Congratulations!  You succeeded in landing your first position in industry after NIH and, like most trainees, you are experiencing a mix of emotions in anticipation getting started.   For many of you, not only is this your first “real job” after your graduate school and postdoc, it is your first job outside of academia.  This blog will provide suggestions of what to expect during your first week and offers some do’s and don’ts in support of a successful transition from the comfortable routine of NIH lab to the work world.

Week Prior

Like many adventures, preparation in advance will be essential to your success in your new position.  Give yourself at least one week’s time after you leave NIH to prepare to begin your new position. During this time, you can relocate, establish your new home, assemble your wardrobe, and take care of personal and family business. Complete any pre-work (articles, projects etc.) that your boss recommends before your first day.  Bring any forms of identification (usually two) for your first day. We also suggest carving out some personal time, to de-stress and engage in wellness activities so you can start your job refreshed.  Consider doing a practice commute before your first day to assure that you will be on-time and know the directions.  Typically, your new boss or HR manager will provide you with a place to report, a contact person, an itinerary of what to expect that day, and where to park (if needed).

First Day – Onboarding

You have arrived (preferably about 15 minutes early), are well-dressed, and are prepared to approach the day with a fresh positive attitude. More importantly, prepare to meet lots of people!   Your new supervisor (or someone that they appoint) will welcome you, introduce you to your co-workers, show you to your workspace, and take you to lunch.  You will also meet many important people (office assistants, IT, HR etc.) who are charged to get you prepared to communicate with your coworkers and succeed in the company.  Expect to fill out paperwork, get pin-numbers, get yourself established with payroll, establish an email account and telephone number, get ID cards, obtain security clearances, obtain parking passes, and obtain access to any facilities you will need.  Someone will take you on a tour of the facilities and escort you to any meetings that have been scheduled for you.  Also, expect to be enrolled (that day or in the first week) in a New Employees Orientation that will introduce you to company culture, provide you with instructions for how to enroll in benefits (Health, Dental, Vision, etc.),  and inform you of resources available to you as an employee.  During down time  settle into your new space, read any materials that you were given,  and enjoy some quiet time.  On your way home, be sure to say goodbye to your boss and team.

First Week – Establishing yourself as a team member

Beginning with your second day continue to get established in your new work environment by learning about your first work activities  and completingion of the onboarding process (most likely takes longer than one day).  Approach each new day with the goals of being alert, asking good questions, behave collaboratively, and to begin contributing to the team’s success (without overstepping).  The following are suggestions for the remainder of the week to help you become successful.

To Do

• Meet your co-workers casually, in meetings, and over lunch. Prepare a short introduction to use including your new title, where you came from, and your department.
• Begin to set up a calendar and To-do list that includes time to meet with your new supervisor and team.
• Be observant and learn about office norms (arrival and departure, dress code, meeting etiquette etc.).
• Attend all orientations that are scheduled for you and complete paperwork on time.
• Look interested and be attentive in meetings. Ask many questions
• Contribute to office discussions – minimally at first, but enough to show you are engaged
• Begin a list of SMART goals to accomplish during your first 90 days

Things to Avoid

• Don’t arrive late or leave early. Communicate with your boss or administrative assistant if there is a conflict (inclement weather, etc.) so they are aware.
• Try not to call in sick or be absent unless it is crucial. Why? You need to earn sick leave.
• Don’t use your cell phone or I pad, or earphones. This non-verbal behavior will be interpreted as aloof, closed off, disinterested and disrespectful.
• Don’t sit in your office or eat alone. Seek out an opportunity to be a collaborator and team player
• Don’t be silent. Add something to the conversations to show engagement in meetings
• Don’t agree with office gossip or speak negatively about co-workers, work environment, boss, culture. It is better to say “thanks for the heads up”
• Don’t ask your about future promotions additional positions in the company. Focus on the current position

Getting a new position in industry is exciting.  Following these simple suggestions can help you start off in a positive manner and be prepared for success.  Visit our videocast and learn more about starting a faculty position.   Feel free to chat with an OITE career services counselor to discuss starting your job in more detail.      

It that time of year when applicants to medical schools are feverishly writing and re-writing drafts of their personal statements for medical school in anticipation of applying in June.

To help our readers with this awesome task, Dr. William Higgins, Pre-professional Advisor with the OITE, has provided some suggestions that will help you to make a stronger case in favor of your admission to schools.

To write a persuasive statement, Dr. Higgins encourages applicants to think about two main questions,

“Why do I want to go into medicine?” and “How have I prepared myself to be successful?” In other words, applicants need to know that admissions committees are reading through thousands of essays looking for experiences that enabled you test the various roles (direct patient care, research, science, leadership, teamwork, service,) that a medical student and future physician will take on.

