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Curriculum Overview

The M3D PhD Program is designed for students to complete PhD training in five years.  Students complete core coursework in the first year of graduate school while carrying out rotations in two or three different laboratories, as outlined below.  Students choose thesis laboratories by the end of the first year.  In Year 2, students TA for one quarter and take the General Examination.  In Years 3-5, students devote themselves to thesis research.

M3D emphasizes the significance of thesis research for improved understanding and treatment of human disease.  Students focus on this significance in a Capstone Presentation, in Year 4.  The thesis defense, in Year 5, students discuss their research and its scientific and medical impact.

M3D Coursework, Year 1

Autumn Quarter
Winter Quarter
Spring Quarter
Summer Quarter

Path520: Experimental Pathology Seminar (1 credit)

Path550: Mechanisms of Disease (3 credits)

Path551: Laboratory Rotation (5 credits)

Elective(s)

Path 520: Experimental Pathology Seminar (1 credit) 

Path551: Laboratory Rotation (5 credits)

MolMed514: Molecular Medicine (3 credits)

MolMed540: Chief of Medicine Rounds (1.5 credits)

Elective(s)

Path520: Experimental Pathology Seminar (1 credit)

Path551: Laboratory Rotation (5 credits)

MolMed 504: Topics of Molecular Medicine (1.5 credits)

MolMed540: Chief of Medicine Rounds (1.5 credits)

MolMed558/Path558/BioE558: Integrative OMICS (3 credits)

Elective(s)

Begin thesis research in permanent lab. Reduced credits for Summer quarter, always 2 credits only, unless arranged with lab or outside funding.

Path 600: Research (2 credits)

OR

UConj 510: Introductory Laboratory Based Biostatistics (2 credits)

Statistics: M3D students are required to demonstrate or achieve mastery of basic statistics/large dataset handling, via research training or an online or UW course.

Electives

Students may choose electives from the many courses offered by UW Departments of Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Genome Sciences, Immunology, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics; or from courses offered by the interdisciplinary Molecular & Cellular Biology or Neurosciences Programs.