The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Graduate School held their induction ceremony on Monday September 8. Walter Aragon recieved his laboratory coat that symbolized his mentor-mentee relationship and to celebrate the initiation of dissertation research.
One of the hallmark achievements for students pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy degree is their recognition as a formal Ph.D. Candidate, an event marked by having successfully passed the Ph.D. qualifying exam. It represents an official transition from being predominantly enrolled in course work to the initiation of the dissertation research. It is this point in time that they embark on a career of discovery in biomedical and health research.