Sessions For: Medical School

This workshop series helps graduate students and
postdoctoral fellows build the professional skills needed to succeed in
today’s competitive job market. With a focus on biomedical and life
sciences, and biomedical engineering, you will gain the strategies and
confidence to pursue careers in academia, industry, or beyond. Through
interactive sessions that blend presentations with hands-on activities,
you will practice proven approaches to job applications, networking,
interviewing, and career planning, so you can stand out to employers and
take the next step with confidence.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this series, you will be able to:
Craft strong application materials that showcase your research expertise and transferable skills using the W.H.O. method.Build connections and network effectively with a strong elevator pitch and an optimized LinkedIn profile (Headline-About-Experience format).Succeed in interviews by applying the S.T.A.R. method and approach salary negotiations confidently.Design a strategic job search with S.M.A.R.T. goals and plan long-term career growth through an Individual Development Plan.

Join us for a peaceful watercolor drop-in session on Thursday, September 3rd from 1:00-3:00pm in the OGPS Lounge. All supplies, snacks, and optional tutorials will be provided, just bring yourself!

This workshop series supports graduate students and postdoctoral fellows preparing for academic careers. Through interactive sessions, you will gain insights and strategies for navigating the academic job market, securing a postdoctoral position, and preparing application materials that highlight your research expertise and career potential. Each session combines presentations, discussion, and hands-on activities to equip you with practical tools for a successful transition into academia.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this series, participants will be able to:
Understand the structure of the academic job market and how to prepare for each stage of the search.Identify strategies for exploring opportunities and applying for postdoctoral positions.Prepare strong academic CVs and cover letters that effectively communicate expertise and fit.Write a compelling research statement that highlights motivation, significance, and future directions.

Mentorship is often framed as a one-way transfer of knowledge, but in reality, it is a dynamic, reciprocal process. Additionally, postdocs and graduate students often serve in a dual capacity with roles as a mentor and mentee. This mentorship retreat examines mentorship as a practice that requires reflection and skill-building from both sides of the relationship. We will talk strategies and best practices about what it means to balance being both a mentor and a mentee in a research environment.

A complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided.

This is a monthly in-person event designed to provide insights, advice, and knowledge to you as an emerging academic. Each event features a faculty member discussing topics pertinent to starting an academic career focusing on research. You will get to hear from faculty about their career trajectories and how they navigated their transition from trainee to faculty member. You will also have an opportunity to network with the faculty member as well as other trainees.
Aims and Objectives:
To provide a platform where trainees can learn from faculty experiences and knowledge.To address and discuss pertinent issues and topics relevant to the biomedical/medical field and life sciences.To foster networking and community-building opportunities among trainees and faculty.To promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement, equipping trainees with the necessary skills and information for the faculty profession needed to transition into academia.

Generative AI tools are increasingly part of academic, research, and professional work, but using them effectively requires more than knowing how to write a prompt. GenAI Essentials is a practical workshop series designed to help graduate students and postdoctoral scholars make informed, responsible decisions about when and how to use generative AI.
Through interactive sessions and hands-on activities, participants will examine the capabilities and limitations of GenAI tools, practice strategies for using AI in writing and communication, and develop more intentional approaches to prompting and evaluating AI-generated responses.
Participants may register for one or more sessions.
By the end of the Fall 2026 series, participants will be able to:
Evaluate appropriate uses and limitations of generative AI in academic, research, and professional contexts.Identify ethical, privacy, academic integrity, and disclosure considerations that should inform GenAI use.Use GenAI strategically to support revision, feedback, and professional communication without outsourcing authorship or judgment.Develop more specific and effective prompts by identifying the characteristics, goals, and conventions of the writing they want to produce or improve.

This series will guide participants through a process of leadership growth and self-discovery: identifying their strengths, examining their unique leadership behaviors, and creating plans for continued growth. You will gain valuable insights into how you thrive, how your strengths appear in your life, and how you lead. By blending guidance, self-assessments, intentional reflection, and practical frameworks, this series supports you in taking ownership of your leadership development. All are welcome: you do not need to hold a formal leadership role to attend!


