The Loma Linda University School of Medicine offers graduate programs leading to the PhD degree in five areas, including Anatomy, through the Integrated Biomedical Graduate Studies program (IBGS). This program includes a common integrated first year core curriculum that explores the biochemical, molecular, cellular and physiological functions of living systems in a way that emphasizes analytical thinking and problem solving. During this first year, students also attend seminars and rotate through up to three research laboratories. After completing the first year of study, students select both a program and a laboratory from which they wish to obtain a degree. Advanced, discipline-specific courses are taken during the second year, and research leading to the publication of peer-reviewed articles and the successful defense of a doctoral dissertation is carried out between the time that a research laboratory is selected and the degree is completed. The PhD curriculum is designed to nurture the personal and professional development of students in the context of a Christian environment, so that they will be prepared to function with integrity and excellence in careers involving independent research and teaching in academic and biotechnology settings.