We refer to the advisor selection process for first-year PhD students as an exploration period.
Goal:
The goal of the exploration period is to facilitate meaningful interactions between students, faculty, and their labs within the first 8 to 12 weeks of the semester.
Funding:
All students who are not on a stipend fellowship or are not directly hired as a GRA will serve as a Teaching Assistant in their first fall semester.
Matching Process:
Students are to correspond with BME GSC faculty over the summer and identify 1 to 3 labs they would like to explore. Ideally, rotations will be scheduled before a student arrives in the fall, but scheduling may continue into New Graduate Student Orientation week. In some cases, students may opt to direct match and accept a GRA offer immediately upon entrance into the program. These students do not complete lab rotations.
Decision Deadline: Faculty
Faculty typically make final hiring decisions by the first week of December each fall semester. Students who have not matched by this date will consult with the Graduate Advisor to determine next steps and/or to arrange another round of rotations. Students who fail to match by the end of the spring semester (for fall admits) will not be able to complete the Qualifying Exam. Securing a position within a lab is considered a measure of satisfactory progress in the program.
Lab Exploration Resources
Each lab in BME sets its own policies with regard to things like communication expectations, time off, publication expectations, and undergraduate student mentorship. Most labs have a formal lab manual which describes these policies in detail. In addition to formal lab manuals, new and rotating graduate students may review Lab Policies Summaries for BME labs.