The IDIGH Program, in collaboration with its Community & Research Engagement Committee (CREC), is thrilled to announce a one-day retreat designed to empower Master's, Doctoral, and Post-Doctoral trainees to explore diverse career paths and make informed decisions about their futures. This retreat offers a unique opportunity to develop essential professional skills and explore career options beyond academia, including industry and clinical research.

This initiative directly responds to IDIGH student feedback requesting broader career guidance. Recognizing that research supervisors, while invaluable, may not always provide a comprehensive view of career possibilities, this retreat aims to bridge that gap. By providing targeted tools and resources, the retreat will equip students to confidently navigate the evolving professional landscape. The retreat's content has been carefully shaped by a recent student survey, ensuring the workshops directly address the community's expressed needs and define the retreat's specific objectives.

What to expect:

• Interactive workshops: The retreat will feature two 3-hour sessions focused on professional skills development and exploring non-academic career options.
• Student-driven content: The retreat's content is informed by the survey results, ensuring the workshops directly address the needs of the community.
• Networking opportunities: The retreat will take place outside of the IR-CUSM to encourage interaction among participants and will include a lunch and cocktail hour.
• Expert guidance: Students will have the chance to engage with facilitators and resource personnel from the IR-CUSM (DCAT), as well as external consultants and professionals from academic and non-academic fields.
• Community building: This retreat is designed to foster a strong sense of community among IDIGH students.

This initiative aims to grow into a comprehensive personal and professional development program within IDIGH, and the data collected will be used to develop this program.

Survey results

Sponsors

This event is made possible thanks to the Ambassadeurs Tremplin prize offered by the Tremplin Consorsium, the IDIGH Program and other sponsors will be announced soon. 

Committee 

Leadership Committee

CREC committee

• Rojine McVea (MSc student)
• Cal Koger-Pease (PhD student)

IDIGH Program

• Vicky Barrera (Program Assistant)
• Eric Béliveau (Program Manager)
• Ciro Piccrillo (Program co-leader)
• Alexandra de Pokomandy (Program co-leader)

Event Planning Committee

• Andressa Brito (Postdoc)
• Saniya Kapoor (MSc Student)
• Carlos Villalba Guerrero (PhD Student)
• Maysaloun Mokaddam (MSc Student) 
• Amir Chalati (Research Coordinator)

Schedule

Detailed schedule coming soon in early January

Tentative Schedule