Physiology

Graduate Program Guidelines

OBJECTIVES

The Graduate Program of the Department of Physiology is a Ph.D. program. It is designed to educate and train students to be competent research scientists and teachers of physiology. The specific objectives of the program are to provide students with:

1. The capacity to carry out independent research in an area of physiology. This includes the ability to: conceive new and significant hypotheses; investigate the literature with respect to these hypotheses; design studies/experiments to test hypotheses; develop a critical approach to experimental design; and communicate the results of this research in both written and oral formats;

2. Opportunities for training in the teaching of physiology. This may include any of a broad spectrum of experiences and may involve the use of a wide range of educational approaches.

1. An environment that promotes independent development and habits of life-long scholarship.

2. A broad base of knowledge of the principles of molecular, cellular and organ-system physiology. The student should be able to comprehend and use information from different areas of physiology and have the ability to analyze physiological problems quantitatively.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION

At the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, graduate students are admitted through a common Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program. Students remain in this program for the first year. An undifferentiated first-year core curriculum is designed to promote exposure to cellular and molecular concepts in the biomedical sciences, development of interdisciplinary approaches essential to innovative research, flexibility in choosing a Ph.D. mentor from 7 basic science departments. Students who select a full or joint member of the Physiology Faculty as a faculty mentor and successfully complete the Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program curriculum are eligible for admission to the Physiology Graduate Program.

In conjunction with the Colleges of Medicine and Dentistry, the Department will consider for admission those qualified students wishing to pursue a combined M.D.-Ph.D. or D.M.D.-Ph.D. program in preparation for academic careers. Under special circumstances, advanced students may apply directly to the Physiology graduate program.

STUDENT STIPENDS AND TUITION

Students are provided with stipends and tuition through their fifth year, subject to periodic evaluation as explained below. For the academic year 2007-2008, students are provided with the stipend of $23,500.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCTORATE DEGREE (Ph.D.)

I. First Year: Completion of the IBS curriculum

Students take a common IBS curriculum, consisting of six core classes (IBS601/603/605 during fall, IBS602/604/606 during spring, and Tox600 during summer), and do laboratory rotations and seminar programs in their areas of interest. With the prior approval of the IBS oversight committee, students with exceptional training have the opportunity to opt out of one or more of the lecture classes.

As soon as entering the PGY graduate program by selecting the mentor in Physiology, students are encouraged to select the Advisory Committee.

An Advisory Committee must be selected as soon as a student is admitted to the Physiology Graduate Program. The Advisory Committee is especially charged with advising the student on specialized training that will allow them to become expert within their chosen area of physiology. This training can be obtained through advanced courses, tutorials, laboratory research, journal clubs, lab meetings, and other types of individualized instruction. The Advisory Committee must consider the individual needs of each student, advise accordingly, and be willing to assist in this training. Thus, membership is tailored as much as possible to match the student's interest and needs.

The Committee consists of no fewer than four Graduate Faculty; the student must check the Graduate Faculty status of individual committee members before finalizing their Advisory Committee.

1. The Dissertation Director, generally as Chair
2. Two or three additional members of the Department of Physiology
3. At least one member from a supporting area outside the department

Rules:

1. At least three members must be full members of the Graduate Faculty.
2. The outside member must be a member of the Graduate Faculty.
3. The Dissertation Director will be a full-time faculty member of the Department of Physiology.
4. In cases where the faculty mentor is a joint appointee of the department, a full member of the Department of Physiology must be appointed to act as Co-Director.
5. In the event a Dissertation Director is without tenure or without full Graduate Faculty status, a Co-Director (tenured member) will be designated. The Co-director shares full responsibility for oversight of all aspects of the student's progress.

The Advisory Committee should meet at least once every 6 months. The meetings must include discussion on the student’s progress report, the student’s goals for the next period, and the committee’s evaluation of the student’s performance. After the meeting, the student and mentor must provide minutes of each meeting signed by all participants to the Director of Graduate Studies.

II. Second Year:

In their second year, students are required to take PGY502/602 courses to provide additional training in system/cell/molecular physiology. Students are required to earn “B” or better grades in PGY502 and to perform at a B level or better in a comprehensive exam that consists of both the written and oral examinations given in PGY602. Additional coursework is chosen after consultation with the student's research mentor and Advisory committee (see below).

