Overview
Qi Cui
The students at U of R are some of the friendliest I’ve come across. In addition to the collegial atmosphere, the faculty are extremely knowledgeable and accessible; as long as you are willing to learn, there is never a shortage of mentors/teachers. The students are respected as individual thinkers.
The University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry has a long and enduring history of training physician-scientists interested in academic careers that combine teaching, clinical medicine, and research. As part of a broad initiative to establish an Academic Research Track (ART) within the medical school curriculum, the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy offers an Academic Honors Program in Medical Neurobiology. This five-year Program adds an additional year of study, research and teaching experience to the medical curriculum, culminating in a Master of Science Degree (MS) in Neurobiology and Anatomy that is conferred along with the MD degree upon graduation.
The overall goal of the Program is to engage students in academically oriented training early in their medical education. This in turn will prepare them for comparably oriented residencies and fellowships that will ultimately lead toward faculty positions in US medical schools as physician-scientist-educators of the future.
Introduction to the Department
The Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy is recognized for its excellence in research programs, and for its commitment to teaching and leadership in both graduate and medical education. Over-35 faculty (primary and joint) are actively engaged in research on the structure and function of the nervous system across several levels of inquiry. Areas of interest include: sensory and motor systems, neurobiology of disease, neuroengineering, computational neurobiology, learning and plasticity, cognitive neuroscience, cell signaling and transmission, and development and aging. Students in the Program may select a mentor from among this array of faculty and areas of interest, as well as courses and teaching options tailored to their interests. For students joining the Program, this translates into a highly attractive environment leading toward careers as clinician/scientists of the future.
Moving On
| Student | Current Program | Advisor(s) | Area of Study |
|---|---|---|---|
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Biology of psychiatric illnesses |
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Curriculum
Prior to matriculating, students entering the Program must:
- identify an acceptable Mentor/Advisor
- identify a Co-Advisor, if the Mentor is not a member of the NBA department
- obtain financial commitment from Mentor towards health insurance and partial stipend
- complete GEBS office startup paperwork
Requirements for completion of MS (32 credits or more)
The Program builds upon two major science-oriented courses taken during the first two medical school years: Human Structure and Function (HSF-ANA 526) and Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MBB-ANA 525). Ten credits from these two medical school courses may be used toward the MS degree. Other requirements will be completed during an additional year of training beginning by July after Y2 or Y3 of the medical curriculum. Research during the summer after Y1 is strongly encouraged, though not necessarily in direct relation to the thesis project. Typical MS students will register for 12 credits per semester.
The MS requires the writing of a dissertation and the passing of an oral examination. The dissertation and the research upon which it is based typically represent a minimum of 6 and ordinarily a maximum of 12 credit hours. The dissertation must show independent work, the ability to plan study over a prolonged period, the ability to present the work in an orderly fashion, and an acquaintance with the literature of a limited field. The Preparation of Doctoral Theses: A Manual for Graduate Studies
is also used to prepare masters theses. The dissertation must be registered with the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of SMD and copies given to the members of the examining committee at least two weeks prior to the oral examination. The examining committee must include four faculty members including the thesis advisor. This includes at least two primary faculty from the department of Neurobiology & Anatomy and one member from an outside department. No student may appear for the final examination without permission of his or her faculty advisor.
Course Requirements: totaling at least 32 credits with 10 credits from prior MD curriculum (HSF:ANA 526 & MBB: ANA 525)
- Fall
-
- IND 501 Ethics (1 credit)
- ANA 521 Graduate Journal Club (1 credit, choose from list)
- Multisensory
- Motor Control
- Neural Precursors
- Signal Transduction
- Neuroinflammation
- Cortical Circuitry
- NSC 592 Neuroscience Journal Club
- Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism in Health and Disease
- Others are often available
- Development of new journal clubs is encouraged.
- ANA 495 MS Research (variable credits)
- Electives (0-4 credits)
- ANA 581. Teaching Tutorial in Human Structure & Function (2 credits)
- Spring
-
- ANA 521 Graduate Journal Club (1 credit)
- ANA 522 Graduate Student Seminar (1 credit)
- ANA 495 MS Research (variable credits)
- Electives (0-4 credits)
Note: combined teaching + electives ≥ 6 credits
- Timeline & Landmarks
-
- June: begin summer research
- September: identify thesis committee members
- January 1: identify thesis project
- Jun-Nov: defend thesis and return to Med School (extension based on Medical School elective time)
Admissions
Students wishing to apply to the MD-MS program should use the CTSA application format. Applications for the coming year are due February 7th, 2010. The Department anticipates that 2-4 second and/or third year medical students will be selected each year for this competitive program.
Selection attributes:
- Satisfactory performance in the first and second year medical school curriculum.
- Letters of support, from an undergraduate research mentor and the other from a medical school faculty member familiar with the candidate.
Please use the M.D.-M.S. Reference Form (PDF), to be sent to those supplying letters.
- A personal statement (one page) outlining career goals and the role of the M.D.-M.S. Program.
Please use the M.D.-M.S. Personal Statement Form (PDF) and return it by email as noted on the form.
- Interviews with at least two members of the Program Committee.
- Strong interest and aptitude for academic medicine and an interest in neurobiology in particular. It is expected that most applicants for this program have had significant undergraduate research experience, although not necessarily in neuroscience.
Support:
Support for students in the Program is provided by the School of Medicine and Dentistry, with a stipend shared between the Mentor and/or the Department or Institution. The University will provide tuition for the MS degree.
Further Information
Further information and application materials may be obtained by contacting the Program Committee
Program Committee:
- Gary D. Paige, M.D., Ph.D.
- Chair, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, and Program Director
- John T. Hansen, Ph.D.
- Associate Chair for Education, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy.
- John A. Olschowka, Ph.D.
- Chair, departmental Graduate Education Committee
Students should also feel free to contact students currently in the Program, as well as members of the Neurobiology and Anatomy Medical School teaching faculty who have extensive exposure to medical students during the first and second years of the medical curriculum.