This course is designed to provide new graduate students with the professional skill set associated with being a successful scientist. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, presentations and assignments, the students will learn about time management and productivity, the scientific method and scientific inference, ethics and biases in science and the peer-review and publication process. Students will develop their communication skills (written and oral) with a focus on audience targeting. Students will learn the foundations of interpersonal and managerial skills and the importance of self-sufficiency and independence to nurture success. Each student will draft a professional plan to prepare for the life beyond graduate school. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Note: Students may have credit for only one of the following courses: BMIS 800, FDSC 808, VTMC 830, or VBMS 879. These courses have overlapping content.
This course is designed to provide new graduate students with the professional skill set associated with being a successful scientist. Through a combination of lectures, discussions, presentations and assignments, the students will learn about time management and productivity, the scientific method and scientific inference, ethics and biases in science and the peer-review and publication process. Students will develop their communication skills (written and oral) with a focus on audience targeting. Students will learn the foundations of interpersonal and managerial skills and the importance of self-sufficiency and independence to nurture success. Each student will draft a professional plan to prepare for the life beyond graduate school. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Note: Students may have credit for only one of the following courses: BMIS 800, FDSC 808, VTMC 830, or VBMS 879. These courses have overlapping content.