Abstract
BackgroundAnalysis of graduation success at the University of Split School of Medicine PhD programs conducted in 2011 revealed that only 11% of students who enrolled and completed their graduate coursework between 1999 and 2011 earned a doctoral degree. In this prospective cohort study we evaluated and compared three PhD programs within the same medical school, where the newest program, called Translational Research in Biomedicine (TRIBE), established in the academic year 2010/11, aimed to increase the graduation rate through an innovative approach.MethodsThe intervention in the new program was related to three domains: redefined recruitment strategy, strict study regulations, and changes to the curriculum. We compared performance of PhD students between the new and existing programs and analyzed their current status, time to obtain a degree (from enrolment to doctorate), age at doctorate, number of publications on which the thesis was based and the impact factor of journals in which these were published.ResultsThese improvement strategies were associated with higher thesis completion rate and reduced time to degree for students enrolled in the TRIBE program. There was no change in the impact factor or number of publications that were the basis for the doctoral theses.ConclusionOur study describes good practices which proved useful in the design or reform of the PhD training program.
Highlights
Introduction of courses inLab management, Research skills, Entrepreneurship and transfer of technology, Ethics in research, Communication and presentation skills.Acquisition of the necessary skills for a successful research careerFocus on development of research planObligatory completion of a detailed research plan Research plan completely defined by by the end of the first study year, tested by oral and the end of the first year written examinations.strategy included requiring a feasible research plan as a selection criterion and openness to candidates with backgrounds from research fields other than biomedical
This has led to a highly selective enrollment process into the Translational Research in Biomedicine (TRIBE) program; so far, 6 generations of PhD students have been enrolled into the program and each year the number of enrolled students has been lower than the number of available places
Our findings suggest that six simple interventions in three domains of PhD program organization resulted in significant increases in completion rates and reduced time to degree
Summary
Introduction of courses inLab management, Research skills, Entrepreneurship and transfer of technology, Ethics in research, Communication and presentation skills.Acquisition of the necessary skills for a successful research careerFocus on development of research planObligatory completion of a detailed research plan Research plan completely defined by by the end of the first study year, tested by oral and the end of the first year written examinations.strategy included requiring a feasible research plan as a selection criterion and openness to candidates with backgrounds from research fields other than biomedical. The admissions procedure includes an interview in which students present their planned PhD thesis project, as well as an interview with a proposed mentor At this time point, the plans are not required to be detailed; the criteria for the positive assessment are the overall scientific validity and feasibility of the research under given local working conditions. The existence of the potential research plan allows students to recognize elements of the curriculum that are important for work on their thesis and immediate engagement in teaching and research activities This has led to a highly selective enrollment process into the TRIBE program; so far, 6 generations of PhD students have been enrolled into the program and each year the number of enrolled students has been lower than the number of available places. Anecdotal information and personal experience leads us to conclude that the completion rates of graduate programs are generally low
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