Qualifying Examination
Shoumita Dasgupta, Ph.D., Chairperson, Qualifying Examinations
Mock Dissertation Proposal: each candidate will prepare a Mock Dissertation Proposal consisting of a 5-10 page proposal that follows the format of an NIH grant application (see below). The topic selected for this proposal must be submitted to and approved by the program’s Qualifying Examination Committee prior to preparing the proposal. The proposal should be based upon primary literature and should be the candidate’s own idea for answering a specific question or set of questions in the area of research. This research area should be distinct from that of the candidate’s planned dissertation research. The student is allowed and encouraged to discuss the proposal with their colleagues as long as they are made aware that the candidate is developing a proposal for the Qualifying Examination; the proposal should represent the candidate’s fundamental ideas. The candidate should not spend more than 3-4 weeks preparing the proposal for submission to the Qualifying Examination Committee and it must be completed soon after coursework is completed (see Student Guide for detailed schedule). Each proposal will be critically reviewed by a small Mock Dissertation Proposal committee made up of faculty in the GPMM/Department of Medicine or recruited from the graduate school faculty, as appropriate.