A. COURSEWORK; Full-time graduate students are expected to carry at least 9 credit hours for fall or spring semester prior to qualifying exam. Sign up for summer research hours only after consulting with the Director of Graduate Studies.

1. PGY 774 Graduate Seminar (1 credit) is required of all second and third year PGY graduate students. Senior PGY students are encouraged to attend class when the seminar topic is within their area of specialty. Each third year student is required to present a departmental seminar.


2. PGY 502 Principles of Systems, Cellular and Molecular Physiology (5 credits): Obtaining a grade of B or better is required of all Physiology graduate students. This is taken in fall of the second year.


3. PGY602 Readings in Systems, Cellular and Molecular Physiology (3 credits): This companion course to PGY 502 is also taken in the fall of the second year. PGY 602 focuses on application and utilization of physiological concepts presented in PGY 502. A written exam and an oral exam will be used to assess this ability. Grading for PGY 602 is based primarily on the outcome of the written and oral examinations.

Students must demonstrate sufficient physiological knowledge to pass a comprehensive exam that consists of both the written and oral examinations given in PGY602. If students fail to perform at a B level or better, they may be given one opportunity to retake the written and/or oral portions of the exam. The grade on the retake will not be considered for PGY 602 grading. To continue in the Department of Physiology Graduate Program, students must meet the B-or-better performance criteria as assessed by the faculty present/participating in the 602 exam.

4. Additional coursework: Each student's Advisory Committee is charged with determining whether additional coursework is needed to tailor a student's training to their needs. A list of suggested courses is:

STA 570 or STA 580 Statistics
PGY 601 Mammalian Endocrinology
PGY 604 Advanced Cardiovascular Physiology
PGY 605 Principles ofNeurobiology
PGY 606 Advanced Neurophysiology
PGY 608 Advanced Renal Physiology
PGY 609 Advanced Respiratory Physiology
PGY 617 Physiological Genomics
PGY 618 Molecular Neurobiology
PGY 638 Developmental Neurobiology
PGY 660 Biology of Reproduction


5. Scientific ethics course: If students have not done so as part of the IBS program, students are strongly encouraged to take a scientific ethics course such as TOX 600 Ethics in Scientific Research.


6. Seminar Presentation Course: This informal course is designed to help students to effectively present seminars. The students are expected to participate in this informal course for 3 semesters (second year and the fall semester of the third year).


7. Student Chalk-talk: This is a students-run program. All graduate students are encouraged to participate in this program.

Note: MD-PhD Students

B. Qualifying Exam

1. The purpose of the Qualifying Exam is for the student to demonstrate a highly advanced understanding of a chosen field, and the ability to make use of this knowledge to formulate a novel hypothesis and a logical experimental design to investigate this hypothesis. The exam will typically be administered after the second spring semester and no later than September of the third fall semester. Preliminary data are not required.


2. The composition of this exam is as follows:
   1. Students will present to their advisory committee 3 novel proposals distinct from their mentor’s written proposals in the form of abbreviated abstracts with the hypothesis, specific aims, and significance.
   2. The advisory committee will select a proposal in a meeting with the student.
   3. The student will produce an NIH-format grant proposal based upon the proposed idea within 6 weeks. The proposal must contain Specific Aims, Background, Preliminary Data (if any), and Experimental Design in a maximum of 10 single spaced pages, excluding references.
   4. The student must submit the proposal to the advisory committee one week prior to the qualifying exam.
   
   
3. The timeline: students must complete their qualifying exam within 6 weeks of their 3rd year fall semester; exceptions may be made only after discussion with the DGS. After discussion with his/her advisor and Advisory Committee members, the student can schedule his/her qualifying exam. It is important to remember the following.
   • All members of the committee have to be present for the exam.
   • The exam must be administered during a period in which class is in session (there are a number of blackout periods, mostly in the summer, during which an exam can NOT be scheduled)… if the exam has to be scheduled in the summer, please discuss this with the DGS before you schedule the exam.
   • To schedule the exam, fill out a Recommendation for Qualifying Examination Form to the DGS or the DGS staff for DGS signature and a departmental copy before sending it to the Graduate School. The Graduate School must receive this form AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ACTUAL EXAM DATE.
   • The graduate school will send a card to the DGS. The DGS will send the card to the mentor which needs to be available for all members of the committee to sign at the time of the exam. PLEASE DO NOT PROCEED WITH AN ORAL EXAM WITHOUT THIS CARD!
   • After the exam, the card that has been signed by all members of the committee has to be presented to the DGS or the DGS staff.

