The use of a book club to promote biomedical trainee professional development

Professional development for biomedical doctoral and postdoctoral trainees is vital, especially due to the increase in individuals pursuing non-faculty career paths. We created a professional development-focused discussion group between trainees and faculty/staff by utilizing a book club format in w...

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Main Authors: Jenni Ho, Stacy Smith, Erin Oakley, Nathan L. Vanderford
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-01-01
Series:Heliyon
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402102778X
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author Jenni Ho
Stacy Smith
Erin Oakley
Nathan L. Vanderford
author_facet Jenni Ho
Stacy Smith
Erin Oakley
Nathan L. Vanderford
author_sort Jenni Ho
collection DOAJ
description Professional development for biomedical doctoral and postdoctoral trainees is vital, especially due to the increase in individuals pursuing non-faculty career paths. We created a professional development-focused discussion group between trainees and faculty/staff by utilizing a book club format in which monthly small group meetings occurred over an 8-month period. A pre- and post-survey consisting of Likert and free-response questions was completed by participants. Results demonstrated that after the book club, trainees: 1) were more knowledgeable about a variety of career paths; 2) had improved awareness of their interests in relation to their career; 3) were more knowledgeable of their transferrable skills; 4) were more comfortable engaging with their PI and completing/updating an Individual Development Plan; 5) were more likely to find mentors in addition to their PI to address career specific needs; and 6) were more likely to seek opportunities to conduct informational interviews or experiential learning. Additionally, we found that faculty/staff: 1) were more knowledgeable about careers outside of academia; 2) had greater consideration for their mentee's values and interests in relation to their career; 3) had a better understanding of their mentee's transferable skills; and 4) were more comfortable engaging with their mentee about their career path and addressing an Individual Development Plan. Overall, we found that the utilization of a book club consisting of trainees and faculty/staff as a professional development tool was beneficial for both groups of participants, and this format is feasible for use in biomedical education professional development.
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spelling doaj.art-5292ca2bee0643ec8fc5a90cee764be02022-12-21T17:15:20ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402022-01-0181e08675The use of a book club to promote biomedical trainee professional developmentJenni Ho0Stacy Smith1Erin Oakley2Nathan L. Vanderford3Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USAOffice of Biomedical Education, University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USAMarkey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USADepartment of Toxicology and Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA; Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA; Corresponding author.Professional development for biomedical doctoral and postdoctoral trainees is vital, especially due to the increase in individuals pursuing non-faculty career paths. We created a professional development-focused discussion group between trainees and faculty/staff by utilizing a book club format in which monthly small group meetings occurred over an 8-month period. A pre- and post-survey consisting of Likert and free-response questions was completed by participants. Results demonstrated that after the book club, trainees: 1) were more knowledgeable about a variety of career paths; 2) had improved awareness of their interests in relation to their career; 3) were more knowledgeable of their transferrable skills; 4) were more comfortable engaging with their PI and completing/updating an Individual Development Plan; 5) were more likely to find mentors in addition to their PI to address career specific needs; and 6) were more likely to seek opportunities to conduct informational interviews or experiential learning. Additionally, we found that faculty/staff: 1) were more knowledgeable about careers outside of academia; 2) had greater consideration for their mentee's values and interests in relation to their career; 3) had a better understanding of their mentee's transferable skills; and 4) were more comfortable engaging with their mentee about their career path and addressing an Individual Development Plan. Overall, we found that the utilization of a book club consisting of trainees and faculty/staff as a professional development tool was beneficial for both groups of participants, and this format is feasible for use in biomedical education professional development.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402102778XProfessional developmentBiomedical traineesBook club
spellingShingle Jenni Ho
Stacy Smith
Erin Oakley
Nathan L. Vanderford
The use of a book club to promote biomedical trainee professional development
Heliyon
Professional development
Biomedical trainees
Book club
title The use of a book club to promote biomedical trainee professional development
title_full The use of a book club to promote biomedical trainee professional development
title_fullStr The use of a book club to promote biomedical trainee professional development
title_full_unstemmed The use of a book club to promote biomedical trainee professional development
title_short The use of a book club to promote biomedical trainee professional development
title_sort use of a book club to promote biomedical trainee professional development
topic Professional development
Biomedical trainees
Book club
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402102778X
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