Students participate in this weekly course beginning in the second year and continuing throughout their tenure in the graduate program. Divided into small groups, students select papers of interest to them and present it to the group for discussion. A journal club of this type is quite important for students to help prevent the tunnel vision that can sometimes develop as students focus on their thesis research. The coverage of diverse topics is ensured because of the participation of the entire student body. Similarly, the presence of all the students encourages a continuing forum of ideas among themselves and a sense of community.

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