III. Subsequent Years:

A. Registration

Students must register for two credit hours of PGY767 and this ensures full-time status for the student. Students could register for additional classes that are of interest or relevance, in consultation with their advisor or dissertation committee. The students can begin PGY767 the semester of their qualifying exam.

B. Communication Skills and Dissertation Proposal

The development of good communication skills is an important part of graduate education. These skills are improved through a wide range of activities including: seminar courses; diverse teaching experiences; presentations at local, regional and national meetings; writing of manuscripts, research proposals and grants; journal clubs; and the final dissertation. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in all activities deemed appropriate by their advisory committee.

During the third year each student must write a brief dissertation proposal consisting of Specific Aims, Background, Preliminary Data (if any), and Experimental Design. This should be 5 -10 pages in length. The advisory committee may agree to accept the Qualifying Exam proposal as the dissertation proposal. Subsequent to approval by the Advisory Committee, it is recommended that this dissertation proposal be presented in Departmental Seminar Series; each third year student is required to present a departmental seminar, typically during the spring semester. In subsequent years, students may present an annual seminar in the departmental setting at the discretion of the student and their advisor.

C. Teaching Experience

An important part of graduate education includes student participation in the teaching program of the Department. Teaching opportunities include lectures, discussion groups, laboratory sessions, and lab demonstrations. Brief blocks of lectures (1-2 weeks) in courses such as PGY 206/207, or leading discussion sessions in physiology courses provide excellent supervised learning experiences. Course Directors will serve as mentors and provide assistance and feedback for these learning opportunities. The Director of Graduate Studies, in conjunction with the Teaching Director and course directors, coordinates opportunities for teaching with the student and their advisory committee. Students who anticipate teaching in their future are encouraged to take PGY 615 Seminar in Teaching Medical Science to obtain specific instruction in teaching.

The Department recognizes that teaching commitments outside the Department may be beneficial learning experiences for some students. However, graduate students must request permission from the Director of Graduate Studies and their mentor prior to every semester they intend to teach outside the department.

To enhance teacher training of our graduate students, the Department of Physiology has established a travel grant that will provide partial support for one physiology graduate student per year to attend a meeting or workshop that focuses on teaching methods and skills with emphasis on health science education. The application process for this award will be announced annually by the Director of Graduate Studies.

D. Disssertation

With the help and guidance of the Dissertation Director and the Advisory Committee, each student must write a dissertation which is the result of original research and adds to or otherwise modifies what was previously known on the subject. The quality and extent of the work must be such that the Advisory Committee regards it as suitable for publication by reputable scientific journals.

E. Dissertation Seminar and Final Examination

Each student must present a seminar on his or her dissertation research to the Department before the student’s final examination can be defended. Responsibility for timing of the dissertation seminar shall rest with the members of the student’s Advisory Committee who will inform the Director of Graduate Studies when the student is ready. The Director of Graduate Studies will then schedule the seminar.

There are several important elements of the final examination: Dissertation writing, Dissertation seminar, and Final Examination. Several forms are required along the road toward the final examination. The forms (http://www.rgs.uky.edu/gs/gsforms.html) are very short and usually easy to fill out, but if you have questions please see the DGS. ALSO, make sure you give a copy of every form you submit to the DGS secretary for your file.

