It all began when an email was sent inviting students to help in the organization of the first ever MedNeuro PhD retreat.
Having formed a team of organizers, several meetings were held together with the representative of the MedNeuro office. The retreat was organized by MedNeuro PhD students with the aim of reinforcing the communication and interaction among the PhD students amidst the exchange of scientific ideas.
The enthusiastic response of students led to a total of 33 registered participants. On D-day, our bus took off at 4 pm en route to Schloss Wahlsdorf, 2 hours south of Berlin. In the bus, each participant received the booklet for the retreat which contained the program schedule, as well as some instructions.
Our graduate school has remained very international over the years, with a diversity of nationalities from across the globe represented. Most students work in labs scattered across Berlin on the Charité campuses, with the majority on campus Mitte. A quick survey showed that most participants are in the middle of their PhDs, although a few students are just beginning and very few almost finishing.
Hitting the Town In Wahlsdorf
When we arrived at Schloss Wahlsdorf, we had a grill party for supper – lots of meat with servings of mixed greens and bread. The quietness of the location with its few inhabitants was a great advantage for socializing and brainstorming. The cool breeze of the night with its accompanying stars in the sky encouraged us to stay outside longer, socializing over bottles of beer and wine. This facilitated the interaction among participants, which was one of the main reasons for organizing the retreat.
The speed dating session that night permitted practically all participants to interact with the others. This already closed the gap between participants making each one feel comfortable and at home. Of course, on a day like this, after embarking on such a long journey, while some preferred to go early to bed, others waited a little while to enjoy the night with the stars and cool breeze. It was full of smiles, laughter and giggling.
From the Bench...
This was the day assigned to the talks and poster sessions for the exchange of scientific knowledge. The organizers ensured that each talk had 5 minutes of discussion and each poster 3 minutes. It was very inspiring to see how the students listened attentively and participated actively in the discussions that arose after each talk. Furthermore, the poster and talk sessions unraveled the dynamism of neuroscience topics in the PhD program, ranging from electrophysiology to clinical studies. To relax our minds after the scientific program, we had a game session combining mime, puzzles, a quiz and making music from some selected scientific words.
... to the Boardroom
We had an interactive table discussion about careers with Rob Thompson, an entrepreneur and well-renowned trainer. His approach was quite different from what most of us are used to. Participants raised questions or topics which were of interest to them and we dealt with them accordingly. We learnt some tips for getting the job we want and building your network. We also learnt how to deal with difficult colleagues and work in a team. The talk was exciting and had a mock job interview with some participants acting as recruiters.
Around 5 pm we prepared to head back to Berlin bringing our 2-day retreat to a successful end.
This was really a retreat to remember and we look forward to making it an annual event. Just in case you missed it, watch out for the next PhD retreat.
The organizing team is grateful to all for your support and enthusiasm shown before and during the retreat. We thank the team (Valérie, Mariana, Priscilla, Fenia, Laura and Veronika) and the MedNeuro office for the financial support for making this retreat see the light of the day, and of course the wonderful participants without whom the retreat would not have been successful.
by Priscilla Koduah, PhD Student AG Paul
this article originally appeared December 2016 in Vol. 09 Issue 4: From Cradle to Grave
No comments:
Post a Comment