Student Development

Ongoing Evaluation

The evaluation process is designed to promote discussion between students and their mentors about progress toward the developmental of essential doctoral-level outcomes, skills, and competencies, to promote transparency through the articulation of explicit expectations, and to set shared goals for future development and research progress.

This process, required of faculty rotation advisors and thesis advisors, provides students with an evaluation of their development over a defined period (session, semester, or year, depending on the stage of the student), with documentation of the student’s achievements and progress toward previously defined objectives, and a clear set of goals and expectations for moving forward.

The Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences distributes student performance evaluations via OASIS to rotation mentors at the end of each research rotation and to thesis mentors at the end of each semester. Performance evaluations are due within two weeks of the rotation or semester's end. Evaluations must be completed for every research rotation and at the end of every semester for each student in qualifying, thesis or graduate research.

Student Services & Resources

The Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and UMass Chan Medical School provide a number of services and resources aimed at helping students personally, professionally and academically.

As a faculty mentor, you should be aware of the resources available to Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences students and encourage their use to help promote a healthy and successful graduate student experience.

Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Student Affairs

Student Affairs is available to expand the personal and professional skills of students to help them pursue meaningful leadership in their communities and world.

Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Enrollment, Dr. Morgan Thompson, has four primary action areas:

1. Individual and student group advising
2. Serving as an advocate for students within the UMass Chan ecosystem
3. Supporting individual and institutional training grants and fellowships
4. Co-creating a campus environment that supports personal and professional well-being

Office of Student Life

The Office of Student Life is a tri-school resource with the goal to work with students to facilitate optimal learning in a collaborative environment, helping students to reach goals and thrive. Services provided include health promotion, financial wellness and promotion of opportunities for social and leadership activities and community engagement.

The Center for Academic Achievement

The Center for Academic Achievement (CAA) is open to all students at UMass Chan. The academic achievement program is oriented toward prevention of academic problems through systematic needs assessment, mobilization of resources, and continuity of the support experience.

Student Counseling Services

Student Counseling Services (SCS) provides counseling, psychotherapy, assistance with stress management, and educational programs on emotional well-being for graduate, medical, and nursing students.

Additional UMass Chan Contacts & Information

Career & Professional Development

The professional development of our students is embedded within the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences core competencies and aligns with the university’s IMPACT 2025 strategic vision of “educating resilient, agile, and culturally competent clinicians, scientists, and educators who are optimally prepared to lead and succeed in their evolving professional environments of the future.”

Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences curricula, programs, and services are designed to complement the mentorship obtained throughout students’ training, providing all students with foundational skills in written and oral communication, working within diverse teams, building a professional network, and proactive career planning.  This centralized approach to skills development enhances equity for all students and provides a common language and intra-cohort learning that facilitates both peer-to-peer and faculty mentorship.

Center for Biomedical Career Development 

The Center for Biomedical Career Development (cBCD) coordinates many of the professional development and career planning components of Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences curricula and offers numerous additional services to support student career development. These services include supporting career-focused student groups with career development foci, providing small-group workshops and larger events, and providing career and professional development advising via individual appointments. Summary of curricula, programs, and services for students. (Note: for the purposes of training grants or fellowships, please reach out to Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Student Affairs for drafted text summarizing offerings.)

Individual Development Plans and supporting your mentees in career planning

The process of creating an Individual Development Plan (IDP) empowers early-career scientists to proactively consider and prepare for the next steps in their scientific careers. The cBCD works with faculty and graduate programs to support the use of IDPs. The faculty guide to IDPs includes strategies for meeting with your student about their IDP, supporting students in their career planning, and how to report IDP use in NIH grant RPPRs or in training grants/fellowships. 

Student career outcomes

The Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences tracks and disseminates initial and current career outcomes for our graduate students.  Faculty or administrators seeking to attain specific data for purposes such as training grants should contact GSBSStudentAffairs@umassmed.edu.