1. Application for the degree (deadlines exist for each semester: February 08 for a May degree, June 22 for an August degree, and September 21 for a December degree. the dates may change yearly).
2. Final committee meeting. Once the dissertation research is complete, the candidate should call a meeting of their Advisory Committee. At this meeting, the candidate should outline the contents of the proposed dissertation. Special attention should be paid to demonstrating the scope and quality of the research, the hypothesis being tested, and the conclusions that have been reached.
3. Dissertation writing. With the help and guidance of the Dissertation Director and the Advisory Committee, each student must write a dissertation which is the result of original research and adds to or otherwise modifies what was previously known on the subject. The Dissertation should contain introduction/background, materials and methods, results, and discussion.
   The written dissertation must follow a format set by the graduate school. This format is described at the web site: http://www.gradschool.uky.edu/thesdissprep.html
4. Processes required for setting a date for the Final Examination.
   • Submission of a "Notification of Intent to Schedule a Final Exam” to the Graduate School must be arranged through the Director of Graduate Studies at least 8 weeks prior to the date of the Final Examination. At this time, the student may also provide their Dissertation Abstract, which can be used by the Graduate School to help select the Outside Examiner (more on this below).
   • Once the Graduate School has been notified, the Dean of the Graduate School appoints an Outside Examiner. Following the appointment of the Outside Examiner, the final examination date may be set. The candidate contacts all members of the Advisory Committee and the Outside Examiner and schedules a date for the exam. It is recommended to have at least two weeks between the appointment of the Outside Examiner and the final examination date.
     
     The Outside Examiner is appointed by the Graduate School Dean without a specific recommendation from the Physiology Department. The Graduate School attempts to appoint someone who has understanding of and interest in the topic of the dissertation. The role of the outside examiner is to:
     - Assure that only qualified candidates receive degrees
     - Insure that program standards are adequate
     - Assure that the exam is administered in a fair and impartial manner
     
   • The candidate deliver copies of the dissertation to the members of the Advisory committee and the DGS, and present “Dissertation Approval Sheet” (http://www.rgs.uky.edu/gs/gsforms.html) for signature. The signed “Dissertation Approval Sheet” and the "Final Exam Recommendation" form are due at the Graduate School no later than two weeks prior to the Final Examination date. As soon as the student gets the required signatures on the Dissertation Approval Sheet, the candidate MUST deliver to the Outside Examiner a complete, approved copy of the dissertation- this should be at least two weeks in advance of the examination.
5. Dissertation Defense
   • Dissertation Seminar. Each student must present a seminar on their dissertation research to the Department before the student's final examination and thesis defense. Normally, the seminar is held immediately prior to the Final Examination, but it is permissible (with the pre-approval of the Advisory Committee and Outside Examiner) to present the seminar at a date prior to the Final Examination. All members of the Advisory Committee and the Outside Examiner must be able to attend the final seminar.
   • At the Final Examination, the candidate is expected to demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the candidate's field of study and to defend the conclusions of the dissertation. At the conclusion of the examination, a simple majority of the committee need to indicate pass to enable the candidate to receive a doctorate.
   • The final copy of the dissertation incorporating any revisions required by the examining committee must be presented to the Graduate School within sixty (60) days of the Final Exam or on the last day of the semester for which the degree be awarded (as defined by the Application for a Degree) whichever is earlier. Failure to present the dissertation within 60 days may result in the student's having to be re-examined. The final copy of the dissertation must contain an Approval Sheet signed by the dissertation director and the DGS when it is submitted to the Graduate School. Please provide the PDF of your thesis to the DGS. The submission of an electronic thesis or dissertation is optional. Specific instructions are available at http://www.gradschool.uky.edu/thesdissprep.html. (kami@uky.edu).

G. Termination of a student from the graduate program: A student can be terminated from the program for any of the reasons listed below:

1. Academic probation (a GPA of less than 3.0) for three enrolled semesters.
2. A grade lower than a B on PGY 502 or PGY 602.
3. Having failed twice the qualifying examination for the doctoral degree.
4. Failure to make progress toward a degree. Upon recommendation of the Director of Graduate Studies or a student's Dissertation Director that a student has evidenced an unwillingness or inability to make progress toward a degree over an extended period, the faculty may dismiss.
5. Misconduct. Procedures outlined in the Student Code will be adhered to with respect to a charge of misconduct.
6. In addition to the above, all rules and regulations required by the Graduate School of the University of Kentucky will apply.

THE MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE (M.S.)

The department does not grant the Master of Science degree. Students are admitted to the doctoral program with the understanding that their purpose is to complete the doctoral degree requirements. Under special circumstances, however, the department will consider recommending transfer to the Masters Program in Medical Sciences. It is unlikely that the department will recommend a transfer to the masters program prior to the student's completion of the qualifying examination. Completion of the exam implies that the student will have completed some research and should be able to satisfy the requirements for a thesis masters. The department does not provide financial support for students working toward the Master of Science degree.