Your first year is about getting to know the program, finding a Research Mentor, and taking your Qualifying Exam:
**Don't forget to complete the
Complete the first year curriculum:
And maintain good standing:
BSGP students must complete at least 3 lab rotations during their first Fall and Spring semesters.
Mentor Research Inventory: Research Topic/Interest, Rotation and Student Slots Available, Recent Publication
Prior to each rotation, complete a Rotation Agreement.
After your rotation, complete a Rotation Evaluation.
Prior to March 15 of your first year, a Research Mentor must be identified.
This is the person in whose lab you will work, who will be financially responsible for your stipend, and who, along with your Committee on Studies, will supervise your training program.
Mentor Research Inventory: Research Topic/Interest, Rotation and Student Slots Available, Recent Publication
Complete the Mentor Agreement (MS) or (PhD) and return to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office (SOMREO).
NOTE: This form documents the source(s) of funding for the student and must be signed by the student, mentor, and department chair prior to delivery to SOMREO.
Who has to take the Qualifying Exam?
Why is a Qualifying Exam required?
To test critical thinking skills in the context of the first year coursework. Specifically, the exam will assess the student’s ability:
It should provide the Steering Committee with an opportunity to decide which students are prepared to make the transition from programmatic core and selective courses to dissertation research and divisional requirements.
What is the process for taking the Qualifying Exam?
Meet prerequisites:
First year coursework complete.
Good academic standing.
At least three lab rotations complete.
Research Mentor identified and Mentor Agreement in place.
If any of the above are unmet, you must petition to take the exam by the deadlines below. Your petition should:
Be brief, no more than a page.
Include your desire to continue on to the PhD, that you are in good academic standing, and a personal statement about your goals.
Address any issues with exam prerequisites.
Attend the Prep session
Papers are assigned (5 days prior to exam)
Take your Exam
An email will come from the School of Medicine - Research Education Office with instructions and eligibility requirements. For more information about the process and expectations:
When are the Qualifying Exam deadlines?
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Qualifying Exam |
Spring |
Mid-Year Exam |
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First-year BSGP Students are notified of Qualifying Exam Dates and deadlines | April 1 | November 1 | ||
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Deadline for student petitions to take Qualifying Exam | Last day of Spring Term | Last day of Fall Term | ||
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Requests to course directors for papers | April | Mid November | ||
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Deadline for papers from course directors | May | Mid December | ||
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Exam committee meets to choose papers and organize the exam | Early May | Early December | ||
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Steering Committee meets to approve student petitions (first Thursday of the month) | Mid May | Mid December | ||
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Qualifying Exam Prep Session (given by Program Director and QE Chair) | Late May | Mid January | ||
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Students turn in selected papers (exam is held 5 days after paper choice) | Late May | Mid January | ||
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Exams | Late May | Mid January |
Prior to June of your first year, begin identifying potential members of your Committee on Studies.
This is the group that will guide your training program through taking your Comprehensive Exams (PhD) or Defense (MS) and must comply with the Student Committee Composition rules (Master's Exam) set forth by the Office of Graduate Studies. To determine the Category to which your members belong, review the Guidelines for Committee Service.
To form your committee, complete the Appointment of Committee on Studies (COS) Smartsheet.
Once formed, you should meet with this group at least once every 6 months and report on that meeting:
After each meeting, complete the Committee on Studies (COS) Meeting Report Smartsheet.
All forms should be submitted to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office for final signatures (Department Chair, Program Director, Dean), recording, and courier to Graduate Studies as necessary.
Contact BSGSS or consult the School of Medicine - Research Education Office Digest for more details.
After passing your Qualifying Exam and conferring with your Committee on Studies you are eligible begin the Certificate in University Science Teaching program supplemental to your Biomedical Sciences degree. For more information, eligibility and work requirements, and application see the CUST page or contact the Director, Yadéeh Sawyer.
The BSGP requires every student to complete the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report (SmartSheet). The purpose of this report is to gather information on student activities that are relevant to his/her research education and professional development. The Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report should be presented at each Committee on Studies meeting to assist the committee in review of student progress. Additionally, the School of Medicine - Research Education Office will compile this information for reports to the School of Medicine, the University of New Mexico, and external review panels.
Completion of the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report is required for students to be eligible for BSGP Travel Awards.
Master’s students may take more than one year to complete the required core curriculum.
