How do MD-PhD students choose labs?
MD-PhD students choose labs using some of the same resources as single degree PhD students. They attend Graduate Group seminar series, chalk talks and advising sessions, and must have Graduate Group approval for their rotation and thesis mentor choices. In addition, they must have the approval of the MD-PhD steering committee. We discuss issues related to choosing a lab extensively in special events and class meetings, and we encourage our students to choose carefully. We ask them to review the biosketches and funding of potential mentors to be sure the lab is active and successful. We invite them to consider mentors at all phases of their careers, and we educate them about the potential pros and cons of choosing more junior vs. more senior members of the faculty. We tell them to talk with other students and lab members, to learn as much as possible about the mentoring style of the PI. The MD-PhD program has a policy that no mentor can have more than 4 MD-PhD students at one time, and
