MDI Biological Laboratory Offers New ‘Biomedical Bootcamp’ Course
BAR HARBOR, ME, UNITED STATES - Jun 28, 2017 - A career in biomedical science was once largely synonymous with a job in academic research, but thats no longer true. Career opportunities in biomedical science now extend to jobs in industry, finance, investment, policy, information technology, communications -- even to the launching of a biomedical startup offering an innovative product or service.
High school students and recent graduates will have the opportunity to develop their laboratory skills and explore the range of career opportunities in biomedical science in a new course entitled Biomedical Bootcamp: Techniques for 21st Century Careers.
The course work in a state-of-the-art research training laboratory will include conducting studies with animal models and interacting with scientists who will share their experiences on the path toward biomedical careers. The students will gain cutting-edge biomedical skills that will prepare them for college as well as for advanced learning opportunities such as internships and work-study jobs.
The course, which is being offered by the MDI Biological Laboratory, will be held Aug. 13 through 18 at the institutions Bar Harbor, Maine, campus. It is open to high school students nationwide who are entering their junior or senior years, or those who graduated in 2017.
In addition to introducing students to academic careers in biomedical science, the course will also introduce them to careers in related fields such as bioinformatics, bio-entrepreneurship and science communications.
The course is being offered through the lens of career options in biomedical science, said Jane E. Disney, Ph.D., director of education. The MDI Biological Laboratory is a unique place to do this because of our emphasis on the business of science. Biomedical science offers an abundance of career opportunities, but they arent always obvious. One of our goals is to make students aware of the alternatives.
The course is an outgrowth of the Bridging Disciplines: Navigating Successful 21st Century Careers in Biomedical Science course, which served a similar purpose for college undergraduates. That course was held in March in conjunction with the opening of the institutions new Maine Center for Biomedical Innovation, which helps prepare students for 21st-century careers in biomedical science.
Our course for undergraduates was so successful that we decided to develop a similar course for high school students, Disney said. Confusion about career tracks isnt limited to undergraduates: high school students face it too. In a competitive and rapidly changing job market, the students who have narrowed their focus will have a leg up on becoming the future leaders in their fields.
The MDI Biological Laboratory is an independent, non-profit research institution focused on the study of aging and regenerative medicine. The institutions pioneering approach has identified new drugs with the potential to treat major diseases. The institution is also committed to equipping entrepreneurs with the skills and resources to turn their ideas into successful products and services.
The MDI Biological Laboratory is located on Mount Desert Island, the site of Acadia National Park. Students who enroll in the Biomedical Bootcamp course will have the opportunity to explore the park and surrounding coastline after they have completed their course work each day.
For more information, please visit https://mdibl.org/course/biomedical-bootcamp/ or email jdisney@mdibl.org.
About the MDI Biological Laboratory
Our scientists are pioneering new approaches to regenerative medicine focused on drugs that activate our natural ability to heal, and that slow age-related degenerative changes. Our unique approach has identified new drugs with the potential to treat major diseases, demonstrating that regeneration could be as simple as taking a pill. As innovators and entrepreneurs, we also teach what we know. Our Maine Center for Biomedical Innovation prepares students for 21st century careers and equips entrepreneurs with the skills and resources to turn great ideas into successful products. For more information, please visitmdibl.org.