion/progress of the Core Requirement will be evaluated at the end of the first year in the Program.

During the second year, students will complete MTA-required advanced courses which are appropriate for their particular interests. Many advanced courses are modular: three one-credit modules are offered in a given semester, and students may register for all three or individually for one or two modules. This arrangement enables students to "mix-and-match" modules from different areas, e.g. an immunobiology module and a signal transduction module and an oncogene module, to fit their interests best. Also, by this time, the student will have moved into a mentor's laboratory and initiated his or her major research endeavor.

By the end of the third semester, the student must have successfully completed the Qualifying Examination that covers general knowledge of his or her field of interest. The Thesis Proposal must be successfully presented by the end of the fifth semester in the Program. The final examination is, of course, the Dissertation Defense. In addition to the actual Defense, students present a formal public seminar as their work comes to conclusion.

Throughout their graduate education at Mount Sinai, students take advantage of the core-shared facilities for special biophysical, molecular biological, and immunological techniques. They enjoy an outstanding library with a computer center for computerized learning programs.