Program Overview

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Program Requirements Course location and modality is found on the BSPHwebsite.Requirements for the PhD Degree:satisfactory completion of 90 credit hours of course work (including thesis research credits)5 additional advanced elective courses to be taken AFTER the 1st year in the 2nd or 3rd years; to include PH.140.642 Design of Clinical Experiments – these courses must be at least 3 credits each and taken for grade. They should be advanced methodically and analytically, and are to build on the knowledge/curriculum learned in the 1st year. Elective courses taken prior to enrolling in GTPCI or in the 1st year do not qualify as one of the 5 advanced electivesmust earn a B or better in all required coursescontinuous registration for the PH.390.855 Research Forumand registration for thesis research each term during the following yearscomprehensive examination at the end of the didactic yearsatisfaction of all university requirements for the PhD, including preliminary oral examination, thesis preparation, and final defensePhD Residency RequirementThe BSPH requires all PhD students to register full-time for a minimum of 16 credits for 4 consecutive terms. This does not necessarily have to be the first 4 terms of enrollment, but the full-time residency requirement must be fulfilled sometime during the PhD program PRIOR to taking the preliminary oral examination.Annual Review Requirement – Individual Development Plan (IDP)The University Doctoral Board requires that each PhD student receive an annual review during every year in their program. This review is expected to have 3 components:1. Student self-assessment and Individual Development Plan (IDP form)2. Monitoring of progress in the program3. Written feedback to the studentComprehensive ExaminationTaken after successfully completing the core coursework.It is a4-hour, in-person, open-notes exam that is distributed at the end of 4thterm. One re-take of the exam is allowable; if the exam is not passed on the second attempt, the student will be removed from the program.Preliminary Oral ExaminationAll PhD students must complete the PH.550.600 Living Science Ethics - Responsible Conduct of Researchcourse prior to taking the preliminary oral exam.The preliminary oral examination should ordinarily take place no later than December following the completion of the didactic year and comprehensive written examination. It is a 2-hour exam that serves to determine whether the student has both the ability and the knowledge to undertake significant research in their general area of interest. Specifically, the exam committee will be concerned with the student’s:1. Capacity for logical thinking2. Breadth of knowledge in relevant areas3. Ability to develop and conduct research leading to a completed thesisStudents will provide a 10-15 min. presentation of their research topic, and discussion of this research topic may serve as a vehicle for determining the student’s general knowledge, methodological approaches, and research capacity. This examination is not intended to be a defense of a specific research proposal.When the student’s thesis committee agree that a written draft of the dissertation work is acceptable, the student may proceed to schedule the “oral defense” of their thesis. If the thesis committee agree by unanimous vote that the student “passes” their oral thesis defense, they will then recommend to the Graduate Board of the University, the awarding of the PhD degree. Documentationof Thesis ProgressIn addition to the BSPH annual review requirement, GTPCI requires documentation of each thesis degree student’s interaction with their thesis committee, as it pertains to their thesis progress. The policy is as follows:Students must convene with their thesis committeewithin 6 months after completion of the preliminary oral exam and then every 12 months thereafter. A minimum of 3 members must be present for the meeting. Thesis committee members may participate by teleconferencing if necessary to achieve a quorum.It is the student’s responsibility to organize the required meeting of the thesis committee.It is the student’s responsibility to present the report form at the meeting, obtain committee member signatures, and return the form to the GTPCI Program office.The Program will notify each student and Academic Adviser via e-mail one month prior to the due date. Documentation FormThe form will be distributed for completion to students during the December and May monthly GTPCI Research Forum.Students who are absent from the Research Forum will be notified via e-mail to complete the form and return it to the GTPCI Program Office.PhD Continuing Course Requirements:After all required coursework is completed, PhD students must continuously be registered for a minimum of 3 credits per term until graduation.PhD students are required to register for and attend the monthlyPH.390.855 Research Forumevery year after the 1stdidactic year, until all degree requirements are met or they leave the institution. Students are expected to attend at least six of the eight sessions; if this requirement is not met, completion of a remedial assignment will be required. The Research