Biomedical Sciences Advances 51 Graduate Students
UVA's BIMS Program hosted its third annual Advancement to Candidacy Celebration, honoring third-year students who have successfully passed their qualifying exams in the spring and are now embarking on their journey toward earning their PhDs.
On November 7, the University of Virginia’s Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BIMS) proudly hosted its third annual Advancement to Candidacy Celebration. This event honors third-year BIMS students who have successfully passed their qualifying exams in the spring and are now embarking on their journey toward earning their PhDs.
This year, 51 students from nine different BIMS programs were recognized. Each student was introduced by their respective director of graduate studies and received a certificate of advancement and a challenge coin from their mentor.
A challenge coin is a small medallion with an organization’s insignia, carried by its members. Historically, special coins date back to the Roman Empire, Renaissance “Portrait Medals,” and 17th-century French Huguenot societies. In the 20th century, military and service organizations began using challenge coins to recognize achievements and commemorate special occasions. Even in science, the iGEM competition awards its ‘Grand Prize’ winners with a challenge coin.
In congratulating the PhD candidates during the celebration, Associate Dean for Graduate and Medical Scientist Programs Janet Cross, PhD, shared advice with students as they move forward into a stage of graduate school that can be particularly challenging. “Celebrate the small things because the big things are sometimes too few and far between. This is solid advice not only for science, but also for life,” Cross said.
The Advancement to Candidacy Celebration marks the final milestone for the 2022 BIMS student cohort as a group. From this point forward, each student will continue an individual path toward a PhD.
The UVA Medical Alumni Association was proud to support this event. Congratulations to all of this year’s recognized students!
