Welcome to the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences at the UF College of Medicine.
The objective of the BMS is to provide a pre-doctoral educational experience that is designed to provide maximum flexibility for the training experimentalists and scholars for a wide range of careers in biomedical science.
We are committed to ensure that every graduate student obtains the best possible educational and research experience and receives support by committed graduate faculty that will enable them to complete their degrees in a reasonable time.
2024 Cohort Information/Important Dates
Fall Orientation:
Fall Courses and Journal Clubs
Most students will take the foundational curriculum track which consists of the following courses/credits:
- GMS 6001 Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences (5 credits)
- GMS 6003 First-year Mentoring Groups (1 credit)
- GMS 6895 First-year Journal Club (1 credit)
- GMS 6090 Lab Rotation #1 (1 credit)
- GMS 6090 Lab Rotation #2 (1 credit)
GMS6003/Mentoring Group Information
GMS 6001 Syllabus (example)
First Year Journal Club
Students have the flexibility to attend any concentration journal club of interest. Students are required to attend the journal club once per week (except UF holidays and when the club is not meeting). Students should reach out to the journal club directors to be included on communication since they are not officially registered.
Research Rotations
During the first year, students undertake up to three, 6-7-week research rotations with BMS faculty. The rotations must be with three different BMS graduate faculty, unless the student fast-tracks with a faculty member after either the first or second rotation. In this situation, the student would continue subsequent rotations with the same faculty member.
The purpose of the rotation is to determine if the mentor, research, and laboratory environment are a good match for the student’s Ph.D. studies. During the rotation, students have the opportunity to interact with their rotation mentor and laboratory personnel (i.e., other graduate students, postdocs, and research staff), assess potential research opportunities, learn new techniques and skills, and gain important insight that will help them in determining if this is the right fit for their scientific interests and development. The first and second rotations take place in the first semester, and the third rotation is at the beginning of the second semester.
First-year students must conduct rotations with graduate faculty in the BMS concentrations. Available faculty members are identified on the BMS faculty search page. Given the large number of potential mentors available among the graduate faculty, the mentor selection process requires careful organization and assistance, provided by the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and the concentration coordinators. Lab rotations should be arranged with BMS graduate faculty who have funding to support a graduate student. The Graduate Education Office conducts a periodic survey of the graduate faculty designed to identify principal investigators who will have funded positions available for students. Students are encouraged to line up their first rotation prior to the beginning of fall semester. Subsequent rotations should be confirmed one week prior to the start of the rotation.
*Note: Students can only rotate in the same lab if they have decided to fast-track and have completed the mentor contract.
Please submit your rotation information here.
Rotation Oral and Written Presentation Requirement
At the end of each rotation, students are required to: 1) submit a scientific abstract summarizing their research, and 2) give a 10-minute oral presentation on their rotation research. The abstract must be submitted one week before the rotation presentation. The final version of the abstract must also be uploaded here.
The abstract should be between 150-250 words and include the following information:
Introduction (background/relevance, statement of hypothesis)
Methods
Results
Discussion (conclusions, future directions)
The oral presentation is given in either the journal club or data discussion course of the rotation mentor’s concentration. The student should discuss with the rotation mentor the most appropriate journal club/data discussion for the presentation.
At the end of each rotation, the mentor provides a grade for the rotation and completes a standardized rotation evaluation, which is kept in the student’s file. Students who do not successfully complete both the written and oral component of their research presentation will receive an unsatisfactory grade.
Important information for your rising second year and beyond:
- Students should form their supervisory committee and conduct their first meeting within 90 days of completing the mentor contract.
- Students should complete their qualifying exam no later than fall of their third year in the program (2027).