Forum requirement ceases after passing the final oral thesis defense. The purpose is to provide students with an opportunity to present interim research results and obtain constructive criticisms from their peers and faculty.The format of the meetings is a brief presentation by the investigator (10-15 minutes) of problems presented by work in progress. Another PhD student will be assigned as a discussant for each presentation, and will comment for 5 minutes after the presentation. This will be followed by questions, answers, and comments (10-15 minutes). The format is NOT intended to be a platform for formal presentation of research results. Instead, its intent is to facilitate critical discussion, and even disagreement that will be helpful to the presenter and other students in attendance as well.Final Oral Examination (Thesis Defense)The structure of the defense includes two parts: an initial public presentation of the thesis work, followed by a closed critical examination by the student's thesis committee. The public seminar should include a 30 minute presentation by the student, followed by a question period of 15 minutes. Public announcement and invitations should be initiated by the student. Afterward, the thesis committee and student will meet privately to continue a critical evaluation of the thesis as needed. Thereafter, the thesis committee will convene in private for voting and discussion, after which they will announce their decision to the student.Students should schedule a two-hour time block with their thesis committee, and reserve suitable space for both parts of the defense.The Appointment of Thesis Reader and Final Exam form is DUE ONE MONTH PRIOR TO EXAM DATE.Exam Committee Members - who can serve for GTPCIADKINSON, Franklin - GTPCI or DOM Clinical ImmunologyALEXANDER, Caleb -GTPCI or BSPH EpidemiologyAMBINDER, Richard - GTPCI or SOM OncologyBANDEEN-ROCHE, Karen - GTPCI or BSPH BiostatisticsBEMBEA, Melania - GTPCI or SOM Anesthesiology/Critical Care MedicineBIENVENU, Joe - GTPCI or SOM PsychiatryCELENTANO, David - GTPCI or BSPH EpidemiologyDIENER-WEST, Marie - GTPCI or BSPH BiostatisticsFLEXNER, Charles - GTPCI or DOM Clinical PharmacologyGELBER, Allan - GTPCI or SOM RheumatologyGHANEM, Khalil - GTPCI or SOM Infectious DiseaseHAUT, Elliott - GTPCI or SOM SurgeryHENDRIX, Craig - GTPCI or DOM Clinical PharmacologyHOOVER-FONG, J. - GTPCI or SOM Pediatric GeneticsJOHNSTON, Fabian - GTPCI or SOMSurgery and OncologyKING, Elizabeth - GTPCI or SOMTransplant SurgeryKUDCHADKAR, Sapna - GTPCI or SOM Pediatrics and Anesthesiology/Critical Care MedicineLEVINE, David - GTPCI or SOM General Internal MedicineLIN, Frank - GTPCI or SOM OtolaryngologyLUCAS, Greg - GTPCI or SOM Infectious DiseaseMILLER, Pete - GTPCI or SOM Medicine and EpidemiologyNEEDHAM, Dale - GTPCI or SOM PulmonaryROTHMAN, Richard - GTPCI or SOM Emergency MedicineSEGEV, Dorry - GTPCI or SOM SurgeryRequired CourseworkCompletion of Introduction to Online Learning is required prior to beginning 1st term.According to the requirements of theCouncil on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all BSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. The courses below meet these requirements: 552.601,552.603,552.607,552.608,552.609,552.610,552.611,552.612.Course ListCodeTitleCreditsPH.390.750Introduction to Clinical Research (Optional in Summer prior to matriculation)2PH.552.601Foundational Principles of Public Health0.5PH.552.603The Role of Qualitative Methods and Science in Describing and Assessing a Population's Health0.5PH.552.607Essentials of Environmental Health0.5PH.552.608Biologic, Genetic and Infectious Bases of Human Disease0.5PH.552.609Psychological and Behavioral Factors That Affect A Population's Health0.5PH.552.610The Social Determinants of Health0.5PH.552.611Globalization and Population Health0.5PH.552.612Essentials of One Health0.5PH.550.600Living Science Ethics - Responsible Conduct of Research1PH.550.860Academic & Research Ethics at BSPHPH.390.673Ethical and Regulatory Issues in Clinical Research (or 306.665)3PH.390.631Principles of Drug Development2PH.390.751Seminars in Clinical Investigation2PH.390.801Professional Goals and Objectives1PH.390.710Biomedical Writing I2PH.390.711Biomedical Writing II2PH.390.721Principles of Grant Writing I2PH.390.722Principles of Grant Writing II4PH.390.703Presentation Skills1PH.140.621Statistical Methods in Public Health I (or 140.651)4PH.140.622Statistical Methods in Public Health II (or 140.652)4PH.140.623Statistical Methods in Public Health III (or 140.653)4PH.140.624Statistical Methods in Public Health IV (or 140.654)4PH.340.606Methods for Conducting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses4PH.340.751Epidemiologic Methods 15PH.340.752Epidemiologic Methods 25PH.340.753Epidemiologic Methods 35In place of 340.754, choose electives: 5 or more total credits, taken for grade16 credits per/term required for 1st-4th terms: choose electives in terms with less than 16In 2nd year - must take 5 advanced electives; 3 credits each; taken for grade (including 140.642)PH.140.642Design of Clinical Experiments (1 of 5 advanced electives in 2nd year)3PH.390.855Research Forum (taken each year beginning 2nd year until graduation)1