In today’s workforce biomedical PhDs are employed within a variety of fields including: biotechnology, communications, consulting, intellectual property law and science policy—to name a few! It’s a transformative time for scientific training and UC Irvine embraces diverse career paths by inviting PhD and Postdoctoral alumni back to campus to inspire the next generation of scientists.
On June 1st the Alumni Mentor Program for biomedical PhDs kicks off with a networking event at UCI Applied Innovation. Created by Graduate Professional Success in the Biomedical Sciences (GPS-BIOMED), the program provides professional mentoring to current trainees as well as a chance for alumni to reconnect with their peers. Through a series of on-campus and online meetings, participants discuss a range of job opportunities and build a community that supports career exploration, transition and advancement.
Last year, alumni mentoring produced numerous ways for trainees to hone their career interests. Trainees took initiative and organized 1-on-1 meetings with their mentors, shadowed their mentors at their place of work, and attended networking events together. “I am now aware of possible careers post-PhD, and worked on a career plan with my mentor that emphasized the skills I would need to be successful,” shared a former graduate student participant. The program was also extremely valuable for alumni with over 70% of mentors indicating that it expanded their professional network and enhanced their mentorship style.
“I’m grateful to be on a campus and part of a leadership team that is committed to broadening professional development for biomedical trainees,” says Emma Flores-Kim, Ph.D., Associate Director of GPS-BIOMED. Alumni mentorship is one example of the activities that have been introduced by GPS-BIOMED since it’s creation in 2014. Its mission is to better prepare UCI scientists for a variety of careers, and empower them to become not only skilled researchers, but also polished professionals. GPS-BIOMED thanks the UCI Graduate Division for supporting the Alumni Mentor Program and seeks alumni mentors who are willing to give their time, wisdom and expertise. For more information or to get involved, please contact: Emma Flores-Kim, Ph.D., eflores@uci.edu.
