First Year

Students arrive on campus at the end of July. After a one-week orientation, they engage in their first five-week laboratory rotation. This rotation is organized prior to arrival on campus, in consultation with the student’s first year mentor and the dean.

The first year mentor meets with the student regularly to provide advice and guidance during the coursework, as well as to assist with the selection of laboratories for additional rotations.

During the first year of study, students complete:

• the year-long Core Course, consisting of a combination of didactic lectures and discussions of research papers from the primary literature
• the Responsible Conduct of Research course
• a mini-course on logic and critical analysis
• two semesters of the President's Research Seminar Series Journal Club
• the first-year clinical program
• three five-week laboratory rotations

All students enter our PhD program without a formal commitment to a particular laboratory. This allows our students the flexibility to explore potential research mentors, participate in the first-year curriculum, and learn about new areas of research through meetings with the faculty.

During the first year, students have a home in the Student Center, which is fully equipped with state-of-the-art technology and provides individual study spaces for each student. 

Students also visit several clinics as observers. In addition, they attend research seminars at Memorial Sloan-Kettering – including the President's Research Seminars – and meet with the speakers.

Following the end of the spring semester, students are expected to formally choose a research mentor and begin dissertation research.

First-Year Student’s Calendar, 2012-2013

The Gerstner Sloan-Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences reserves the right to change this schedule. All students and faculty will be notified of such changes prior to their effective dates.