scholarly journals Non-academic employability of life science PhDs: the importance of training beyond the bench

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohyoung Her ◽  
Mathieu D Jacob ◽  
Sharon Wang ◽  
Songyi Xu ◽  
David CF Sealey
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Program Completion ◽  
Career Preparation ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
Perceived Impact ◽  
Academic Job Market ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Sector

ABSTRACTTo better understand how PhD graduates have prepared for the non-academic job market, we surveyed life science PhD and postdoctoral graduates from the University of Toronto who were employed in non-academic sectors. We also surveyed life science PhD and postdoctoral trainees to assess their engagement in career preparation activities. PhD professionals employed in non-academic sectors had engaged in various career preparation activities during their training. Some activities had a higher perceived impact on the path to employment than others. Trainees had also engaged in such activities, but those rated by professionals as having a highly positive impact on their path to employment were engaged in by only a minority of trainees. The proportion of trainees who wished to work in a non-academic sector was higher among those who were closer to program completion. Like professionals, many trainees reported facing barriers to pursuing career development activities. Our findings suggest that PhD trainees seeking to work in non-academic sectors should engage in career preparation activities, particularly those that involve experiential learning. By supporting co-curricular programming and reducing barriers to participation in career development activities, academic administrators and faculty have the opportunity to support trainees’ professional development beyond the laboratory.

scholarly journals Informatics Training for Pathology Practice and Research in the Digital Era

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 237428952091117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather T. D. Maness ◽  
Linda S. Behar-Horenstein ◽  
Michael Clare-Salzler ◽  
Srikar Chamala
Keyword(s):  
Flipped Classroom ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Program Completion ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Pathology Informatics ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
Task Efficiency ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Pathology informatics is a relatively new field with limited structured training programs for pathologists, especially for computer programming. Here, we describe our efforts to develop and implement a training program in the department of pathology at the University of Florida to meet these additional needs of current students as well as faculty and staff. Three one-credit courses were created using a flipped classroom design. Each course was assessed with a novel survey instrument, and the impact of the program was further measured 6 months after program completion with interviews of 6 participants and thematic analysis. Course objectives were met but with room for improvement. Major factors that had a positive impact included collaborative learning and real-world practice problems. Also, it improved communication with informatics colleagues as well as job task efficiency and effectiveness. Overall, the program raised awareness of informatics professional development and career path opportunities within pathology.

scholarly journals Medical students’ perceptions and coping strategies during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: studies, clinical implication, and professional identity

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wurth Sophie ◽  
Sader Julia ◽  
Cerutti Bernard ◽  
Broers Barbara ◽  
Bajwa M. Nadia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Clinical Exposure ◽  
Perceived Impact ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The unfolding of the COVID-19 pandemic during spring 2020 has disrupted medical education worldwide. The University of Geneva decided to shift on-site classwork to online learning; many exams were transformed from summative to formative evaluations and most clinical activities were suspended. We aimed to investigate the perceived impact of those adaptations by the students at the Faculty of Medicine. Methods We sent an online self-administered survey to medical students from years 2 to 6 of the University of Geneva, three months after the beginning of the pandemic. The survey explored students’ main activities during the first three months of the pandemic, the impact of the crisis on their personal life, on their training and on their professional identity, the level of stress they experienced and which coping strategies they developed. The survey consisted of open-ended and closed questions and was administered in French. Results A total of 58.8% of students responded (n = 467) and were homogeneously distributed across gender. At the time of the survey, two thirds of the participants were involved in COVID-19-related activities; 72.5% voluntarily participated, mainly fueled by a desire to help and feel useful. Many participants (58.8%) reported a feeling of isolation encountered since the start of the pandemic. Main coping strategies reported were physical activity and increased telecommunications with their loved ones. Most students described a negative impact of the imposed restrictions on their training, reporting decreased motivation and concentration in an unusual or distraction-prone study environment at home and missing interactions with peers and teachers. Students recruited to help at the hospital in the context of increasing staff needs reported a positive impact due to the enriched clinical exposure. Perceived stress levels were manageable across the surveyed population. If changed, the crisis had a largely positive impact on students’ professional identity; most highlighted the importance of the health care profession for society and confirmed their career choice. Conclusion Through this comprehensive picture, our study describes the perceived impact of the pandemic on University of Geneva medical students, their training and their professional identity three months after the start of the pandemic. These results allowed us to gain valuable insight that reinforced the relevance of assessing the evolution of the situation in the long run and the importance of developing institutional support tools for medical students throughout their studies.