Learning Objectives
By the end of this two-part series, you will be able to:
Identify and articulate your unique strengths and talents through the CliftonStrengths assessment, and recognize how they appear in your personal and professional lifeDescribe the Michigan Model of Leadership and use its self-assessment to identify your existing leadership strengths and areas for growthCreate strategic plans for your ongoing development through setting intentional goals


Please note: we encourage participants to attend both sessions to gain the most out of the learning objectives, but doing so is not required for registration.

The Master's Career Pathways Series helps MS students make informed career decisions, identify relevant opportunities, and communicate the value of their training. Through guided planning, university resources, skill-building sessions, and conversations with alumni, participants will explore career paths and prepare for their next steps. Attendance is limited to currently enrolled MS students.

This workshop series will equip you with practical strategies for communicating science with clarity and confidence as a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher. You will explore approaches to developing productive writing habits, outlining a clear and compelling research manuscript, and adapting scientific messages for different disciplines and audiences. The series will also offer guidance and hands-on practice in designing and delivering effective poster presentations and oral talks. Through interactive activities, practical frameworks, and opportunities to apply what you learn to your own research, you will strengthen your written, visual, and verbal science communication skills.

Aims & Objectives

By the end of this series, you will be able to:


Structure and design engaging scientific posters that clearly convey your research and enhance audience understanding and message retention.
Organize the motivation, problem statement, and results of your research into a logical manuscript outline that supports a clear and compelling scientific argument.
Build confidence and productivity as a writer by reflecting on your writing habits, considering your audience, and applying strategies to overcome procrastination and maintain momentum.

Adapt technical detail, terminology, context, and emphasis to communicate your research accurately and effectively across disciplines, audiences, and professional settings.


Develop and deliver effective oral presentations using principles of audience engagement, scientific storytelling, clear organization, and confident public speaking.

The "Engaged Mentoring" series is for faculty mentors of research trainees at any stage of training. This program is an evidence-based, interactive approach designed to elevate mentoring skills for engaging in productive, culturally responsive research mentoring relationships. The program aims to accelerate the process of becoming an effective research mentor by providing mentors with an intellectual framework, an opportunity to experiment with various methods, and a forum in which to solve mentoring dilemmas with the help of their peers. By the end of the program, mentors will have articulated their style and philosophy of mentoring and have a toolbox of strategies for approaching difficult mentoring situations. These skills will support the success of both mentors and mentees, and it is responsive to the NIGMS guidelines regarding the preparation of mentors involved in training grants.


The OGPS Engaged Mentoring Series, focuses on the five themes below. To learn more about the five themes, visit our Canvas Site:

1. Establishing Effective Mentoring/Mentee Relationships

2. Aligning Expectations Using Mentoring Plans

3. Managing Mental Health in the Mentoring Relationship

4. Approaching Difficult Conversations

5. Managing Tension and Conflict

The 5 themes are presented in two different formats:
Option A: Two half-day Workshop series. Each session is 4hrs, and you must attend both sessions in order to receive a certificate of completion from OGPS.
Option B: 1-day Retreat. The session is 8hrs, and you must attend the entire session to receive a certificate of completion from OGPS.

We will continue to populate this site with more program offering dates throughout the year.

On behalf of the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR), welcome to the University of Michigan. Whether you are an early-career faculty or an experienced researcher new to the University, the Orientation for Clinical Investigators will provide you with an overview of information, resources, and tools necessary to comply with regulations related to clinical research and to help you efficiently navigate the University’s research enterprise.
This 3-hour orientation program is comprised of lectures and opportunities to apply new found knowledge and network. We encourage you to attend the whole session as the lectures complement one another. The program will be held in-person in the North Campus Research Complex (NCRC), Building 10, Room G063..
A shortcode is required for all participants upon registration. A $52 no-show fee will be applied to the shortcode for those who register but do not attend the course. No fees will be applied to those who attend