A weekly seminar program. Each of these components is described briefly below, with links to more detailed information. The course provides exposure to fundamentals of all of the disciplines represented by the six advanced programs. The IDP core course is designed to prepare students for study in any one of the advanced programs and at the same time provide training which is sufficiently broad to accommodate a diversity of careers in virtually any branch of modern biomedical science. While the lectures provide a survey of the material, the discussions provide a more intimate, in-depth examination of individual topics.
Discussion groups are relatively small, containing six to eight students and one faculty member.
Most discussions focus on a research article and provide in-depth discussion of a discipline through a rigorous examination of this literature. Grand rounds is intended to enhance the relevance of the other aspects of the course, and provide insight into current problems in clinical medicine and public health. First-year students who have decided on the direction of their advanced coursework have the option of beginning to specialize their coursework as early as the Spring semester of their first year. First-year IDP students may register for individual sections of the Spring core course in combination with advanced courses, or begin taking appropriate advanced courses. Faculty advisors are available to provide guidance about Spring semester course selection.