Postdoctoral Training

Postdoc Training Guide: The Basics

  • What is postdoctoral training?

    In the life sciences, after completing a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, or both), the typical next step for trainees is a postdoctoral fellowship. This is a period (typically between four and six years) during which you conduct largely-independent research in a new lab. This can be considered a transition phase between early training and complete independence. It’s a chance to hone skills in a technical and/or intellectual area that may benefit you in whatever career path you choose — whether in academia, industry, publishing, or a different field.

  • Is postdoctoral training right for me?

    Many students nearing the end of their degree process are still unsure what they’d like to do professionally. It’s important to remember that postdoctoral training is not a prerequisite for most careers in science! Postdoctoral salaries are usually modest (link: NIH pay scale for 2021), but many see this as a continuation of their education. While those with postdoctoral training may have an easier time entering the job market, the skills that you’ve gained during your graduate training can carry you very far — from industry jobs, such as working at a pharmaceutical company or a biotech, to consultant/analyst positions, writing/communications, science education, or even governmental/policy work. However, if you plan to stay in academia or aim to hone additional hands-on skills contributing to your career path, you will have to complete a postdoctoral fellowship, or even several. Deciding to go down this route can be challenging, but for many, it is well worth the effort.

  • In what field should I do my postdoctoral training?

    You can do a postdoctoral fellowship in the same field as your doctoral degree, in a field that is complementary, or one that is completely different. It just depends on what you’re hoping to get out of it. It’s important to keep in mind that what you do as a postdoctoral fellow will most likely be the basis of your independent career as a Principal Investigator (PI), if you choose to stay in academia. Of note, many postdoctoral funding opportunities focused on training give a preference to students who choose to “step outside their comfort zone,” and not stay in the same field and/or institution (much more on that later).


     

  • What are the objectives of postdoctoral training?

    Different people choose to go into postdoctoral training for different reasons. If your ultimate goal is to find a faculty position, you will need to show productivity (in the form of published work in peer-reviewed journals), you’ll need to have very strong recommendation letters (certainly from your advisor, but also from others, such as your department chair, other faculty members in the department, and/or collaborators), and a solid research plan for your independent group that is usually (but not always) a continuation of your postdoctoral work and always something both original and non-incremental. Often, individuals who are able to create new research tools/techniques or adapt existing ones to a new field are the ones who find it easiest to pivot their postdoctoral work to a new direction that their postdoctoral lab will likely not pursue once they leave. If your ultimate goal is to gain a skill or technique, you should focus on a lab that not only uses this tool, but is also primed to provide guidance — either by the PI or more senior postdocs in the lab. Please note that you would have to negotiate what you get to “take with you” from your postdoc lab and whether you would get a “grace period” before it competes with you on projects — this may vary greatly depending on context (size of postdoctoral lab, research focus similarity, generosity of PI, etc.).

  • Are there any limitations on postdoctoral training for international students?

    Unfortunately, not all funding and fellowship opportunities are available to non-US citizens/permanent residents, such as most of those offered by the NIH (for example F32 and K01). However, many private funding agencies allow all nationalities to apply; these include the Helen Hay Whitney foundation, Damon Runyon, Jane Coffin Childs, and Life Sciences. The NIH K99 is also open to non-US citizens/permanent residents, and plenty of institutional postdoctoral funding opportunities are not restricted by nationality. Depending on your sponsor (institution/department/lab), international scholars may have to deal with an unstable visa status with a varied number of years associated with it. Furthermore, international scholar visas typically do not allow their holders to switch to a non-academic job, which means that students/postdocs may have to relocate to another country shortly after completing their training. Please consider reaching out to the institution’s international office to get more information before you make any decisions. Click here for information on funding opportunities.

    While we’re on the topic of financial considerations, another important aspect to be aware of is credit history. If you are new to the United States and do not have a proven record of income and of paying bills on time, it might be difficult for you to rent an apartment or obtain a credit card. Universities can help with both! However, it’s important to be aware of this as you make arrangements for your move.