Components of higher learning
Greetings everyone,
Another year, another new graduate student cohort – welcome to Graduate Studies at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
All of our programs are directed at providing you with the best possible training. Whether you are hoping to master state-of-the-art research methods and /or hone your professional skills, you will achieve your training goal if you are willing to work hard, be a team player, and keep an open mind to all the experiences you will have over the next few years with us.
You are important to us and we have a team that is in place to help you succeed. Your supervisor, advisory committee, graduate program chair, department chair and I are all resources available to help ensure your experience is successful and productive.
Graduate studies are very different than undergraduate programs. You will be expected to organize your own schedule, set goals for yourself, be responsible and self-motivated, work well with others and conduct yourself in a professional manner.
It is also meant to be fun. The next few years should be among the most intellectually stimulating years of your life. We will provide you with the skills and habits you need, creating a foundation that will ensure you never stop learning and seeking new experiences.
That is what we hope for our students. We believe graduate school prepares you for becoming societal leaders and citizens that care about their community and try to make the world a better place to live in.
We know that the next few years may challenge you, but it is important to have times in your life where you exceed what you believe is possible. Of course this can become overwhelming at times, and you may need to seek assistance. We want you to be challenged, not overwhelmed.
We are also committed to helping you develop professional skills that will complement your job search at the end of your degree. The Ontario universities have collaborated to create a useful website, mygradskills.ca. It will be launched this month and I would encourage you all to check it out.
I am interested in meeting you and learning more about your research passions. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Work hard, play hard and don’t take life for granted. Talk to you next month.
Andrew Watson, PhD
Associate Dean, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
