Just before or during the second year of study, students most often choose one of the labs in which they have worked and begin their thesis research 4. The major part of Ph.D. training is the thesis research that begins once the student has chosen a laboratory in which to work. A committee of faculty members, chosen by the student in consultation with the mentor and approved by the Program director, provides advice on the research. Committee members provide objective, critical analysis of the research, monitor the student's progress toward the thesis and guide the student through the research. These faculty members provide expert advice on avoiding the pitfalls that can foil newcomers to biomedical research, and, when the thesis is ready for presentation, they serve as the defense committee.
Most students complete and defend their dissertations by the end of their fifth year of study.
The first rotation may begin in May or June following acceptance. Several strategies have been devised to meet the student's need to stay abreast of the increasing amount of information amassed in the biological sciences. Graduate students in the Division are always welcome at the more than 15 biology seminars held campus-wide each week on diverse subjects. In addition to seminars sponsored by individual departments, student-organized seminars involve students in the selection and hosting of speakers. This provides excellent opportunities for students to meet outstanding scientists from outside the Washington University scientific community.