Thank you for agreeing to mentor a third year student (or two). We hope that both you and your student(s) will find the research year a rich and rewarding experience. We may also email you other items of interest from time to time. Following are some guidelines that may help you in your mentoring experience. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Third Year Program Coordinator, Sherry Burton, at 919-684-0859 burto033@notes.duke.edu or your study program director.

 

1.   Please note the link to the 3^rd Year BlueDocs site for a list of all courses and due dates.To be added as a user on BlueDocs, please contact David Wiener

2.   This site is used for general announcements and updates. Please contact Scott Campbell to gain access to the BlueDocs site.

3.   Be prepared to add your student(s) to your protocol and furnish your student with a copy of your IRB or IACUC approval or assist them in preparing a protocol if necessary.

4.   Be willing to allocate time and attention on a regular basis to the third year student(s) in your lab to provide them with a positive and meaningful research experience. It is recommended that you meet at least weekly alone with your student(s) (not just in a lab meeting).

5.   Share with your student(s) any information on seminars or courses they will need to take to enrich their lab experience.  All third year students, except those with scholarships or extraordinary circumstances, are required to take the Practice Year 3 course.  For more details on this course, please visit BlueDocs.

6.   Provide guidance to your student(s) to help with the preparation of a poster for AOA Day or other mandatory oral presentation.

7.   Students must accomplish 10 months of research. The School of Medicine calendar for third year students has three weeks of vacation. This includes a 2 week December break. Students may wish to take one additional week in the spring. This is at the discretion of the mentor.

8.   Be aware that study program directors are available to help work out student issues or problems. They also must sign off on recommended grades and the required thesis as stated below.

9. Theses are due the last day of research. All completed theses must be revised to the point where both mentor and Study Program director are willing to sign off on a “pass” grade. Students must have all signatures on the final thesis by deadline date.

10. Review your student’s thesis carefully to ensure it meets the criteria as outlined in the Thesis Requirements document, and sign the required cover sheet. It is the mentor’s responsibility to arrange a time to read your student’s thesis and to ensure that your student(s) allow time for such review and possible revisions. We suggest at least 3 weeks in advance of the due date to allow time for appropriate revisions.

11. The thesis must then be signed by the study program director.  Theses that do not meet these minimum requirements will be returned to both student and mentor to be revised to meet minimum criteria prior to grading.  The thesis carries academic credit of three credits and a grade separate from the research grade.

12. Occasionally, students need to extend their thesis deadline from 10 to 12 months or request a rolling deadline. Requests for change from a 10 month research year to a 12 month research year must be submitted by May 15th. All students participating in a 4^th year sub-I are eligible to have their thesis deadline extended by 1 month—the rolling deadline.

13. Please submit your students’ semester grades within three weeks of the end of the semester via the Electronic Grading procedure (http://registrar.mc.duke.edu), or if a mentor is away from Duke after receipt of hard copy evaluation forms.

 

Study Program Director responsibilities

The attached document outlines the principal responsibilities of the Third Year study program directors.

 

The attached document outlines the general goals and objectives of the School of Medicine.