Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program at UC Davis

许多来自少数民族或弱势背景的学生在博士级别的生物医学研究中所占的比例不足，也许他们决定不进入博士课程，因为他们要么缺乏学术准备，要么无法将自己定位为研究科学家。加州大学戴维斯分校（PREP@UCD）的PREP目标是为这些学生提供在生物医学博士课程中脱颖而出所需的研究、沟通、分析和生活技能。加州大学戴维斯分校拥有由美国国立卫生研究院资助的广泛的生物医学研究基础，致力于通过一系列校园范围的学术和文化活动来实现多样性，并致力于丰富生物医学科学领域的本科生和研究生教育，使其成为举办PREP项目的理想机构。此外，加州大学戴维斯分校正在积极追求西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）的地位。每年将有多达8名PREP学者参加研究（75%）和职业发展活动（25%），指导团队由研究主管，教师顾问，PI和项目协调员组成。为培养PREP@UCD生物医学研究生课程的学者，提出了三个具体目标。首先，PREP将提供一个受指导的研究环境，使学者能够发展他们作为科学家的自我形象。一项关于PREP的最新研究

Many students from minority populations or disadvantaged backgrounds are underrepresented in PhD-level biomedical research, perhaps having decided not to enter PhD programs because they either lack academic preparation or fail to self-identify as research scientists. The goal of PREP at UC Davis (PREP@UCD) is to provide such students with the research, communication, analytical, and life skills required to excel in doctoral programs in the biomedical sciences. The University of California, Davis, has a broad base of biomedical research funded by the NIH, is committed to diversity through a host of campus-wide academic and cultural initiatives, and is dedicated to enriching undergraduate and graduate student education in the biomedical sciences, making it an ideal institution to host a PREP program. Moreover, UC Davis is actively pursuing status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Up to eight PREP scholars annually will participate in research (75%) and career development activities (25%) under the close guidance of a mentorship team consisting of research supervisors, a faculty advisor, the PI, and the program coordinator. Three specific aims are proposed to prepare PREP@UCD scholars for biomedical graduate programs. First, PREP will provide a mentored research environment where the scholars can develop their self-image as scientists. A recent study of PREP scholars found that success in graduate school requires that the student self-identifies as a scientist; spending a year performing individual, hypothesis-driven research will provide PREP@UCD scholars with the opportunity to do so. Second, PREP@UCD scholars will be trained in experimental skills and mentored in an active research laboratory. An individualized research prospectus will capture a hypothesis and line of research to expose the scholar to a variety of scientific approaches. Laboratory activities, academic coursework, training workshops and symposia will develop skills for gathering scientific information, working in a team, solving problems critically, and assessing research ethics and values. Third, PREP@UCD scholars will develop strong academic written and oral communication skills. Each scholar will spend 25% of his or her effort in preparing documents for graduate applications in biomedical sciences; enrolling in one senior-level course per quarter for enrichment; presenting research findings in poster and PowerPoint formats; participating in journal clubs to gain exposure to scientific literature and discourse; attending regional and national scientific conferences to network with other scholars; and participating in professional development workshops to prepare for the rigors of graduate school and career options beyond the PhD. It is expected that at least 75% of scholars will enter prestigious graduate programs upon completion of the PREP@UCD program. Moreover, the skills and scientific self-identity fostered during PREP@UCD will provide the scholars with a better chance of excelling in biomedical PhD or MD/PhD programs.