updated 12/2024
The student is responsible for scheduling the first meeting with his/her Special Committee a maximum of 3 months after successfully passing the ACE examination and he/she must have at least one meeting per year after that in order to remain in good academic standing. Within one year of passing the ACE, the student also must submit a predoctoral fellowship application to a government agency or a foundation in order to remain in good standing. The number of meetings per year is often greater than one, depending on the student's research needs and progress. As you enter your 5th year and beyond, you are required to have two meetings per year.
For each Thesis Advisory Special Meeting the student should prepare a written document according to our guidelines (click on the link at the right), which MUST be distributed to their committee by email 7 days prior to the scheduled meeting. (If this is not been received by the committee before the meeting, the meeting may be cancelled by faculty.). This document must also be uploaded in your Academic Progression Portfolio.
At the Thesis Advisory Special Committee meetings, the student will present the research he/she has accomplished, the research he/she is currently pursuing, and a plan for future research will be discussed and agreed upon. Only limited background information (2 powerpoint slides) on the project should be given so that the focus is on future plans.
The Thesis Advisory Special Committee chair (one of the faculty members), then documents the faculty members' recommendations in a written report that is also signed by the student. The Thesis Advisory Special Committee must consist of your thesis advisor and two other faculty members; all faculty members must be faculty in the Weill Cornell Grad School of Biomedical Sciences. It is highly encouraged and preferred that at least two faculty members on your Thesis Advisory Special Committee be faculty members in the Pharmacology PhD Program. Follow these instructions to initiate the online: Academic Progression Portfolio.
