Welcome New PhD Students!

We are pleased to welcome you to UCSF and to San Francisco. In this page you will find some key information and resources that will help you as you settle into your graduate program and to life at the University and in San Francisco.

Virtual Orientation for New PhD Students

Friday, September 9, 2022
10 a.m. to Noon
Online via Zoom

All new PhD students are required to attend this orientation, which will include two parts. Students will receive registration and Zoom links via their UCSF email addresses.

Part 1 will cover student services and campus resources. In preparation for the orientation activities, please view the Virtual Integrated Student Service Orientation Video before the session and bring all of your questions for our student support specialists to this session.

Part 2 of the orientation will be from the CARE (Campus Advocacy Resources & Education) Advocate and covers sexual assault, gender based violence, sexual misconduct, and cyberbullying awareness and prevention.

This mandatory orientation is a unique opportunity to learn about the wide variety of campus resources that will help you succeed in your studies at UCSF and in your future career. It is also an opportunity for us to learn how we can best support you.

 Questions? Contact Mary Bradley in the Graduate Division Dean's Office.

Virtual Integrated Student Services Orientation

Community Circles

New PhD students will be invited to participate in Community Circles within their specific program. These facilitated conversations encompass community building, understanding personal values and identities, and collectively developing community values that align with the individuals in the program. Please contact your program administrator if you have questions.

Important Reminders and Resources

Flu Vaccines

Flu vaccinations are mandatory for learners, employees, and physicians across UCSF. In fall 2023, UCSF will offer flu vaccine clinics for all members of the UCSF community at various campuses. Schedule TBA.

WarnMe Alert System

WarnMe is UCSF's enterprise-wide alerting and warning service for faculty, learners, staff, and affiliates with official UCSF IDs. Your UCSF-assigned email address  is automatically added to WarnMe. You can also receive alerts via a personal phone, text message device, mobile app, pager or personal email. Contact information is confidential and never shared. Text messages have been shown to be the most effective during a critical event, emergency or disaster scenario. Sign up to receive WarnMe alerts via text message.

First Year Rotations

Basic and biomedical science PhD students: Good rotations set you up for finding a good dissertation lab...but what's a good rotation and how do you have one? To start answering those questions, visit the new Conducting Successful Rotations webpage. It covers what you need to do and understand before, during, and after your rotations and applies to both in-person and virtual rotations.

Basic Needs

Visit basicneeds.ucsf.edu to learn about the resources available to support your well-being, including the Student Food Market, CalFresh, the Food4Students app, and more.

Childcare Grants

Did you know the Graduate Division offers childcare grants to eligible PhD students? Find full details on the program.

Communications

Social Media: Follow us on Twitter @UCSFGradDiv.

Campus Email: Now that you have a UCSF email address, please check it regularly. We send important notices out to students via campus email, and we don't want you to miss them!