Helping Your Students Thrive at the NIH

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Helping Your Students Thrive at the NIH
build your career, shape the future
Sharon L. Milgram, milgrams_at_od.nih.gov
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ABSTRACT
The NIH intramural research program sponsors
research training programs for high school,
college and graduate students. It also sponsors
postdoctoral programs in basic, translational,
and clinical research. The NIH Office of
Intramural Training and Education (OITE) sponsors
workshops and educational programs to guide
intramural trainees in their scientific and
professional development. The workshops include
writing courses, communication skills workshops,
and leadership development programs. For college
students and postbaccalaureate fellows, the OITE
sponsors workshops on going to graduate and
professional school. In a recent exit survey,
over 50 of our postbacs were admitted to
graduate school and 40 were admitted to
professional school. NIH postbacd report that
their time at NIH helped them define their career
goals and opened their eyes to the importance of
biomedical research regardless of their chosen
career path. To insure that students have an
outstanding experience at the NIH, university
mentors and MORE Program Directors should
encourage them to attend OITE orientation,
download handbooks and the moving guide before
coming to campus, meet their Institute training
director and OITE staff, and participate in
workshops throughout their internship.
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The National Institutes of Health
The Nations biomedical research institution

• Composed of 27 Institutes and Centers
• Campuses in MD, NC, AZ, MI, and MT
• Two divisions -- intramural and extramural
• Basic, translational and clinical research

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Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center

• The worlds largest hospital devoted exclusively
  to clinical research, with

• 240 beds
• 7,000 inpatient admissions a year
• 9,750 new patients a year
• 72,600 outpatient visits a year
• 900 active clinical research protocols

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The Intramural Research Community

• 1100 Tenured/Tenure-track investigators
• 1000 Staff Scientists/Staff Clinicians
• 4200 Postdoctoral/Clinical Fellows
• 485 Graduate Students
• 100 Medical Students
• 600 Postbacs
• 1200 Summer Students
• . In 1250 intramural labs

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Summer Internship Program

• Eight week research experience at all levels
• High School
• College
• Medical/Dental
• Graduate (MS. PhD, PharmD, PsyD, etc)
• Many workshops and other educational
  opportunities
• Access to pre-graduate advising
• End-of-summer poster session

http//www.training.nih.gov/student/sip/
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The Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP)

• Provides up to 20,000/yr to cover educational
  expenses for undergraduates
• Eligibility
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• GPA 3.5
• Financial need
• Major in a field relevant to biomedical research
• Payback requirement one summer and one year at
  the NIH as an employee for each year of support
  received

https//ugsp.nih.gov/
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For recent college graduates

• Postbac IRTA Program
• One - two year focused research experience in an
  NIH lab (on all campuses)
• Many workshops and educational programs
• Pre-graduate and career advising
• NIH Academy
• A postbac program focused on domestic health
  disparities
• All fellows live together near the Bethesda
  campus

http//www.training.nih.gov/student/
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The Graduate Partnerships Program

• Students work in NIH lab for all or part of their
  dissertation research
• PhD is granted by home university
• Two types of partnerships
• Individual agreement
• Institutional agreement

http//gpp.nih.gov/
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NIH Postdoctoral Programs

• Positions in basic, translational and clinical
  research
• For US citizens and foreign nationals
• Must be within 5 yrs of receiving doctoral degree
• A number of competitive fellowships are
  available
• Intramural Fellowship to Promote Diversity
• National Research Council
• PRAT Program

http//www.training.nih.gov/postdoctoral/
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OITE Mission
Helping trainees in the NIH Intramural Research
Program develop scientific and professional
skills to become leaders in the biomedical
research community
www.training.nih.gov
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The Office of Intramural Training Education

• We provide a comprehensive resource for career
  and professional development
• We aim to ensure that all NIH trainees
• Have a scientifically productive experience
• take part in relevant career and professional
  development activities
• Have help planning and taking the next steps
• Have a good time
• Are supported during difficult transitions

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What Do We Offer?

• Workshops and Series
• Written Communication Skills
• Oral Communication Skills
• Grant Writing
• Teaching Skills and Opportunities
• Leadership and Management Programs
• Career Advancement Toolkits
• Annual Events
• Career Symposium
• CV/Resume Slam
• Graduate Student Retreat
• Graduate Student Symposium
• Support for FELCOM and GSC activities

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CAT TRACKS

• Academic Jobs Series
• Preparing Your Job Package
• Interviewing in the Academy
• Negotiating Taking Care of Yourself
• Making the Transition
• Mentoring and Motivating Others
• Industry Job Series
• Understanding Industry
• On-line applications, Resumes, and Cover Letters
• Interviewing Outside the Ivory Tower
• Transitioning and Team Science
• Careers 101
• Career exploration
• Goal Setting
• Informational Interviewing
• Networking

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OITE Activities for Postbacs

• Workshops and Series
• Basic Science Writing
• Going to Graduate School
• Going to Professional School
• Science Skills Development
• Career Exploration Brown Bag Lunches
• Personal Professional Development Program
• Annual Events
• Postbac Poster Day
• NIH Graduate and Professional School Fair

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The OITE Career Services Center

• Help with career exploration/ career
  decision-making
• Individual assistance throughout the graduate
  school application process
• Review of CVs, resumes, and cover letters
• Review of personal statements and fellowship
  applications
• Advice and practice for informational
  interviewing
• Networking skill development
• Mock interviews
• Advice on developing assertiveness and
  interpersonal skills
• Help in self-exploration

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Do NIH Postbacs Publish their Research?
Blood American Journal of Physiology Immunity Jour
nal of Bacteriology Nature Neuroscience Human
Brain Mapping Journal of Organic
Chemistry Journal of Cell Biology Bioconjugate
Chemistry Journal of Lipid Research
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How the NIH experience Changed Postbac
Educational/Career Decisions

• Decided against a PhD and research career
• Realized they loved research and decided not to
  pursue professional school
• Want to incorporate research into their clinical
  career
• Research focus changed
• Clinical focus changed
• Little changed - solidified previous goals

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In Their Own Words

• I found out that research is not what I want to
  do for the rest of my life. Nothing negative
  about the program, it just wasn't for me. The
  experience here helped me find that out, and I'm
  VERY grateful for that!
• I had a broad idea of what I wanted to study in
  graduate school, but was unsure as to what
  specific area. My experience allowed me to
  explore different areas of research and determine
  which topic I was most interested in.
• I was just going for a PhD and changed to MD/PhD.
• I decided to enroll in an MSTP geared more
  towards research. When I first arrived at the
  NIH, I was planning on pursuing an MD-only
  program.
• Before my fellowship I knew I want to be a
  clinician, and research was somehow secondary in
  my future plans. During my experience I have
  discovered the innate curiosity and the need for
  discovery I wasn't aware I had. I found out that
  my passion for research is as great as my passion
  for medicine, hence I applied to MD-PhD programs.
• No longer going into a research-related field. I
  have not enjoyed my research experience, or the
  dynamics in my lab, and I think I would be much
  happier in another field.

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Helping trainees thrive at NIH

• OITE can help with application process
• All should use the Selecting A Mentor workbook
• Moving Guide and trainee handbooks are on-line
• Orientation is a key element to finding support
  and learning the ropes (OITE and in their
  Institute)
• They should get involved with the Postbac-IRTA
  Committee, GSC or FELCOM
• They should sign up for Club-PCR and other social
  listserves
• Give them my name and number and ask them to make
  an appointment shortly after they arrive (or
  e-mail me and I will contact them)

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