THE PRACTICUM PROJECT Orientation 2020 First Year and

THE PRACTICUM PROJECT Orientation 2020 | First Year and Transfer Students| The Practicum Project

WHAT IS THE GDB PRACTICUM PROJECT? • The GDB Practicum Project is a 1 - or 2 - quarter research experience that allows GDB majors to benefit from working closely with a researcher on a topic related, in the broadest sense, to health and disease. • • Students should have identified a mentor by Spring of their Junior year at the latest! After doing the 1 -2 quarters of research, students will write a practicum report in the format of a scientific manuscript.

WHAT KIND OF RESEARCH CAN YOU DO FOR THE PRACTICUM? • Don’t limit yourself to thinking that the practicum has to be done in a typical lab setting! • The practicum can be based on many different kinds of science, from bench lab work, to policy research, to field studies and case studies! • Public Health and Plant Pathology are 2 of our most popular fields! • If your topic is scientific (hard science, social science, data collection, or any science), chances are it could count as your practicum project! • As an added note: you don’t have to come up with your own practicum project! You can piggyback on a project that your mentor is already working on.

SOME PRACTICUM EXAMPLES: • “The Impact of Socioeconomic Standing on Surgical Recovery: • “Approaches to Reduce Food Loss and Waste Between Two Economically Different Countries Along the Food Supply Chain” • “An Informed Review of the Public Health Response to a Countywide Norovirus Outbreak in Schools–California, 2017” • “Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Antibody Responses Across Species in Regard to Vaccine Development” • “Changes in Genetic Expression Patterns of Female Tsetse Fly (Glossina morsitans) Reproductive Tract Tissues in Response to Male Seminal Secretions after Mating” • “Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Genitourinary Infections in Homeless Women in Sacramento, California” • As long as you are illustrating the scientific method, you’re all set!

HOW DOES THE GDB PRACTICUM WORK? • The Practicum consists of 2 parts! GDB 189: 3 unit course in which you complete the actual research that makes up your practicum • GDB 189 D: The 1 unit course where you are able to complete the write up of your practicum and turn it in • • GDB 187 is where you will learn more about how to set up your practicum and how to get a mentor

GDB 189 • GDB 189: 3 unit course in which you complete the actual research that makes up your practicum • Because this is a 3 unit course, you are required to devote 9 hours/week to your research • You and your mentor can work together to decide how to break this up • You could do 9 hours of research, 8 hours of research and 1 hour of writing, 6 hours of research, 2 hours of analysis and 1 hour of writing, or any combination of these!

GDB 189 D • The 1 unit course where you are able to complete the write up of your practicum and turn it in. GDB 189 D is not held in a classroom. This is time for you to set aside to work on writing up your practicum into a scientific document. • Dr. Leveau (master advisor) will be the instructor for this course, and will hold weekly office hours to help you with your paper. • • Your mentor should also be helping you put together the manuscript! • Your mentor will also sign off on your practicum at the end of the quarter! •

FINDING A PRACTICUM PROJECT • Some helpful tips to finding a research project: Reach out to UC Davis faculty doing researcc • Google “UC Davis _____ research” and find a faculty member whose work sounds interesting and email them. • Work of mouth! • • Contacting a potential mentor: Go to the ICC and have them look over your resume and cover letter • Talk to your peer advisors for advice! •

TIMELINES • Don’t worry, you have lots of time to figure out the practicum. Ideally, you’ll identify your practicum mentor in your junior year • Then you can start your research the summer after your junior year or the beginning of your senior year. • It is possible to complete the practicum early! • • If you don’t find a mentor until the beginning of your senior year, you’ll still have time!

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRACTICUM? • You have lots of resources! • You can talk to any advisor in the GDB program about the practicum: Master Advisor: Johan Leveau • Academic Advisor: Andrea Guggenbickler • Advising Assistant: Francesca De Las Alas • Peer Advisors • • Remember, we are here to help!