Develop, hone, and communicate your skills

The Alumni Medical Library provides students, faculty, and staff with a wide range of resources to support them in their research endeavors, search for specific books and resources, citation management, and the use of library databases, including:

• The AML created a GMS Resource Portal for all GMS members to access tailored resources and support from the GMS Library Liaison.
• The GMS Professional Development LibGuide for all GMS students to access books, articles, and videos focused on 7 Core Competencies: Career Development, Communication, Discipline-specific Knowledge, Management and Leadership, Research, Self-Awareness, and Teaching. To share a resource that could be helpful for students, please email Barbara Slover, Librarian and Liaison to GMS, at bslover@bu.edu.
• Feel free to explore the other AML LibGuides, on various topics, including Artificial Intelligence, Bioethics, and specific course reserves.

• Access self-paced, on-demand, online training modules for all BU graduate students with PhD Progression, to hone your communication, management & leadership, self-awareness, career development, research, teaching… skills. Browse and access training modules here, and learn more about the design and impact of PhD Progression in this published article.
• The National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) provides graduate students with workshops, online resources, and more, on writing, mentoring, navigating the academic job market, etc. Activate your institutional membership for free (using your BU email) and enjoy NCFDD for graduate students!

Access previous workshop, career panel discussion, and event recordings on the BU BEST website.

PhD students can also access recordings of previous workshops offered by the former PDPA (Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs) office (now Graduate and Postdoc Success, GPS) on the PDPA MyMedia channel (job search-, dissertation-, financial-related support, and more!).

Postdocs looking for professional development opportunities can check out the BU Postdoc Affairs professional development offerings, as well as the following online training opportunities:

• The Postdoc Academy – mentoring resources and two online courses to support your success throughout the postdoc and prepare for your next career step.
• The National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD) provides postdocs with workshops, online resources, and more, on writing, mentoring, navigating the academic job market, etc. Activate your institutional membership for free (using your BU email) and enjoy NCFDD for postdocs!

The GPS office is home base for all BU postdocs, and offers orientation information, support, community, professional development (workshops, office hour and IDP review meetings…) to postdocs, and informs related BU policies to continue to improve the postdoc experience. Learn more about GPS Postdoc resources here. Below are some perks for postdocs:

• Postdoc Office Hours
• Postdoc Travel Awards

The GPS (Graduate and Postdoc Success) Office also provides online training and professional development opportunities for PhD Students.

The Educational Resource Center has several programs and services available for BU graduate students; they include writing support (for dissertations, articles, etc.), Public Speaking/Presentation preparation support, and academic support via individual coaching and workshops.

The Boston University Center for Career Development empowers students and alumni to make intentional decisions about their professional futures. The CCD offers a variety of services to graduate students, including:

• Workshops on career-related topics
• Internship or job search strategies
• Career-related events

Check the CCD Event Calendar for upcoming events, and the Careers@BU Blog for tips and advice on all aspects of career development.

Handshake is BU’s online hub for career resources, including internship and job listing, in the U.S. as well as around the world. It offers 24/7 access to on-campus event registration, career counseling appointments, and portals to upload resumes, cover letters and other employment-related documents. Students and Alumni can register for Handshake here.

TOTAL is a web platform that allows sharing of professional development and networking opportunities for students (MS, PhD, MD, MD/PhD) and postdoctoral scholars from across various units, departments, and programs at BU as well as other local institutions (Northeastern University, UMass Boston, Tufts…), and organizations and clubs (MassBioEd, Consulting and Biotech Clubs…). 

To learn more about TOTAL and how to use it as an app or website, check out the TOTAL webpage.

Visit mytotalcareer.org to register and access and sign up for upcoming events.

The Training Opportunities To Augment Learning (TOTAL) Project has been generously funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (Career Guidance in Training Award) and the BU Digital Education Incubator.

Learn more about the Responsible Conduct of Research training opportunities at BU here.

• BU Graduate Education provides lists of Fellowships and Scholarships to support all graduate students.
• Access (BU credentials needed) lists of key resources and offices to get support from to pursue and secure funding opportunities as early-career researchers, both for research and career advancement purposes.
• The office of Foundation Relations keeps track of funding opportunities for pre- and post-doctoral researchers.
• Here are grant-writing resources for all BU medical campus researchers, including funding updates and examples of successful proposals.