The Core Course presents first-year students with an integrated view of contemporary biology that begins at the level of individual molecules and progresses through an analysis of the complex structures and functions of differentiated cells. These electives offer students an opportunity to develop special interests and to engage in more detailed studies of diverse topics in the biomedical sciences. The course places a major emphasis on developing the student's ability to understand and evaluate scientific papers and seminars. To this end, didactic teaching is augmented by frequent discussion sessions and problem sets. These activities encourage students to solve problems and make connections between and among diverse topics and experimental approaches.
Significant time is spent analyzing the design, execution and interpretation of experiments.
Course credit is 7.5 semester hours for each of two semesters. The course is letter-graded. 5080 Research Rotation Students participate in three research experiences in three different laboratory settings. Choice of laboratories is determined by the student, though advice from faculty is available. The goals of these laboratory rotations are to gain a breadth of exposure to experimental biology, to sharpen laboratory skills and to facilitate the choice of an area for dissertation research.