The faculty recognize the importance of attracting highly qualified students into the field of integrative, molecular and cellular physiology so that advances will continue in the understanding of biological systems. Students in the Physiology Department participate in a core curriculum that stresses interdisciplinary training. Druing the first one to two years, each student creates a unique training program based on his or her interests. Many students complete selected medical science courses in their first year. In the later years of study, students complete advanced coursework and focus their activities on a successful research experience in the laboratory of a faculty mentor who oversees their progress.
Most students complete the program in four to five years.
One of the strengths of this training program is its high degree of collaboration. Virtually all of the faculty participants have collaborations with other faculty. In most of the papers, graduate students were primary authors or co-authors. The majority of entering students are PhD candidates who intend to pursue research and teaching of Physiology as their career. However, medical students may also enroll in graduate school.