Discovery Project

Through a Discovery Project, you’ll research a question in pharmacy that interests you and the classmates on your project team.

The Discovery Project gives you a platform to apply the skills you gained across the first two years of your coursework, and through the Inquiry component of each of the Integrated Themes in one of the six UCSF domains of science:

  1. Biomedical science
  2. Clinical science
  3. Education science
  4. Epidemiology and population science
  5. Social and behavioral science
  6. Systems science

Discovery Project: a closer look

You'll begin considering your Discovery Project area of interest in year one, and you'll identify a project topic in year two. As you and your team select a Discovery Project and carry it out during years two and three, you’ll be guided and mentored by an expert in your project area. You’ll meet regularly, in person or virtually, with your project team.

With your team, you’ll formally present your project to faculty members and student colleagues at the end of year three. You’ll also share your work though posters and published papers, as examples.

Your Discovery Project gives you the opportunity to focus your scientific thinking skills on a question of direct interest to you professionally.

You may be one of the students to elect to participate in an expanded research experience through the intensive research discovery project. If you take this option, you will reallocate one of your elective rotations to gain this research experience.