Six years ago, the San Francisco-based J. David Gladstone Institutes surveyed postdocs, appointed a postdoctoral advisor, and brought in an organizational psychologist to help create a top-notch training program. This year, their No. 1 ranking suggests that their efforts are paying off.
The training program includes courses in time management, mentorship, and even one by Gladstone President Robert Mahley on the art of lecturing, part of an effort to "teach us everything we need to know to be independent scientists or whatever we want to [be]," says postdoc Danny Hatters. Kimberly Scearce-Levie, a former postdoc-turned-staff-scientist at Gladstone, says the promotion track has allowed her to acquire skills she needs to run her own lab.
In a postdoc-dominated environment-Scearce-Levie's lab has seven postdocs and one grad student, which is "not unusual"-the fellows enjoy exclusive biweekly pizza lunches and seminar series with prominent scientists. Outside these events, however, postdoc interaction can be ...
