Top 10 things you need to know to survive as a MBP grad student Sept 10 th, 2013 Medical Biophysics Orientation Seminar

#1: Perks of being a grad student SOGS – Society of Graduate Students – University Community Centre Rm 260 GTA Union – Graduate Teaching Assistant Union Health Plan – – USE IT. E.g., show your card at your dentist Student Rec Centre – all year round Grad Club – MBP Grad Mixer, Sept 17 *next Tues

#2: Required Laboratory Certification Mandatory Occupational Health & Safety Training (UWO Human Resources > Faculty/Staff > Safety Training Sessions): – WHMIS – Biosafety Animal Training – Animal Care & Veterinary Services – Must be put on protocol prior to experimentation – ACVS will contact you for training

#3: Advisory Committee Set up an advisory committee early on (within 1 st year max) Choose PIs whose expertise provide insight to your project Usually consisting of 2-3 PIs other than your supervisor Always print off advisory committee meeting forms prior to the meeting Usually 1 meeting per year (or at supervisors discretion) Fill out forms and submit to Wendy Hough at main office

#4: Back up your data ALWAYS have your data saved in more than one location Let supervisor know where you store your data An external hard drive is your best friend

#5: How to Manage References Pubmed Can access journals off-campus using your UWO sign-in name/password through Library: not everything can be accessed through Pubmed or online Reference Managers: Refworks/Endnote etc help organize your papers. Use reference managers to start organizing library as you read papers.

#6: Communications Course Mandatory course for all new students Teaches important skills: scientific presentation, abstract writing, curriculum vitae etc. Read all sent s carefully Do all assignments ahead of time Take advantage of the opportunity to get to know your peers

#7: Graduate Seminars Each student has to present their work once a year to the department Location: – 1 st semester: St. Josephs Hospital Shuttleworth Auditorium, 12:00-1:00pm **Attendance is mandatory. Important information for low-levels.**

#8: Low-Level Examinations At the end of winter term You will be examined on research from ~4 labs in the department. These labs will be assigned to you by the department and you will receive an with details - **it would be wise to visit actual labs and speak to graduate students instead of just reading their abstracts** Reminder: attend seminars (helps with info)

#9: Administrative s Take the time out of your precious day to read s from Wendy, Barb, Melissa and Dr. Hanif Ladak Saves you a lot of trouble s contain info on: scholarships, low-levels, stipend, defense dates, invited speakers, department events, graduate courses, TA opportunities, conferences, competitions, etc. Call or SEE Wendy in person – do not her

#10: Scholarships Internal Deadline: – NSERC: ~mid October – OGS: details to follow Directly to institution: CIHR Order transcripts early if from different school Contact references early for GOOD letters (general rule: 1 month notice) Consult the Experts: A chance to get your scholarship research proposal reviewed 3 rd floor of Stevenson Hall – Fri, Sept - 3pm – Tues, Sept - 6:30pm

Thank You!