Rafeef Abugharbieh -  FAQ for prospective students
 

 

Announcements     General Information     Graduate Students      Undergraduate Students


Latest Announcements

I am currently recruiting for 2 PhD student positions for 2012, with at least one student needed for a newly funded robotic surgery project. Exceptional candidates with strong mathematical, coding and technical writing skills are encouraged to apply. Students holding scholarships are eligible for various top-ups.

I sincerely thank all students who contact me regarding graduate positions for their keen interest in my research and desire to join our BiSICL lab. Please note that due to the very high volume of emails I receive from graduate applicants, I am unable to respond to all inquiries. Please consult the guidance information I provide below and note that only students who make it to the short list will be contacted for further information and possibly an interview.

General Information
My lab regularly seeks excellent students with outstanding academic records. BiSICL offers its students state-of-the-art resources including extensive computational infrastructure, an exciting lab atmosphere, collaborative research with top notch healthcare institutions and industry, and strong ties to clinicians and (rarely available) access to real life medical data. If you are a talented and self motivated student who is interested in having a career in medical image computing, one the hottest and fastest growing research areas in engineering and technology, you may wish to consider joining us. NSERC and other scholarship holders are especially encouraged to apply (top-ups typically available).

As I regularly get a very large volume of emails from prospective students inquiring about possible positions in my lab, I have compiled the following basic information that prospective students should read thoroughly before emailing me. Please note that I am unable to respond to emails inquiring about information that can already be accessed here.

Graduate Students

  • Where to find more information about my research?
    Please visit BiSICL's website where you can view our projects, student pages etc. You can also read some of our published work mostly available in full text on my publications page.

  • Where to find more information about our department's graduate admission process?
    Please refer to our Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate admissions page which has extensive information on our different programs, the application procedures and rules, possibilities for financial support, online application forms etc. The admission webpage also offers a FAQ section.

  • Who to ask about your special circumstances?
    For any questions related to special circumstances e.g. meeting minimum requirements, exemptions, deadline extensions, late documents, or any specific situations, please direct your inquires to our graduate office.

  • How to indicate your interest in working with me?
    You may wish to indicate my name as a potential supervisor with whom you would like to work. This will allow me to identify your interest in my research group should your graduate application be circulated among faculty members after initial admissibility checks by our graduate office are concluded.

  • How can you inquire about the status of your application?
    Please contact our graduate office directly. I have no access to the files until they are screened by our administrative staff for completion and admissibility.

  • Is it hard to get accepted into my group?
    The application process is quite competitive. A very limited number of positions is available at any given time. Students holding a scholarship typically have a better chance for admission. Excellent prior academic performance and high quality publications are important considerations for admission to my lab.

  • How to follow up on your application with me?
    You may wish to point out your application number after your application has been completed so that I can check it once applications are circulated to faculty members for consideration. Please note that I typically only contact the students whom I have short-listed for interview.

  • Does admission mean you will have financial support?
    Some research assistantships are available but those are awarded on a case by case basis. Funding issues are to be directly negotiated between a a student and the supervisor accepting them after admission is successful. General financial information for graduate students can be found here.

  • How to get a teaching assistantship?
    Teaching assistantships are assigned directly by the department (and not by supervisors) and have a completely separate application process. Once admitted, students may apply for such jobs which have specific requirements. More information can be found on our department's job postings section (under the 'Teaching Assistants' heading).

  • Why UBC?

Undergraduate Students

  • Does my lab offer undergraduate research positions?
    Very few such positions become available. Please note that only senior undergraduates with strong background in image computing and with specific interest in our research area are typically considered due to the advanced nature of our projects. NSERC's USRA program is one way for obtaining funding for such positions.

  • Does my lab accept visiting students?
    Typically not as we are not able to accommodate visiting students except in exceptional circumstances. Rare cases with outstanding and self-funded students who are interested in longer periods are sometimes considered if there is a fit within a specific project in our lab.