Skip to main content
menu
URMC / Education / Graduate Education / URBest Blog
"Following the cues: trusting your gut in science and life"

"Following the cues: trusting your gut in science and life"

By: Tara Capece, Ph.D., MPH -Scientific Review Officer with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

My career path as a graduate student began the way many do – with the belief I was going to stay in academia. I loved pouring over the literature and writing (and editing and re-editing…) papers and grant applications. I especially enjoyed brainstorming for the best questions and experiments for projects. I checked all the academic boxes, and my path was set. Until it wasn’t. 

"Brett Mulvey’s Roadmap to a Career in Medical Affairs: How to Break Away from Academia’s Publish or Perish Environment with Networking and Communication"

"Brett Mulvey’s Roadmap to a Career in Medical Affairs: How to Break Away from Academia’s Publish or Perish Environment with Networking and Communication"

By Matthew Ingalls, PhD Candidate in Genetics, Development, and Stem Cells

My dreams became set on becoming an academic in part because that was what I was led to believe would be the most fulfilling career path in science, but also because the only other option fell into a gray box called, “industry.” After six years of observing my peers, mentors, and surrounding faculty constantly struggle to secure funding, that academic pipedream has begun to produce a more nightmarish tone. I still love science, I can’t imagine my life without it, but I’ve come to realize that what I most enjoy about science cannot flourish in academia, at least not with the current “publish or perish” environment.

“Should I do a postdoc? My path from an academic postdoc to industry and perspectives on how to answer this question.”

“Should I do a postdoc? My path from an academic postdoc to industry and perspectives on how to answer this question.”

By Jennifer Judge, PhD - Regulatory Scientist at Cook MyoSite

It always seemed obvious to me as a graduate student at URMC that I should followed my passion for teaching and research and pursue a postdoctoral fellowship.  Throughout graduate school, I was constantly pursuing activities that would strengthen my CV for an academic tract: applying for my own NIH fellowship and completing a teaching internship through URBEST.  I figured that my postdoc would help me further decide the next path, whether that be a teaching-focused academic position or if my research goes well, a research-focused position.  Either way, I knew that I wanted a faculty position someday.

Build Career Preparation Into Your Ph.D. Experience

Build Career Preparation Into Your Ph.D. Experience

News Article By Dr. Michael Baranello, Ph.D., Industry Postdoctoral Affiliate

After the dust from your successful defense settles, future becomes the present.  For those that have long decided to pursue a career in academia, postdoctoral positions await, along with the process of relocation, and perhaps a vacation that has been put off for the last 4+ years.  Because this is a URBEST blog, aimed at broadening scientific career opportunities beyond academia, you may not be one of these individuals.  Amidst the chaos of the final year of your Ph.D., you may have had the incredible foresight to connect with reputable industrial, government, regulatory, or clinical entities, and convinced their hiring representatives that your skills and early career aspirations are well matched with the goals of their team.  I wish I was speaking of my own foresight and professional acumen (unfortunately, I am not), but my hope is that readers will recognize their own graduation timeline and map out available resources to better approach post-graduate endeavors.  If you are 1-2 years away from completing your Ph.D., it is a good time to critically assess the individual search filters that will determine the types of positions, teams, and organizations you pursue.  Finding opportunities is somewhat straightforward (the internet is full of options), but building yourself into a strong candidate and fostering the best connections to successfully attain your first post-grad role can be more difficult.  All of this takes time, but if addressed early (and seriously) enough, the process can be built in to your Ph.D. experience.

12