Transcript DYNAMICS OF GANGLION-CELL RECEPTIVE

Careers in the Life Sciences
Department of Biology
Prof. Mike Butler
Prof. Jim Dearworth
Life after Lafayette?
• What do you want to do with
your degree?
• Are you selecting the right
courses?
• What other things can you be
doing?
• Where have our alums gone
and what can you expect?
Some Avenues
1. Graduate School?
2. Health
Professions?
3. Industry and
government?
4. Not sure?
1. Headed to Graduate School?
• GPA…study, work hard
• GRE…take practice tests
– General and Subject
• Research Experience
– Independent study, honors thesis, Excel (contact Biology,
Chemistry, Neuroscience, Psychology or other dept. faculty)
– LEARN (contact Professor Lisa Gable 303 Oechsle Hall)
http://neuroscience.lafayette.edu/
– Teaching Assistant (contact Biology faculty)
– RUI (elsewhere)…search the web
• Check out Sigma Xi
1. Headed to Graduate School?
Research the web for Graduate Programs!
Examples:
Nutrition
Molecular Biology
Neuroscience
Public Health
Education: Do you want to be a High School
Biology teacher? Education degree?
1. Headed to Graduate School?
Find graduate programs on web and see what are
the required and recommended prerequisites.
http://biology.lafayette.edu/related-links/
Career Service Website.
http://careerservices.lafayette.edu/students/gradu
ate-professional-school/
Graduate School Advising Liaisons (see list)
2000-2007 Alums who chose Grad
• 103/339 students (30%) went to grad school
– 52/212 (25%) of BIOL majors, went to grad
– 25/79 (32%) of NEUR majors, went to grad
– 26/48 (54%) of BIOCHEM majors, went to grad
E.g., Brandeis, Thomas Jefferson, North Carolina
State and Pennsylvania State Universities
*Data provided by Career Services
Lafayette is member of Oberlin 50
• Despite accounting for only 8% of national
student enrollment (NSF 2002), over 17% of
science PhDs are awarded to individuals who
received their bachelor’s at liberal arts colleges
(NSF 1996).
• 15 liberal arts colleges make the list of the top 25
institutions that produce the greatest proportion
of undergraduates who later obtain science
PhDs (NSF 1996)
Lori Cooper ('07, BS in Neuroscience)
Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) at the National Institutes of
Health/National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH/NIAAA).
She investigated the efficacy of gene therapy on treating XP
neurological disease. She is at Thomas Jefferson pursuing a PhD in
Neuroscience.
2. Health Professions (HP)?
• Call Health Professions Administrative Assistant in the
Dean's Office (Mrs. Glaus, x 5521)
http://healthprofessions.lafayette.edu/
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Dean Julia Goldberg and Prof. Nancy Waters
GPA…study, work hard
MCAT, DAT, OAT, GRE, etc.…take practice tests
Volunteer, shadow, internship
Research Experience
– Independent Research, Honors Thesis, Excel
– LEARN (research with Lafayette alums at their home institutions)
– RUI (elsewhere, federally funded)…search the web for institutions
• Mock Interviews: InterviewStream
http://lafayette.interviewstream.com/Default.aspx
2. Health Professions (HP)?
Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) doctors
Physician Assistant (PA), Nursing (RN, LPN/LVN)
Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT)
Podiatry (DPM), Chiropractic (DC)
Public Health (MPH, PhD)
Dentistry (DDS)
Optometry (OD)
Podiatry (DPM)
Veterinarian (DVM)
• Find HP programs on the web and see what are
the required and recommended prerequisites.
Courses not offered at Lafayette
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II
• Many HP programs will accept substitution of these:
Biol 213 – Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and
Biol 251 – Human Physiology.
• FIND OUT!
• If not, then the courses can be taken locally at LVAIC
schools (e.g., Cedar Crest) or in the summer at a
university or community college near your home.
NOTE: Many of you will have AP credit for Biology
(101/102), Chemistry (121/122), Math (125 or 161),
and English (110) courses. These AP credits may be
used at Lafayette, but HP schools may not accept
them. Thus, you must take other courses in these
departments to meet HP school requirements.
Jason Brenner ('07, BS in Biology)
Attending George Washington Medical School
2000-2007 Alums who chose HP
• 102/339 students (30%) went to HP
– 60/212 (28%) of BIOL majors, went to HP
– 32/79 (41%) of NEUR majors, went to HP
– 10/48 (21%) of BIOCHEM majors, went to HP
E.g., Jefferson, U. Penn, Albany, UMDNJ, Temple, Emory,
George Washington allopathic med. schools,
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Cornell
Vet. School, Penn. Dental, Suny College of Optometry.
*Data provided by Career Services
3. Industry or Government?
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Most companies and government agencies demand experience.
Therefore, get it.
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Research Experience
– Independent Research, Honors Thesis, Excel
– LEARN (with Lafayette alums at their home institutions)
– Teaching Assistant (here)
– RUI (elsewhere, federally funded)…search the web
– Gateway summer externships
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Government Externship
Industry Externship
Role of Lab technician
Sales or public outreach…get some experience
http://biology.lafayette.edu/related-links/
Start Learning About Job Hunting Now!
• Connect or re-connect with a Gateway
Advisor in Career Services!
• Check online job recruiting services
• Write your CV/résumé
• Mock Interviews: InterviewStream
http://lafayette.interviewstream.com/Def
ault.aspx
• Do you know how to write cover letters?
Check your Writing Papers in the
Biological Sciences from Biol. 101/102.
2000-2007 Alums who chose Ind/Gov
• 85/339 students (25%) went to Ind/Gov
– 63/212 (30%) of BIOL majors went to Ind/Gov
– 12/79 (12%) of NEUR majors, went to Ind/Gov
– 10/48 (21%) of BIOCHEM majors, went to Ind/Gov
E.g., Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
*Data provided by Career Services
4. Not sure?
• Search your soul
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Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
Do you want to make money?
Do you have a passion for helping people?
Do you want to save the planet?
Do you want to have a family?
Do you like to solve problems?
Do you like to work in a lab?
Do you see yourself as patent lawyer?
http://biology.lafayette.edu/related-links/
• Talk to your peers, your family, your advisor.
• Form a Biology Club: As upperclasspersons (Seniors) next
year, you will be the leaders.
• Sustain your support group: e.g., the Veterinarian Club.
2000-2007 Alums
• 49/339 students (15%) pursued careers in
other areas:
– 37/212 (17%) of BIOL majors
– 10/79 (10%) of NEUR majors
– 2/48 (4%) of BIOCHEM majors
E.g., Genetic counseling, environmental
consultant, technical editor, finance, banker,
lawyer
*Data provided by Career Services
Biology Website
http://biology.lafayette.edu/
Health Professions
http://healthprofessions.lafayette.edu/
Career Service Website
http://careerservices.lafayette.edu/
It’s your life, so start planning
your post-Lafayette career now.