Seminars
GGPS students attend a weekly seminar organized by the Department of Pharmacology and the GGPS. Listening talks given by invited speakers - prominent scientists from PENN and other research centers in the USA and abroad - and direct interaction with the speakers at the seminar and during post-seminar lunch keeps our student updated on the cutting edge research and widens their horizon. Our students also attend talks given by invited speakers at specialized monthly seminars organized by the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) and PENN interdisciplinary seminar on Targeted Therapeutics and Drug Delivery Systems. In addition, they attend talks presented by scientists of international renown during several special annual events including the Pritchett, Lambertsen and Schmidt lectures organized by the Department of Pharmacology and the GGPS. And, of course, seminars and lectures in many other Departments and Schools at PENN - too many to list here - are open for our students.
Department of Pharmacology Seminars
Students learn the necessary speaking, writing, and graphic skills to report their work to the scientific community. The course of study requires oral presentations to the Graduate Group and to larger audiences at our Annual Student Symposium or national society meetings. While working on their theses, students are encouraged to attend and present results of their research at meetings with the support of their advisor.
During the academic year, students attend weekly meetings of the Journal Club to read, discuss, and analyze scientific literature. Each week, a different student chooses the paper to be discussed, enlists a faculty adviser, and serves as moderator for the meeting. The Journal Club is a student-run activity accompanied by free food to stimulate conversation and cerebral activity.
This all-day, off-campus "retreat" held early in the fall semester is a highlight of the academic year. Students and postdoctoral trainees have the opportunity to give slide presentations or posters on their research projects. It is a time to welcome new students and to talk with GGPS members and guests including featured speakers – renown scientists of international caliber.
Students may assist faculty members in certain undergraduate courses or with laboratory instruction in Medical Pharmacology. Participation in these teaching opportunities is optional.
Interaction with Faculty and other Graduate Groups
The GGPS faculty comprises a group of interactive faculty with diverse and complementary expertise. Many of the faculty members interact on collaborative projects. The program is designed to provide extensive interactions between the students and the faculty. In addition to the laboratory rotation, students interact directly with faculty as mentors for their journal club presentations, pre-thesis seminar, and eventually as part of an independent study taken as an elective course. Students in our Graduate Group also have ample opportunity to interact with students of other Graduate Groups who take the same classes and do laboratory rotations or thesis work in the laboratories of the GGPS faculty.
Information and preparation to careers in Pharmacology
The university offers career-counseling seminars for Biomedical Graduate Studies students throughout the year. Students in GGPS have the opportunity of personal contact with faculty at other institutions through luncheons following seminars and have opportunities to do one of their rotations in laboratories of pharmaceutical companies near Philadelphia. Thesis mentors and chairs of thesis committees are committed to inform and help students to find positions upon graduation.
