Professional Development Lecture 2 2011
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The document outlines essential strategies for maximizing the graduate student experience, emphasizing the importance of passion, independent thinking, and effective mentoring. It provides a series of rules ranging from maintaining work-life balance to proactive networking, highlighting the significance of building confidence and addressing problems early. Additionally, it discusses the potential for graduate students to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities and suggests practical steps for developing valuable ideas.
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Professional Development Lecture 2 2011
- 1. Professional Development Lecture 2 Getting the Most from Your Graduate Student Experience Philip E. Bourne [email_address] PLoS Comp. Biol. 3(11): e229 Thanks to Dr. Jenny Gu Jan 14, 2011
- 2. Agenda Getting the most from your graduate student experience Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur or something else in addition, mentor, teacher …? Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 3. My Bias Took 4 years (include 1 year off) to complete my PhD About 6 months in, took one year off and went around the world You are slave labor – there will always be a place for a good graduate student Poor graduate students are a significant drain My thesis sits on the shelf in my office – I have not opened it for a long time. It is a symbol of the PhD nothing more – the papers from it are all that count My 3 years of work could be done in about 1 month now – I try and see that as progress Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 4. Rule 0 – What to Have When You Graduate A break A job which likely means: The maximum number of high impact papers in quality journals – (ranges from 2 – 20+) A post doc scholarship i.e. money Excellent letters of recommendation from highly respected scientists A committee that had a dialog about your research A plan Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 5. Rule 1 – (Here We Go Again) Let Passion be Your Driving Force You went into research with little experience – are you as good at it as you were coursework? Are you excited about your work? Do you like this life style? If the answer to any of the above is no, what is your plan – you should always have a plan Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 6. Rule 2 – Is Your Mentor Project and Lab Right for You? Are you getting the right level of mentoring? If not talk to your mentor, consider a second mentor, use your thesis committee Is your mentor renown? If not, be sure to be able to get letters from a renown mentor Is your mentor as enthusiastic about your project as other projects in the lab? Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 7. Rule 3 – Think Independently Having said that different students require different levels of mentoring in the end to succeed (particularly in academia) you have to be independent – Ask yourself how independent are you? Can you formulate your own research problems and carry it through? Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 8. Rule 4 – Life is All About Balance Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 9. Rule 4 – Life is All About Balance It is my observation that the best scientists balance their career with other activities Leave an unsolved problem do something unrelated and come back to it – a solution will often be obvious Other activities often lead to scientific collaborations! Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 10. Rule 5 – Think Ahead Do not wait until you are about to graduate to find a lab to do a post doc Apply for Fellowships – money talks Use your mentor and thesis committee to help find the right position Learn to parallel process Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 11. Rule 6 - Remain Focused on Your Hypothesis Step back once a week and consider the big picture – Are you moving towards your big goals Define the scope of your project with your mentor earlier rather than later – many mentors are happy to have cheap productive labor, but is it in your best interests to stay around? Do not be scared of what the future holds Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 12. Rule 7 – Address Problems Earlier Rather Than Later Your mentor should be more than a purveyor of good science they should be there for your professional development Issues you are having your mentor will likely have experienced before – take advantage of that experience Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 13. Rule 8 – Networking – Its Critical The literature is the most important vehicle for your work but it is impersonal Be personal - the connections you make are critical to your future career – give posters, do talks whenever you can both locally, nationally and internationally Scan for important meetings and discuss your attendance with your mentor Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 14. Rule 9 – Build Confidence and a Thick Skin Defend your work with knowledge not knee jerk reactions Stand up for what you believe in Be prepared for periods of failure – learn what you can from them, but get over them Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 15. Rule 10 – Make Your Thesis Committee Work for the Privilege Select a committee as early as possible – be involved in that selection criteria should be related science and how they can help you with your post doctoral career Communicate with members regularly – use them as mentor backups If you and your mentor seriously disagree consult other members of your committee Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 16. Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, or something else? Jan 14, 2011
- 17. What it Means to Be an Entrepreneur Definition: Entrepreneur - A person who have a talent for seeing opportunities and the abilities to develop those opportunities into a business Graduate students can be entrepreneurs! Professional Development Series Jan 14, 2011
- 18. Steps to Being an Entrepreneur Have something of value (i.e. intellectual property) – an idea that can be protected, a process that can be protected Deal with your Tech Transfer Office Register that value through a patent, copyright or trademark Form a company (for or not-for profit) to develop that idea Fund it Play the role you want to play in the company Be prepared to put off graduation, or do it after? Jan 14, 2011 Professional Development Series
- 19. Other Opportunities? Somewhat location dependent. Here in San Diego: Teach in extension $50K Entrepreneurial challenge ScienceBridge Internships/rotations in industry, other institutions Need to balance against the time to graduate and the value these activities brings Jan 14, 2011
- 20. Jan 14, 2011 Discussion/Questions?