scholarly journals DESARROLLO VOCACIONAL Y PREPARACIÓN PARA LA CARRERA PROFESIONAL EN ESTUDIANTES UNIVERSITARIOS

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 405
Author(s):  
José Manuel Martínez Vicente ◽  
Esperanza Rocabert Beut
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Career Guidance ◽  
Career Preparation ◽  
University Counseling ◽  
University Environment ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Professional Careers ◽  
Toma De Decisiones ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract.VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PREPARATION FOR CAREER IN COLLEGE STUDENTSPreparation for career emerges as a variable of interest in the university environment to the extent that these students pursue primarily their integration in the workplace for being formed. Moreover, the research reveals the importance of career development at the time of satisfaction and achievement in getting decisions made ??. Both variables are configured as highlights in the processes of counseling and vocational and career guidance. The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between preparation for career and vocational development considering gender as covariates and vocational group membership. For this biodata questionnaires (Rocabert & Martínez-Vicente, 2011a) and Career Preparation (Martinez-Vicente & Rocabert, 2011) to a sample of 1111 subjects with a mean age 21.9 years ( Sd = 3 were applied , 87) of different courses and university degrees distributed in five pre - professional (Humanistic, psychoeducational, health, sociolegal, Science and Technology). The results obtained indicated that career development was associated with preparation for professional careers. Likewise it found differences in some factors biodata regarding sex and pre-professional group. Were also found differences in preparing for careers in relation to sex, the pre-professional groups and the type of career development.Keywords University counseling, vocational behavior, counseling system, university orientation, preparation for professional careerResumen.La preparación para la carrera profesional surge como una variable de interés en el ámbito universitario en la medida que estos estudiantes persiguen ante todo su inserción en el ámbito laboral para el que se están formando. Por otra parte la investigación revela la importancia del desarrollo vocacional a la hora de conseguir satisfacción y logro en la toma de decisiones realizada. Ambas variables se configuran como aspectos destacados en los procesos de asesoramiento y orientación vocacional y profesional. El objetivo de este estudio fue establecer la relación existente entre la preparación para la carrera profesional y el desarrollo vocacional teniendo en cuenta como covariables el género y el grupo vocacional de pertenencia. Para ello se aplicaron los cuestionarios de Biodatos (Rocabert y Martínez Vicente, 2011) y de Preparación para la carrera profesional (Martínez-Vicente y Rocabert, 2011) a una muestra de 1111 sujetos de una edad media 21,9 años (Sd=3,87) de diferentes cursos y titulaciones universitarias distribuidas en cinco grupos pre-profesionales (Humanistico, Psicopedagógico, Biosanitario, Sociojuridico, Científico-Tecnológico). Los resultados obtenidos señalaron que el desarrollo vocacional quedó asociado a la preparación para la carrera profesional. Asi mismo se encontraron diferencias en algunos factores de los Biodatos en relación con el sexo y el grupo pre-profesional. También se encontraron diferencias en la preparación para la carrera profesional en relación con el sexo, el grupo pre-profesional y el tipo de desarrollo vocacional.Palabras claves: asesoramiento universitario, conducta vocacional, sistema de asesoramiento, orientación universitaria, preparación para la carrera profesional

scholarly journals Getting hired in industry – life science graduate students use case studies to get noticed by employers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Yung ◽  
Christina Wehrle ◽  
Cricia Rinchon ◽  
David Sealey
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Career Paths ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Graduate Degree ◽  
Study Program ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
Interesting Approach ◽  
Approach Working ◽  
The University

