Survival Guide - Your First Quarter
Written for students by students!
(and some help from faculty and the graduate program coordinator)
Content:
Fall Quarter Checklist
- Meet with your Graduate Advisor and Graduate Program Coordinator
- Your Advisor can assist with questions related to pre-requisites, degree requirements, and your specific interests
- Your Graduate Program Coordinator can assist with questions related to navigating the university
- Register for courses in Schedule Builder
- Suggested courses: MCP 210A, MCP 210L, MCP 290, MCP 298, and GGG 296
- Remember to register for at least 12 units to maintain full-time status.
- Find a lab for your Fall rotations
- Email faculty you are interested in working with to see if they are accepting rotation students.
- Faculty do not need to be MCIP members for rotations.
- Sign up for direct deposit
- For students on fellowship, Fall stipends are split into four equal installments, with the first being disbursed on October 1
- If you need additional financial assistance for Fall, you may be eligible for emergency or short-term loans from the Financial Aid Office
- Attend orientations
- Aggie 201 is online and an introduction to UC Davis and Graduate Studies
- MCIP orientation is in-person and typically held the week before classes begin. The Graduate Program Coordinator will email with more information.
- If applicable, request a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) waiver by early September
- You only need to submit a waiver if you plan on staying on an existing health insurance plan.
Who are Graduate Advisors?
MCIP assigns each student with an Graduate Advisor during the summer prior to the start of the program. The Graduate Advisor role is different from that of the major professor. The major professor is responsible for guiding the student in the development of their dissertation project, and usually serves as Chair of the Thesis/Dissertation Committee. The Graduate Advisor ensures that academic requirements are on track, and advises students on how to navigate the coursework requirements, find a lab, and work with their major professor. Advisors are appointed by Graduate Studies, and their signature verifies that academic milestones have been met. Advisors review and approve petitions to join Designated Emphasis programs, QE applications, candidacy forms, progress reports, petitions to add or drop courses, etc. More information on Graduate Program Roles and Responsibilities can be found here. Reach out to your Advisor to introduce yourself or arrange a time for a chat. Each time you meet with your academic advisor, consider each of the following points:
- Student Perspective:
Your Graduate Advisor is often one of your first mentors in graduate school and crucial for your first couple of years - form a good relationship with them.
Come prepared to meetings with plans for completing your degree.
The Graduate Advisor is there to help you navigate graduate school so don’t hesitate to ask questions.
Print out the course requirements and keep them handy to ensure you’re on track
- Faculty Perspective:
The Graduate Advisor is a resource for information on academic requirements, policies, procedures and registration information.
Meet regularly with your Advisor to discuss/track progress on degree requirements. For the first two years, it is advisable to meet before the start of each quarter to discuss/track progress on degree requirements. After advancing to candidacy, meetings might be more sporadic.
If something is not going well during the quarter, contact your Advisor to discuss sooner rather than later. Some problems can be averted with early action. If you wait too long into the quarter, it becomes more difficult to find solutions.
What are rotations?
The purpose of laboratory rotations is primarily to find a mentor for your graduate degree. They are both a means of garnering new technical skills, and a “dating” period to find a lab to commit to. The most important aspect of every rotation is to identify a Major Professor who can support your research and professional objectives. Rotations are also an excellent way to grow your mentor network with additional faculty, postdocs, and other students.
MCIP rotations are held through the MCP 210L course. Each rotation is five weeks. PhD students may sign up for two quarters of MCP 210L (total of 4 rotations); MS students may sign up for one quarter of MCP 210L (one quarter). PhD students are required to register for at least one quarter of MCP 210L, even if they already want to join a particular lab. Remember, even though you may have a lab secured for your graduate studies, rotations can help set up a collaboration or teach you a new technique. Take the opportunity to seek out rotations that will allow you to learn techniques that may help you with your goals.
- Student Perspective
- Start by seeking out major professors working in an area that interests you: Consider different fields (neuroscience, cardiovascular, etc), types of research (cellular, translational, etc.) or research techniques that you find interesting (electrophysiology, imaging techniques, etc.)
What are your future goals? Industry? Academia? Consulting? Science Policy? Consider how selecting an area, major professor, or technique may help you achieve this goal. Look into connections the professor of interest has. A Major Professor may have affiliations that help develop your network for job searches down the road.
Create a shortlist of labs that you’re interested in as early as possible. Reach out to them about a potential rotation. Consider your needs for development (What Kind of PI or Lab Would Work Best for You?). Read as much as you can about the lab's pursuits, explore a lab’s website and publications both before and during your rotation.
Consider the research techniques you would want to use in your field. Try an area of research that may be unfamiliar to you - you might like it.
You can search outside of the faculty associated with MCIP. It is possible for a faculty member to join the MCIP program – just be sure to have this conversation with the PI early on so they also understand what they would be committing to.
Interested in a designated emphasis? Bring this up early as a given Major Professor may have mentored other graduate students with this training.
Before committing to a rotation, ensure that the faculty member is willing to take on and able to support grad students.
Ask other students in the lab questions. Here are some examples of questions to ask. - Faculty Perspective
- It is important to remember that your research rotation is a 5-week AUDITION for a spot in the lab. You are test driving the Major Professor as a mentor and their laboratory environment or dynamic, and likewise, the Major Professor is evaluating you as a potential new member of their team. Many labs will only commit to 1 or 2 students in a year, yet will have 5-6 interested in rotating. Students that have left a positive impression are more likely to be offered a position. Put your absolute best work forward. During the rotation faculty will often consider the following points:
Do you positively contribute to the laboratory environment?
Do you communicate well?
Are you respectful of everyone’s time and efforts?
Are you self-motivated, show initiative in tackling lab projects, enthusiastic about the lab, take ownership of projects/mistakes and professional in your relationship with other lab members?
How do I ask faculty for a rotation?
This will likely be your first interaction with the faculty member, and it is important to make a positive first impression. Typically, graduate students reach out to faculty through email. Based on this email and other factors not in your control (current lab personnel and funding situation, etc.), the faculty member may ask to speak with you. Be prepared! You are auditioning for a rotation. Use the introductory email as an opportunity to make a positive first impression. The more you personalize this email by including information about yourself and/or things that interest you about the lab, the better. Things to consider when writing the email or initial meetings with faculty.
- Example email
Dear [Professor or Dr. A],
I am a first-year student in the Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology graduate program. I have laboratory experience with [ B and C ]. My curriculum vitae and graduate application are attached. From your website and publications I've seen you are studying [D, which I have a keen interest in because……... ] Might you have a moment to chat via zoom or by phone about the possibility of a laboratory rotation?
Sincerely,
[an eager student]- Student Perspective
- Be formal, polite, concise, and if meeting with faculty, punctual. Professors are often very busy and would appreciate you being able to relay your point as efficiently as possible.
Clearly note the reasons you are interested in doing a rotation in the lab.
Mention current research papers they have published and what about them specifically interests you. It will allow them to see you have done your homework and are a diligent student. Remember, that if you choose to mention publications from a lab make sure you know specific details. Faculty may ask your opinion or general questions about the work.
Include specific dates of your rotation. - Faculty Perspective
Use complete sentences, proper punctuation and grammar. This is not a text message - you are basically asking for a job. Don't start off with a bad impression.
Include the following information: What grad group you are in, whether you are a PhD or MS student, why you are interested in rotating in the lab (what aspects of the work are of particular interest), if you have any previous experience/coursework/skills that might be of particular relevance to this lab, and remember to attach your CV.
If you don’t not get a response in ~72 hours, it is OK to email again to politely follow-up.
Follow up if you change your mind about rotating with them