First year students participate in School-wide interdisciplinary courses in cellular and molecular biology, as well as one of several systems biology courses. This provides all incoming students, regardless of their background, with a common biomedical knowledge base necessary prior to pursuit of more specialized coursework.<br>All beginning graduate students participate in three rotations in the labs of Program faculty over the course of their first year. The lab rotations provide the students with mentored, hands-on lab research experience and critical exposure to technical and conceptual developments in the field. They also provide our students with the opportunity to work closely with three different faculty members prior to choosing a dissertation mentor.<br>Departmental and interdepartmental seminars provide our students with the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in pharmacology and other areas of biomedical science, to interact with visiting scientists, and to establish professional connections.