IDP Curriculum Summary

On this page:
Core Curriculum Advanced Curriculum
Core Courses     Advanced Modules
Lab Course     Journal Clubs
Lab Rotations     IDP Electives
Essentials of Graduate Research & Professional Development
Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research

IDP Core Curriculum

The first year of study consists of five basic components:

Each of these components is described briefly below, with links to more detailed information.
Fall Semester Course Schedule

GMS 6001, Core Course (5 credits)

GMS 6004, IDP Practical Laboratory (2 credits)

GMS 6003, Essentials of Graduate Research & Professional Development (1 credit)

GMS 6090, Lab Rotation (1 credit)

 Spring Semester Course Schedule

Any combination of core course sections & advanced courses to total 6 credits

GMS 7003, Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research (1 credit)

GMS 6090, Lab Rotation (2 credits)
 
 

 Summer Semester Course Schedule

GMS 7979, Advanced Research (6 credits)
 

 

 

The Core Course:  Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences (GMS 6001)

"Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences" consists of six lecture hours, two discussion hours, and one hour of grand rounds per week each semester.  The course provides exposure to fundamentals of all of the disciplines represented by the six advanced programs.  The IDP core course is designed to prepare students for study in any one of the advanced programs and at the same time provide training which is sufficiently broad to accommodate a diversity of careers in virtually any branch of modern biomedical science.  While the lectures provide a survey of the material, the discussions provide a more intimate, in-depth examination of individual topics.  Discussion groups are relatively small, containing six to eight students and one faculty member.  Most discussions focus on a research article and provide in-depth discussion of a discipline through a rigorous examination of this literature.  Grand rounds consists of a presentation by a basic scientist and/or a clinician covering a clinically relevant human disease which is also relevant to the subject matter being covered in the lecture and discussion material.  Grand rounds is intended to enhance the relevance of the other aspects of the course, and provide insight into current problems in clinical medicine and public health.

The Fall semester of the core course (GMS 6001) is a required course for all IDP students.  Major topics that will be covered include:  Structural Biology;  Molecular Biology;  Genetics;  Cell Biology - Transport;  Cell Biology - Cytoskeleton;  and Signal Transduction.

In the Spring semester, all IDP students are required to register for 6 credits of biomedical science courses from the IDP curriculum.  IDP students may continue with an interdisciplinary approach to graduate study and register for three of the six available sections of the Spring semester of the core course (each has a separate course number):  Neuroscience;  Physiology & Functional Genomics;  Immunology & Microbiology;  Principles of Drug Action;  Cancer Biology;  and Development.  First-year students who have decided on the direction of their advanced coursework have the option of beginning to specialize their coursework as early as the Spring semester of their first year, and may register for individual sections of the Spring core course in combination with advanced courses, or begin taking appropriate advanced courses.  Faculty advisors are available to provide guidance about Spring semester course selection.

IDP Practical Laboratory Course (GMS 6004)

The IDP practical laboratory course is a seven-week course of laboratory instruction complemented with supporting theoretical lectures. The course meets during the first half of the first semester of study. The course provides practical laboratory experience in proteins and nucleic acids including DNA cloning, PCR, southern blotting, protein purification and characterization, and RNA methods for cDNA cloning.  Additional training will include radiation safety, biosafety, and use of the Health Science Center libraries.

Laboratory Rotations (GMS 6090)

During the first year of study, all IDP doctoral students are required to undertake three 7-week rotations in three different IDP laboratories.  The rotations consist of small research projects in a given laboratory.  The purpose of the rotations is to enable the student to become well acquainted with individual faculty members and other graduate students, to learn about their research, to acquire some research techniques and skills, and to establish a basis for selecting a major professor.  The first rotation takes place in the second half of the first semester, and the second and third rotations occur sequentially during the first and second halves of the second semester.

First year students may conduct rotations in any available laboratory, regardless of the mentor's advanced program affiliation.  Given the large number of potential mentors available among the graduate faculty, the mentor selection process requires careful organization and assistance, provided by the IDP Graduate Studies Committee and the Advanced Program Directors.  During the first four weeks of the first year, the Graduate Studies Committee and the Advanced Program Directors organize presentations by the faculty for the first year students to assist students in selecting laboratory rotations.  First year students are also encouraged to interview potential mentors on an informal basis.  By the end of week six, students submit prioritized choices of rotation mentors to the Graduate Studies Committee, who then coordinate rotation mentor selection, ensuring that the students' preference for mentors is honored.

Essentials of Graduate Research & Professional Development (GMS 6003) is a required, 1 credit course for all IDP students.  First-year students will enroll in the course during the  first fall semester.  This course is designed to help graduate students gain an understanding of the issues that will increase their chances for a successful graduate education and professional career in the biomedical sciences.

Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research (GMS 7003) is a required, 1 credit course for all IDP students.  First-year students will enroll in the course during their first spring semester.

IDP Advanced Curriculum

IDP Advanced Modules

The six Advanced Concentrations each run a series of advanced courses, or modules.  Many advanced modules are one credit, last about 5 weeks, and generally occupy 15 contact hours of lectures and/or paper discussions.  The minimum requirement for advanced coursework beyond the forst year of graduate study is 6 credits of advanced coursework, plus journal club each Fall & Spring semester.  Individual IDP advanced concentrations may set higher standards by requiring specific courses or a higher minimum number of credits.  See the Advanced Concentration web pages for more information about specific requirements.  Although many IDP students probably take most of their advanced courses in their second year, in part to prepare them for their qualifying exam, they can be taken at any time.  Please see listing of advanced modules for Fall and Spring semesters.   

Journal Clubs

All advanced IDP students (second-year and beyond) are required to register for a journal club course each Fall and Spring semester throughout their graduate studies.  Some advanced concentrations may require students to enroll in a specific journal club course, whereas as other advanced concentrations allow students to register for any journal club of thier choice.  See the Advanced Concentration web pages for more information about specific requirements.

IDP Electives

Some available electives are listed with the advanced modules for Fall and Spring semesters.  Others may be found in the UF Graduate Catalog.  Elective courses are offered to provide additional training in areas that will supplement IDP core and advanced courses, and to help you explore and pursue whatever research career path you may be interested in.  Electives may not be taken by first-year students, as they do not count toward the 6 credits of biomedical science courses required for first-year students.  For advanced IDP students, IDP electives do not count toward the minimum 6 credits of advanced coursework required of advanced students.  Elective course credits do count toward the minimum of 90 credits required for the Ph.D. degree, subject to the rules of the UF Graduate School.  

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Last updated on 7-24-08   wtm