Physiology transcript

Unique

• Ranked as a top 10 program
• Human health focus
• Wide range of research areas
• Cell, animal, human models

Brenna Hill, 2nd year PhD Candidate

There's high expectations, but a program like this I wouldn't have gotten into if I didn't expect to be held to the highest standard. So, I think it's a fantastic program.

Craig Hunter, Physiology Alumni

So through rotations students can have a sampling of the different research and the faculty do get them involved in all aspects of the research, they get a fair sample of the research and help them to find where their niche will be as a graduate student. Really what drew me to Penn State was the interdisciplinary aspect of it, that you go from cell culture all the way up whole animal and whole human.

Collaborative

• Amongst faculty
• Across disciplines
• Between Hershey and University Park

Darshan Trivedi, 2nd year PhD Candidate

Understanding the human physiology is a huge task, so we have experts in that field at this campus, and we have really good experts in this field at the University Park campus as well. So the cross campus collaboration even in the lectures proved really useful to the students because we got an insight into the whole human body physiology from the experts in these fields from both the campuses.

Keith Babbs, 4th Year PhD Candidate

I think the collaboration between University Park and Hershey is very important because we both approach things from slightly different perspectives but we're able to combine our resources and combine our understanding to answer a bigger question.

Supportive

• Research interests
• Quality of life
• Nurturing environment

Keith Babbs, 4th Year PhD Candidate

I think everyone I've worked with at this University has been extremely supportive. It goes all the way from the professors being willing to spend extra time to help you, to the staff that are willing to help you however they can, and the students themselves who are also very supportive.

Bobbie Machikas, 1st Year PhD Candidate

I do feel that the faculty is very supportive here, they were very supportive from day 1, so. It definitely makes it helpful coming into a big school like this where you don't know a soul and everyone is very eager to help.

Brenna Hill, 2nd year PhD Candidate

I just recently returned from a conference where I presented and the department supported me financially as well as, you know everyone took a look at the abstract that I sent out. It's all the way from you know, making sure that your personal life is still intact to making sure that you're happy in the program, it's a very good balance.

Sarah Owusu, 1st Year PhD Candidate

With first year students we're given mentors. So for example, I have a second year that is my mentor and if I have any questions or any problems or need help with transitioning into the first year of being a PhD student, they're there to help.

Preparatory

• For the real world
• To research and teach
• To make a difference

Craig Hunter, Physiology Alumni

Students do come out well prepared for academic life. That's where the focus is of the faculty, is really to get them into a faculty position. And the way the program is setup, you learn how to collaborate, you learn about productivity and getting papers published, and that's what you need to succeed.

Brenna Hill, 2nd year PhD Candidate

In terms of research, I felt like I had a lot to learn, and that's what I feel like I'm getting here at Penn State. So there's even a teaching certification offered that I'm in right now so it's voluntary but it's available to us and we can leave on our CV's with a teaching certificate that other institutions may not have.

Keith Babbs, 4th Year PhD Candidate

I feel very prepared to go into a career after I leave Penn State. I would like to stay in academia, and do research and teach, and I've found that I really enjoy both, because I've had both experiences here.

Andrew Kelleher, 2nd Year PhD Candidate

I began to look at my research and imagine myself at 60 years old, looking back on my life and saying "What is it, what is it that I did with my life, what is, what culminates from my research?" And I began to imagine if perhaps some of my research influenced saving someone's life, it'd made me feel pretty good.