Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program
Admission requirements for Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Program in Physiology
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
Students working toward the PhD are considered applicants until they have been admitted to candidacy upon proving evidence of superior scholarship. As a minimum, this evidence shall consist of:
1. Completion of at least two years of course work with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 overall and in courses taken within the Department of Physiology. Research and Seminar shall not be included in the computation of the grade point average.
2. Passing the Written Comprehensive Examination. The student’s Graduate Advisory Committee administers this examination on behalf of the Department. It consists of the preparation of an “area” paper based on library research. The “area” (topic) is assigned by the three Physiology members based on the anticipated dissertation research. Approval by all three Physiology members is required for a passing grade on the examination. The Paper must be handed in no later than 30 days from the date of assignment of the topic. Once the examination begins, the student may consult with the faculty for clarification of the scope of the paper, however, submittal of draft copies is forbidden. The student is expected to exhibit an ability to search the literature, understand the essence of the data, critically analyze papers, and write in their own words a clear and concise summary report (typically 20-30 double spaced pages, exclusive of bibliography). The source of all information must be properly acknowledged, as would be done in the American Journal of Physiology.
The student's Graduate Advisory Committee will decide if the student “passes” (all three faculty accept the paper), or “fails” (one or more faculty judge the paper unacceptable). In the event the student fails, the Committee may, at its option, request permission from the MCV Graduate Committee for the student to retake the exam. If permission is granted, the student's Graduate Advisory Committee may decide to have the student re-write specific unacceptable portions of the paper, and allocate an appropriate amount of time for that purpose; require the student to re-write the entire paper; or write another paper on a new topic, and allow an additional 30 days. In the event of a re-examination, the membership of the Committee may be changed in which case a new topic is assigned. A student may be permitted to retake the written comprehensive exam one time only. Passing the written component is prerequisite to the oral comprehensive exam.
3. Passing the Oral Comprehensive Examination. In addition to the “area” paper, a 4 to 5 page synopsis of the anticipated dissertation research is required. It may be submitted at any time after approval of the “area” paper, but no later than 15 days before the oral exam. The research proposal is based on discussions between the student and advisor and represents their plan for the dissertation research. The student’s Graduate Advisory Committee plus the Dean of Medicine or his representative administers the oral comprehensive examination. It must take place within thirty days after the approval of the Written Comprehensive Examination. Although it may begin with questions related to the paper of the Written Comprehensive Examination, its purpose is to evaluate the student's comprehensive understanding of the subject matter covered in the student's approved course work. This examination is open to the faculty, but only the examiners may vote. A passing grade requires that there be no more than one negative vote among the examiners. In the event the student does not pass, the committee may, at its option, request permission from the MCV Graduate Committee for the student to retake the exam. If granted, the student may be permitted to retake the oral comprehensive exam one time only.
Following admission to candidacy, the student must conduct a substantial and original investigation under the supervision of his advisor, and prepare a suitable dissertation or thesis. This typically takes two years beyond the Oral Comprehensive Examination, but the thesis is to be submitted to the student's committee no sooner than six months after completion of the Oral Comprehensive Exam. If the dissertation is acceptable to all committee members, the candidate will appear for the Final Oral Examination, which is limited to the subject of the dissertation. In evaluating this examination, no more than one negative vote is permitted in order for the student to pass, and all examiners are required to vote. Upon completing all requirements, the candidate is recommended to the Graduate Faculty, General Faculty, and President for award of the degree.
The first year course work for Ph.D. students is essentially identical to that outlined for the MS student. The research component is done in the lab of the chosen advisor or a candidate may rotate through several labs before deciding on a lab in which to do a thesis.
There will be a total of five advanced physiology courses offered in an alternating-year sequence and covering specialized topics. Each PhD student will be required to take at least two of the five. The choice of elective courses will depend upon the student's particular interests, and is made in consultation with the student's Graduate Advisory Committee. If a student and the Graduate Advisory Committee agree that an advanced course in another department would be particularly relevant to a student’s research, this course may be substituted for one of the five advanced Physiology courses. The substituted course must be at the 600 level. Each PhD student is required to also complete the course in Scientific Integrity (MICR 510) before graduation. Attendance at weekly Departmental seminars is required of all full-time students and PhD candidates are required to give a departmental seminar before they graduate, possibly in conjunction with their final oral defense. All students are expected to pursue research in the summers. It is recommended that PhD candidates who intend to pursue a career in an academic institution take the 7 credit set of courses entitled Preparing Future Faculty in the Professions (PFFP; GRAD 601-606). These courses can be taken throughout the course of study.