Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Tips on Rotations

Rotations are a valuable opportunity for you to work with faculty prior to formally choosing a research advisor. You may learn new techniques, gain insight into a new field, and get to know your faculty better. A good match between you and your advisor will greatly enhance your graduate education - Do not waste this opportunity to check out potential advisors!

Before the end of your first Spring semester, you should have completed at least two rotations, and be in a position to let us know who you would like to be your Ph.D. advisor (You need not have done a rotation with a particular faculty to choose then as your Ph.D. advisor). While the Department cannot guarantee that you will be able to work with a specific faculty member, we make every effort to accommodate requests. Some of the things we consider are:

  1. Does the faculty want to be your advisor?
  2. Does the faculty have space for you in their laboratory?
  3. Does the faculty have sufficient funds to support you in addition to their existing students?
  4. Does the faculty have time to work with you?

There are some things you can do to maximize your chance of working with your first choice faculty member either on a rotation or permanently...

  1. Be the first person to ask for a rotation opportunity with a particularly faculty member
  2. Schedule a meeting to find out about each faculty members research interests
  3. Know something about the faculty member's research - talk to them early and often!
  4. Tell faculty of relevant experience you have
  5. Set mutually agreeable goals for rotations
  6. Be organized and set specific times you will work in faculty laboratories - be seen!
  7. Document your productivity in a final report, better yet, work up an abstract or paper!