Graduate students in physiology, as in most areas of science, face the task of becoming both experts and generalists in their field. They must become experts in their specific subfield of physiology, with detailed knowledge of the historical and current research, theories, and methodologies. However, they also must have a broad working knowledge of physiology, from the molecular to the systems levels in order to understand their specific field in the overall context of living systems. This list of professional skills does not attempt to detail either the broad or specific concepts needed by the individual student. It is up to the trainee, his/her advisor, and the department to determine what that detailed and broad knowledge should entail at each stage of training. Both a broad knowledge of physiology and the skills necessary to develop expertise in a specific content area are important for most physiology-related careers.