Getting Ready

[Newgirl6682]

What advice can be given to someone who just got accepted into a doctoral program? I will be starting my phd program in biomedical sciences come this fall, and I want to hit the ground running. So what things could I do this summer to prep for the start of my program? 

[PthenT]

You could start early conversations over email with the staff at the university, I reckon this would be a great way to already build a rapport with them and to get your ideas flowing!

[vpaglioni3]

Email your adviser/PI, and even other grad students in your soon-to-be cohort, see if they can send you some of their current research and previous publications. I know that a lot of biosciences do lab rotations for the first semester/year, so a good option might be to look up research from each lab in your rotation and get an initial feel for what you might want to do. If you've been out of school for a bit, it might be worth going over the basics and/or taking a Coursera course to bring yourself up to speed. 

[aiqbal]

I second what has already been said. As someone who is nearing the end of their PhD program, I think conversing and reading up even before starting is the best thing to do.