Mechanisms of Disease - Qualifying Examination

The overall goal of the qualifying exam is to give students the opportunity to independently create and develop a research proposal of a clinically relevant topic. The written proposal should define a novel research problem and propose a hypothesis that is mechanistic and can be tested experimentally. At least one aim of the proposal should involve the use of biologic materials (such as blood, DNA, cells, tissue, data) from a targeted patient population. The student will write an Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol for their proposed studies using human samples. During the oral exam, the student is expected to give a brief presentation of his/her research proposal. This presentation will be followed by a question/answer session that will cover broad areas relating to the entire research proposal. Each qualifying exam committee will include faculty from basic science and clinical departments.