CASIDA AWARD: Thoughts on the components of a graduate education: importance of the professional family.

A major component of a successful graduate education is the student's professional family developed throughout the graduate program. Not only important to the student are those directly guiding him or her, such as the advisor and graduate committee, but also those who directly or indirectly influence the student's competence, philosophy, ethics, outlook, and professional development in the chosen field. A comparison of this professional family with the student's own blood relatives and extended family is discussed with an introduction to the word mishpucha, a Yiddish term describing this large personal family and its influence.