Administrative Policies
Class attendance
Class attendance is required. Arrangements for absences should be made in advance with the teaching assistant and faculty.
Grant citations
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requires that the Center for Translational Science Activities (CTSA) grant be cited by authors who receive funding through the CTSA or who use any CTSA services to support their research. As a Postdoctoral Certificate Program scholar, you've received CTSA support and must cite the grant.
The CTSA relies on these citations as a critical performance measure when reporting productivity (publications) to NIH each year. Read more about properly citing the grant.
Minimum GPA
The minimum cumulative GPA required to complete the Postdoctoral Certificate Program is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Grades of "satisfactory" ("S") are not calculated in the GPA. At least half the credits taken must be graded using the A-F system.
Probation and dismissal
Poor academic performance or poor nonacademic conduct may result in probation or dismissal from the Postdoctoral Certificate Program. See Mayo Graduate School probation and dismissal policies for more information (must be logged in to the Mayo network).
Plagiarism
Mayo Clinic considers plagiarism a form of scholastic and scientific misconduct. Any instances of suspected plagiarism will be investigated. If plagiarism is proven, it may result in a failing grade or other disciplinary action.
Any time you use someone else's published works — either directly (verbatim) or in an edited or summary form — and do not cite the original author, you have plagiarized that author's work. All nonoriginal (or previously published) work must be noted through quotations, citations and proper references.
The American Medical Association Manual of Style explains plagiarism this way: "In plagiarism, an author presents as his or her own ideas, language, data, graphics or even scientific protocols created by someone else, whether published or unpublished, without giving appropriate credit."
Source: Iverson C, et al. American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. 9th ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins; 1998.
More information about plagiarism is on the Mayo intranet (must be logged in to the Mayo network).
Release time
When applying to the Postdoctoral Certificate Program, you must demonstrate adequate protected time from clinical responsibilities to complete your research project and course work within your defined career-development plan.
Residence requirement
Regardless of how many transfer credits are awarded, you must complete a minimum of one year in residence after admission to the Postdoctoral Certificate Program.
Scientific misconduct
Ethical conduct in clinical practice and research constitutes an integral part of the Mayo Clinic culture. The Office of Research Integrity, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, defines scientific misconduct this way:
"Research misconduct means fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.
- Fabrication is making up data or results and recording or reporting them. Falsification is manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.
- Plagiarism is the appropriation of another person's ideas, processes, results or words without giving appropriate credit.
- Research misconduct does not include honest error or differences of opinion."
See Mayo's policies regarding the responsible conduct of research for more information (must be logged in to the Mayo network).
Time requirement
All requirements for the Postdoctoral Certificate Program must be satisfied within one year after completion of your Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education residency or fellowship, or within five years of admission to the program if you are a Mayo staff member.
Transfer credits
A total of three didactic credits may be transferred into the Postdoctoral Certificate Program.
- Core courses. Scholars who wish to transfer graduate credits to substitute or to waive credits for a Mayo core course must contact the Mayo course director and the CTSA postdoctoral programs director. To substitute or to waive core course credits, the scholar is required to prove competence by taking an exam on the subject dictated by the course director. If the course director and the CTSA postdoctoral programs director determine that a scholar has the knowledge equivalent to satisfactory performance in the Mayo core course, the scholar may request the transfer or waived credits. A letter from the course director and the CTSA postdoctoral programs director must be sent to the Mayo Graduate School office documenting this.
- Elective courses. Scholars who wish to transfer graduate credits to substitute for a Mayo elective course must contact the Mayo course director and the CTSA postdoctoral programs director. If the course director and the CTSA postdoctoral programs director determine that a scholar has the knowledge equivalent to satisfactory performance in the Mayo course, the scholar may request the transfer credits. A letter from the course director and the CTSA postdoctoral programs director must be sent to the Mayo Graduate School office to document this.
- Track-required courses. Scholars who wish to transfer graduate credits to substitute or to waive credits for a track-required course must contact the Mayo course director and the CTSA postdoctoral programs director. To substitute or to waive track required course credits, the scholar is required to prove competence by taking an exam on the subject at the discretion of the Mayo course director and the CTSA postdoctoral programs director. If the course director and the CTSA postdoctoral programs director determine that a scholar has the knowledge equivalent to satisfactory performance in the track-required course, the scholar may request the transfer or waived credits. A letter from the course director and the graduate program director must be sent to the Mayo Graduate School office to document this.
- External courses. Scholars who wish to transfer credits not in substitution for a Mayo course may request credit for graduate courses taken at another institution if they received a grade of A or B. The request must have the approval of the CTSA postdoctoral programs director and Mayo Graduate School. A description of the course from the course catalog or a course outline must accompany the request. The time interval since the credits were earned is a consideration in such decisions. Credits must normally have been earned within the previous five years or as determined by the CTSA postdoctoral programs director.
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