The first month after students enroll in the course is a habituation month. Coursework and training in animal handling and research start in the second month and last for about three months
Doctoral students are placed in various labs during this time. They go to one seminar and one journal club meeting each week. Students are free to participate in additional teaching sessions held for MPhils. Each professor used to teach two or three sessions in their area of expertise. The curriculum is flexible, and students must be interested in investigating the opportunities that are available
The range of the coursework is extensive. It covers statistics, research technique, computer applications, behavioural science, and basic science. This is an opportunity for new graduate students without any research background to comprehend various subdomains. Research-experienced students can take advantage of this time to brush up on their fundamentals while also speaking with potential mentors. Students want to do a literature review after choosing a research subject or topic and guidance. Some analytical skills which are specific to research area might not be taught at coursework
It’s time to transform into a proper lab animal from this point forward. To plan out your PhD study, you concentrate on earlier research done in the lab that is now your lab and consult with mentors and friends. Following the first seeding of the draught idea, there are numerous rounds of debates and revisions before each candidate presents the proposed PhD study to their own lab and then to the department faculty. After doing all of this, you submit your PhD work for approval to the appropriate committee
In the meanwhile, it is possible to determine the specifics, potential limitations, and other aspects of the study. After the study has received preliminary permission, we must get ethics approval. PhD work starts as soon as the study is approved by the institute ethics committee
We must submit progress reports to the doctorate committee every six months, and we must also present our progress to external and internal examiners once a year. This is a fantastic chance to expedite work and receive input from outside the lab. Every month, one or more PhD students present their research to the department as a whole. Another chance to offer constructive criticism and comments is presented here
Pre-PhD tests start showing up in about 18 months. There are two papers with a total of 100 marks each (in a digital tablet, no paper exam). Some faculties conduct mock exams to help pupils truly prepare. To get advice and support, it is wise to speak with seniors from the same lab who have similar PhD specialties. You can become a doctor after passing Pre-PhD!
To learn and share their research with the whole research community, students are encouraged to participate in international conferences or seminars. Based on my own experience, this is a brief overview of what happens at the Neurophysiology department at NIMHANS