Then you can select your key experiences that will persuade the admissions committee members that you have a strong foundation that has prepare you to succeed in medical school and as a physician.

When you are sitting down to begin writing your statement, Dr. Higgins urges you to stop and recognize that “generation of the content is a separate process from generating the actual text and words.

Do not do them at the same time.”   Spend some time writing down and organizing your ideas and insight first. Then and only then, begin composing the text. Forego the writing strategies that are used in creative writing where you were “encouraged to use free writing, flowery language, complex sentence structures, and unfamiliar and artificial style.

” For example, instead of writing write,

“McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup” you would simply and directly write that, “McBride fell 12 stories…

” Higgins suggests that a using logic and clearly worded statements to persuade your reader is appropriate because “medical or professional school essays must flow but don’t have to be a story.”

Dr. Higgins provides the following strategy to create a flowing and persuasive personal statement:

Step One: Do not write! Schedule time to generate the content.

• DO NOT attempt to simultaneously brainstorm and start to write!
• Find time when you are not under stress
• Jot down your various ideas/experiences on notes (post-it notes) and place them on the wall or a large white board.
• Use concrete examples from your life experiences that excite you

Step Two Choose key experiences and place them order that will create your argument

• Organize your post-it notes on the wall
• Select 1-2 themes of your essay
• Then re-organize them determine the flow to persuade your audience
• Start with the most important points (those that the admissions committees want to hear)
• Note key phrases and catch words

Step Three: Start Writing Your Essay

• Write an opening paragraph that forecasts what you are going to tell the reader during the statement.
• Focus on key experiences. You don’t have to include everything. Do not rewrite your activities list.
• Be clear and direct (i.e.: Tell them what you want them to know) No need for flowery language or many adjectives
• Use the active voice and strong verbs.
• Write often during scheduled times
• Write positive statements and avoid negative ones. For example, don’t write, “I didn’t want to attend medical school or be a medical doctor initially...”
• Eliminate unnecessary words such as, “Based on, In terms of, Studies have shown, Doctors are, It is thought to be, what happened was…”
• Use correct punctuation
• In the conclusion link back to your opening argument or thesis

Step 4  Proof Read and Edit

• Put the essay away for 2 days before re-reading and editing
• Read it aloud. TRUST YOUR EARS
• Check for linearity
• Underline the subject and verb in each sentence. Is the verb in the active voice, strong, appropriate for the subject?
• Check each paragraph for structure, transitions, etc.
• Check for continuity
• Use spell check.
• Schedule an appointment with a OITE advisor or counselor review your essay. Ask a peer.

Visit the OITE for all workshops and programs related to applying to professional schools. Seek similar services in your region or from your primary institution if you are part of our extended reading audience.

It is exciting to receive offers to attend medical school.  Simultaneously, it is stressful to have to choose which medical school to attend.  

It is natural to experience a mix of anticipation, excitement, and fear of making a mistake as you make this career decisions. Here are some suggestions to help you make this important career decision.

Revisit your criteria for choosing a medical school

Look over your original criteria that you developed when choosing a medical school.  You can go beyond the national rankings of medical schools ask yourself, has anything changed, become better clarified, or new come up that will influence your decision?

Be sure to factor in your personal impressions from your interview, opinions that you received from medical students, your desires from medical school training, and your values .

For MD/PhDs

You may want to consider such things as location, time allotted for research and clinical, the faculty you will be working with, and the opportunities for conference and presentations. 

Review the following article for additional criteria to use when choosing a medical scientist training program.

Attend the Second Look programs

One of the main reasons that medical schools hold revisit or “Second Look” programs is to give admitted students another opportunity to learn about their school without the pressure of an interview.  

This is time well invested by Deans, faculty, medical students, staff and other campus departments  who come together to put on their best show with the goal of helping you to experience what it will be like to matriculate in their school.   If you attend you will have a second opportunity to ask questions of students, sample classes, tour learning facilities, learn about housing, libraries, research, ask more questions about financial aid, and other resources without the burden of interviewing.  

In the instance where two or more schools have conflicting second look dates, you will have to choose the one that you need to visit most. Before you go, review the AAMC article that discusses several questions that medical students wished they had asked when selecting a medical school.

Use a weighted decision- making ranking system

To look at your decision more objectively, use a ranking system to evaluate the schools on key criteria that you have identified.

Step 1    Make a list of the criteria that you must have in a medical school

Step 2   Using a scale of 0-5, rank each criterion using 5 as the highest correlation

Step 3    Add up the numbers in each column

These are a few additional criteria that will help you with make this decision.  

Feel free to make an appointment with an OITE career counselor or premed to further help you with decision making. We encourage out expanded readership to utilize resources in your community for similar assistance.