Professional Development Travel Grant
How to Respond to Long Answer Questions
Q 2. Did you attend any other professional development events during that event?
Please specify and explain the value of attending an extra event (workshop, roundtable discussion, business meeting, networking event, etc.).
I attended several professional development events at X conference. There was a morning breakfast for students from institutions across the country to informally network and discuss research and internship opportunities. In addition, I attended an evening event with faculty from Washington State and was able to discuss my professional development more intimately with potential mentors from Washington. Third, I was able to attend an event showcasing most of the pathology resident programs offered across the country. This allowed me to directly discuss my interests with faculty and students, and to gain first-hand information on program requirements and recommended coursework. I was also able to set myself apart as a first-year student interested in the field, and to begin the process of researching programs that might be of interest to me in the future. Finally, I attended poster sessions outside of the scientific presentations. Through this, I was able to talk one-on-one with individual researchers and teams and to personally make connections with professionals investigating areas that are of interest to me.
Q 3. What was the purpose of your attendance at the event (conference, workshop, course, certificate, professional training, exhibition, performance, competition, and foreign language instruction)? In your statement, inform the reader of the significance of your attendance, scholarly activity, training, or degree. If you traveled for other purposes explain why your travel was necessary and what was accomplished.
I attended X conference for my own professional development. As it is only my first year in veterinary school, I have more opportunities to explore the different career paths available to me. I wanted to begin the process of networking now so that I will be better prepared to enter a residency program when I graduate in four years. Specifically, I wanted to network with other students and faculty within the field of pathology. I already had an interest in pathology before attending the conference, and I wanted to go to learn more about what the career entails. This was incredibly important for me as I knew that I could use the information gained here to plan my summer breaks for internship opportunities related to this field. Finally, I went to learn about new research that impacts my current studies. I wanted to further explore the depth of information coming from researchers in this field so that I would be better informed when making my own contributions to the profession. I am actively planning to work in a research laboratory this summer, and I felt that attendance at this conference was necessary as a preliminary to beginning research within the field of pathology.
Q 4. Please explain how this experience facilitated your professional development.
I gained enormous experience, both personally and professionally, by attending this conference. I had the opportunity to network with many students and residents at other institutions and received invaluable advice about the process of preparing for a career in pathology. I gained contacts at institutions across the country and made stronger connections with faculty at WSU that I did not previously know. I also gained important background information on emerging diseases and learned about different research techniques that can be directly applicable to the work I plan to accomplish this summer. Personally, I gained a great deal of confidence in my previous education and in the education, I am receiving at WSU. This conference allowed me to practice vital communication skills and provided the opportunity for me to learn how to present myself better when attending such events. Finally, I gained exposure to a national conference without having to present. It is my intension to attend this event again as a presenter, and this trip allowed me to learn about the format and general organization of a research conference of this scale.
Q 5. Please explain how this experience facilitated your career development.
I gained insight into how to narrow down PhD projects, how to go about deciding what to look for in residency programs, and I also confirmed that I want to work towards attaining a residency as the next step in my career path. One of the biggest things that I gained from this experience is discovering that my personality and career path are more in line with also getting a PhD than I previously thought. I am excited to progress my career in research.
Q 6. Please explain how this experience facilitated your personal development.
The gain from the experience was tremendous. First, thanks to the learning experience in this course, I gained a clear understanding of many concepts that usually make people confused. Second, the high quality of the instruction laid a solid foundation for me to take other courses as required by the Board. Third, the information presented in this course connects me with the most updated knowledge in the field of behavior analysis.
Q 7. Please explain how your participation in this activity positively reflected upon WSU.
I am a vet student and a working necropsy technician in the field of pathology. I was able to meet many people and in-person explain why I wanted to step into the field of pathology. Like any profession, and especially the way that I have been successful, having a face-to-face conversation is very important for my success. It is much easier to express my goals and passion to people in person. My background and student status of being from WSU will always reflect the type of student that WSU is producing, and I hope and think that I will always leave a good impression on people, especially when representing my school and profession. I was able to meet with several alumni and other WSU related faculty and staff and network among them as well.