Many career paths are possible after completing a life science graduate degree. How trainees pursuing careers in industry can compete effectively in the job market is of critical interest. While some trainees boost their marketability through internships, co-operative education programs, and/or consulting projects, these opportunities may be limited in number or availability, or challenging to arrange around research commitments. To explore career paths and build a portfolio of experience while in school, some trainees are taking an interesting approach: working in teams, with mentorship from industry professionals, they lead projects that simulate the kind of work they would be doing in their field of interest. After ~130 trainees have participated in the annual Industry Team Case Study program at the University of Toronto over four years, we interviewed four alumni to find out how their case studies helped them get noticed by employers and get hired.

scholarly journals Insights and Perspectives from the PhD to Employee Forum

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-104
Author(s):  
Emily Bell ◽  
Helen Miliotis ◽  
Lorna MacEachern ◽  
Luciana Longo ◽  
Costas Karatzas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Career Planning ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Career Preparation ◽  
Tenure Track ◽  
Canadian Universities ◽  
Faculty Positions

Data shows that PhD graduates pursue diverse careers. Recent data from Canadian universities report that fewer than 35% of health-science PhD graduates are employed in research intensive, or tenure-stream, faculty positions up to seven years after graduation. Perhaps surprisingly, this is higher than previous estimates, which indicate that up to 80% of basic biomedical PhDs are employed outside of tenure-track positions within 6-10 years of obtaining their degree. The “From PhD to Employee Forum” was born out of a pressing need to identify specific solutions to manage the challenge of effectively engaging trainees in career development during their doctoral degree. To address this challenge, we sought to bring together career development experts to collect insights regarding the approaches of different institutions to address the career planning needs of life science trainees. Here we summarize key presentations at the forum, review what we see as some of the key challenges in the career preparation of life scientists and summarize three key insights raised in the forum.

Development of the University of Toronto Skull Base Inventory (UT-SBI) Quality-of-Life Questionnaire

Skull Base ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
John de Almeida ◽  
Allan Vescan ◽  
Jolie Ringash ◽  
Patrick Gullane ◽  
Fred Gentili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Skull Base ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Quality Of Life Questionnaire ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
The University

Disruptive innovation and operationalization in local and sustainable food systems: Examining the University of Toronto-Local Food Plus partnership

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 120-139
Author(s):  
Lori Stahlbrand
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Disruptive Innovation ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
The University

This paper traces the partnership between the University of Toronto and the non-profit Local Food Plus (LFP) to bring local sustainable food to its St. George campus. At its launch, the partnership represented the largest purchase of local sustainable food at a Canadian university, as well as LFP’s first foray into supporting institutional procurement of local sustainable food. LFP was founded in 2005 with a vision to foster sustainable local food economies. To this end, LFP developed a certification system and a marketing program that matched certified farmers and processors to buyers. LFP emphasized large-scale purchases by public institutions. Using information from in-depth semi-structured key informant interviews, this paper argues that the LFP project was a disruptive innovation that posed a challenge to many dimensions of the established food system. The LFP case study reveals structural obstacles to operationalizing a local and sustainable food system. These include a lack of mid-sized infrastructure serving local farmers, the domination of a rebate system of purchasing controlled by an oligopolistic foodservice sector, and embedded government support of export agriculture. This case study is an example of praxis, as the author was the founder of LFP, as well as an academic researcher and analyst.

Buddhist, a Christian, and an Atheist Walk into a Classroom

2013 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-42
Author(s):  
Ken Derry
Keyword(s):  
First Year ◽  
Specific Relation ◽  
University Of Toronto ◽  
Central Focus ◽  
The University

Although none of the articles in this issue on the topic of religion and humor are explicitly about teaching, in many ways all of them in fact share this central focus. In the examples discussed by the four authors, humor is used to deconstruct the category of religion; to comment on the distance between orthodoxy and praxis; to censure religion; and to enrich traditions in ways that can be quite self-critical. My response to these articles addresses each of the above lessons in specific relation to experiences I have had in, and strategies I have developed for, teaching a first-year introductory religion course at the University of Toronto.

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