Only two rotations are required for Master’s students. If a Master’s student wishes to petition for a change of degree to the PhD program, three rotations will be required
Students admitted to the Master's program may petition to change to the PhD program by:
During the second year you will continue in core courses and begin work in your Mentor's lab.
If you are planning to graduate with the Master's degree, there are several things to take care of in this year, please see below.
**Don't forget to complete the
Complete the second year curriculum:
And maintain good standing:
Prior to the last day of the Fall semester, you should have Appointed your Committee on Studies.
This is the group that will guide your training program through taking your Comprehensive Exams (PhD) or Defense (MS) and must comply with the Student Committee Composition rules (Master's Exam) set forth by the Office of Graduate Studies. To determine the Category to which your members belong, review the Guidelines for Committee Service.
To form your committee, complete the Appointment of Committee on Studies (COS) Smartsheet.
Once formed, you should meet with this group at least once every 6 months and report on that meeting:
After each meeting, complete the Committee on Studies (COS) Meeting Report Smartsheet.
All forms should be submitted to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office for final signatures (Department Chair, Program Director, Dean), recording, and courier to Graduate Studies as necessary.
Hold this meeting prior to the end of the Spring semester to review your academic progress, discuss and formulate an Application for Candidacy (PhD) or Program of Studies (MS) which outlines coursework and research hours to meet your educational and research goals, and review the outline or plan for your dissertation project.
Note that the first COS meeting need not involve a formal review of a dissertation proposal.
Continue to meet with this group at least once every 6 months and report after each meeting, complete the Committee on Studies (COS) Meeting Report Smartsheet.
Hold this meeting no later than six months after your first meeting to review your progress. At this meeting your proposed Application for Candidacy (PhD) or Program of Studies (MS) and dissertation plan will be reviewed. You should also present a draft of proposed specific aims and initial feasibility data.
Continue to meet with this group at least once every 6 months and report after each meeting, complete the Committee on Studies (COS) Meeting Report Form and return it to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office .
Demonstrate your knowledge by presenting the work you have been doing at:
Include these presentations in your Annual Activities Report.
The BSGP requires every student to complete the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report (
Completion of the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report is required for students to be eligible for BSGP Travel Awards.
MS Students are expected to comply with requirements for the COS appointment and meetings. Instead of reviewing their dissertation project proposal, the COS should focus on the development and evaluation of an appropriate thesis research project.
Consult UNM Catalog if completing thesis.
Be sure to review the Master's Degree - Graduation Requirements information from the Office of Graduate Studies and the BSGP Graduation Checklist for details. At a minimum you will need the following:
All forms should be submitted to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office for final signatures (Department Chair, Program Director, Dean), recording, and courier to Graduate Studies as necessary.
Once complete, provide a copy of your Thesis to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office as well.
Year three is about getting ready for Candidacy. This means you should be planning to take your Comprehensive Exam in the Spring which allows you to Advance to Candidacy and begin working on your Dissertation!
Tip from a graduate ...
**Don't forget to complete the
Hold these meetings at least every six months to review your progress, address any concerns, and get your questions answered.
If not already done, submit your COS approved Application for Candidacy (see Resources for instructions on completing this form) to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office for final signatures (Department Chair, Program Director, Dean), recording, and courier to Graduate Studies as necessary. This should be done prior to taking your Comprehensive Exam.
Continue to meet with this group at least once every 6 months and report after each meeting, complete the Committee on Studies (COS) Meeting Report Smartsheet and return it to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office.
What is the Comprehensive Exam?
Your Comprehensive Exam will consist of a proposal outlining your research plans and an oral examination. Although data supporting the feasibility of the project is recommended, extensive preliminary data is not required.
When should the Comprehensive Exam be taken?
No later than the Spring semester of your third year.
What is the process for taking the Comprehensive Exam?
All paper forms should be submitted to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office for final signatures (Department Chair, Program Director, Dean), recording, and courier to Graduate Studies as necessary.
Once you have Advanced to Candidacy, you should form your Dissertation Committee.
This is the group that will guide your training program through writing and defending your Dissertation and must comply with the Student Committee Composition rules set forth by the Office of Graduate Studies. To determine the Category to which your members belong, review the Guidelines for Committee Service.
