Revolutionizing Postdoctoral Training Using the Social Ecological Model: Insights and Experiences from the Propel Scholars.

Abstract

The dissatisfaction within the postdoctoral training phase has led to the drastic reduction in the number of U.S. citizens pursuing postdoctoral positions within the biological and biomedical sciences fields. Even more so, there is an obvious disparity in not only the recruitment but the retention among underrepresented groups to pursue careers as academic scientists. The proposed social-ecological model and National Institute of Health advisory committee suggests reforming the postdoctoral training phase to overcome these downward trends and disparities. Importantly, some programs like the Stanford Propel Postdoctoral Program were integrating this framework and recommendations without knowledge that they would be released 2 years later. The goal of the Propel Program is to provide social, cohort, financial, and institutional support to diverse cohorts of postdoctoral trainee to diversify the professoriate. Within this piece, several of the Propel scholars come together to provide their perspectives on how the Propel Program has benefited their postdoctoral training experience.