"Brett Mulvey’s Roadmap to a Career in Medical Affairs: How to Break Away from Academia’s Publish or Perish Environment with Networking and Communication"

By Matthew Ingalls, PhD Candidate in Genetics, Development, and Stem Cells

My dreams became set on becoming an academic in part because that was what I was led to believe would be the most fulfilling career path in science, but also because the only other option fell into a gray box called, “industry.” After six years of observing my peers, mentors, and surrounding faculty constantly struggle to secure funding, that academic pipedream has begun to produce a more nightmarish tone. I still love science, I can’t imagine my life without it, but I’ve come to realize that what I most enjoy about science cannot flourish in academia, at least not with the current “publish or perish” environment.

“Should I do a postdoc? My path from an academic postdoc to industry and perspectives on how to answer this question.”

By Jennifer Judge, PhD - Regulatory Scientist at Cook MyoSite

It always seemed obvious to me as a graduate student at URMC that I should followed my passion for teaching and research and pursue a postdoctoral fellowship.  Throughout graduate school, I was constantly pursuing activities that would strengthen my CV for an academic tract: applying for my own NIH fellowship and completing a teaching internship through URBEST.  I figured that my postdoc would help me further decide the next path, whether that be a teaching-focused academic position or if my research goes well, a research-focused position.  Either way, I knew that I wanted a faculty position someday.