Once formed, you should meet with this group at least once every 6 months and report on that meeting:
After each meeting, complete the Committee on Studies (COS) Meeting Report Smartsheet (same form used for Dissertation and COS meetings).
All forms should be submitted to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office for final signatures (Department Chair, Program Director, Dean), recording, and courier to Graduate Studies as necessary.
Apply for Candidacy, enroll in dissertation hours, update your RA contract salary rate, and continue working with your Committee on Studies.
Update Salary
Follow up with your RA contract administrator to update your contract to the post-comprehensive exam rate. Send a PDF of your approved RA contract, which can be downloaded from Lobo Web, to somreo@salud.unm.edu.
Application for Candidacy
Complete the Application for Candidacy Form (see Resources for instructions on completing this form).
Dissertation Hours
After you’ve passed your comprehensive exam, you can begin talking BIOM 699 Dissertation hours with your mentor instead of BIOM 695 Research.
Students must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate credit coursework plus 18 hours of dissertation/699. BIOM 695 counts as graduate credit coursework. BIOM 699 does not count as graduate coursework; it counts towards the dissertation hour requirement.
Once students begin enrollment in 699 they must enroll in 699 every term (summer term is excluded, except if the student is graduating in the summer) until the manuscript is accepted by Graduate Studies.
OGS website with Doctoral Degree Graduation Requirements and Coursework Requirements.
If your mentor is not listed as a 699 instructor on the UNM course schedule, please contact SOMREO to add a 699 section for your mentor.
Committee on Studies
Continue meeting with your COS every 6 months (or sooner if needed) and submitting the COS meeting report (found on Resources page) to SOMREO.
Demonstrate your knowledge by presenting the work you have been doing at:
Include these presentations in your Annual Activities Report.
The BSGP requires every student to complete the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report (
Completion of the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report is required for students to be eligible for BSGP Travel Awards.
Research, research, research ... and collecting information (figures, citations, data, etc.) for your Dissertation.
If you are planning a career in academia, these are the years to pursue you Certificate in University Science Teaching, you should already have at least one course toward completion (BIOM 540).
**Don't forget to complete the
Once formed, you should meet with this group at least once every 6 months and report on that meeting:
After each meeting, complete the Committee on Studies (COS) Meeting Report Smartsheet (same form used for Dissertation and COS meetings) and return it to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office.
Demonstrate your knowledge by presenting the work you have been doing at
Include these presentations in your Annual Activities Report.
The BSGP requires every student to complete the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report (
Completion of the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report is required for students to be eligible for BSGP Travel Awards.
There are lots of I's to dot and T's to cross in order to graduate and strict timelines in which to accomplish them. The term PRIOR to the one in which you plan to graduate will require your attention. Review the Doctoral Degrees - Graduation Requirements from Graduate Studies for details.
Tips from graduates ...
Be sure to review the Manuscript Quick Reference Checklist and Submission Procedures from Graduate Studies for detailed information. In addition, you will need the following:
All forms should be submitted to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office for final signatures, recording, and courier to Graduate Studies.
The Master of Science (M.S.) in Biomedical Sciences is offered under Plan I (thesis), Plan II (non-thesis), and Plan III (coursework only) options, according to regulations set forth in the Graduate Program section of the UNM Catalog. Be sure to review the Master's Degree - Graduation Requirements information from the Office of Graduate Studies and the BSGP Graduation Checklist for details. At a minimum you will need the following:
All forms should be submitted to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office for final signatures (Department Chair, Program Director, Dean), recording, and courier to Graduate Studies as necessary.
Once complete, provide a copy of your Thesis to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office as well.
Be sure to review Doctoral Degrees - Graduation Requirements from the Office of Graduate Studies and the BSGP Graduation Checklist for details. At a minimum you will need the following:
All forms should be submitted to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office for final signatures, recording, and courier to Graduate Studies.
Once complete, provide a copy of your Dissertation to the School of Medicine - Research Education Office as well.
The BSGP requires every student to complete the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report (
Completion of the Annual Activities and Accomplishments Report is required for students to be eligible for BSGP Travel Awards.
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Mailing Address
School of Medicine Research Education Office
MSC08-4560
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
Phone: (505) 272-1887
Fax: (505) 272-8738
Email: SOMREO@salud.unm.edu
Physical Location:
UNM Health Sciences Center (North Campus)
Reginald Heber Fitz Hall (Building 211)
Room B61