GREAT Group MD-PhD Section Annual Meeting & the 22nd Annual MD-PhD Student Conference in Keystone, Colorado
The GREAT Group MD-PhD Section Annual Meeting was held on July 26-28, 2007 at the Keystone Resort in Colorado. This years meeting was done in conjunction with the 22nd Annual MD/PhD Student Conference which officially commenced on July 27-29, 2007.
Two students, Julia Ross and Mara Balda from the MD/PhD Program represented the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Mara, a fourth year graduate student in the Neuroscience program was awarded the Diversity Travel Award of $500 to attend the Conference. Her poster was titled “The nNOS Gene Contributes to Cocaine Psychomotor Sensitization in an Age and Sex Dependent Manner."
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Mara expressed her experience at the conference by saying that “the MD/PhD Student Conference was a memorable meeting and hope to attend again someday. The extensive interaction with fellow MD/PhD students was of greatest value. I received wonderful advice from senior students and also provided advice to others just starting their programs. The student oral and poster presentations were of superb quality. In addition, there were small group sessions dealing with various topics of interest to MD/PhDs students such as re-entering the clinics and coping skills. The conference was successfully designed to help us mature at various levels, including scientifically, clinically, and personally. Of the numerous scientific conferences this meeting was by far the most unique because of its focus on the role and development of the physician-scientist. I would definitely return and recommend it to any MD/PhD student regardless of their stage in training.
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Julia is a fourth year graduate student in the Microbiology and Immunology Program and her poster was titled “The role of YmoA in the Thermoregulation of Virulence Genes in Yersinia Pestis”.
I asked Julia about her experience at the Student Conference and this is what she had to say:
“The 22nd annual MD/PhD student conference in Colorado was a great experience. I had the opportunity to meet with other MD/PhD students from various schools, all at different stages in their program. It is nice to have fellow students around who understand what it is like being on the path toward becoming a physician-scientist. Instead of hearing about how crazy I am to embark on such a long journey, or the classic “when will you be finished?” I was able to seek helpful information that may shorten the path and ease transitions between graduate school and medical school. Not only was it great to hear from other students, but we received valuable advice from leading MD/PhDs in their field. These leaders made their own mistakes, found their way, and were eager to share with us the keys necessary to be successful in a particular field. Panels and breakout sessions with these physician-scientists were very helpful in discussing all aspects of the life of a physician-scientist, including how important it is to make time for family and friends, how to negotiate job offers, and how to cope with this chosen career lifestyle. To top it all off, at this conference I heard some of the most enthralling lectures from Nobel Prize winners and other brilliant scientists that I would not have heard any where else. Initially, I was hesitant about a conference where everyone is involved in different fields, but these speakers were able to relay their research to everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the conference and wished I could have stayed longer. |
