The Einstein postdoctoral curriculum is designed to help train our postdoctoral fellows to assume leadership positions in research, teaching, administration and industry. Because postdoctoral training involves more than just research, a postdoctoral fellow must develop a strong foundation in a variety of skills that includes a firm grounding in ethical reasoning, along with the acquisition of a range of practical skills such as writing a C.V., interviewing, possessing strong verbal communications and developing efficient use of Web-based databases. Also, to address the language needs of our truly international population — representing more than 35 countries — all fellows are required to be able to communicate effectively in English. Therefore, the Einstein curriculum is designed to address all of these factors critical to each fellow’s successful professional development.
First and foremost, the most critical component of the fellowship experience is the relationship between fellows and their research mentors. This intense relationship provides the fellow with focused and structured mentoring as the fellow develops his or her independent scientific project.
In addition, postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to expand their understanding of current research trends through a rich offering of seminars by outside speakers as well as our own diverse faculty, who are international leaders in their fields. They also may take part in a variety of journal clubs and work-in-progress sessions that provide them a chance to present to and learn from their peers. Furthermore, for basic scientists, courses developed by the Einstein-Montefiore Institute for Clinical & Translational Research provide an opportunity to learn about the methodologies required for effective clinical and translational research.
To help postdoctoral fellows master these varied skills, the Belfer Insitute has devised the Einstein Postdoctoral Curriculum, which comprises six core components. The six components can be explored more fully via the links above.