<div id="intro">

<a href="http://info.vtc.vt.edu/best/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/VT81851_2012346632.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-19" alt="VT81851_2012346632" src="http://info.vtc.vt.edu/best/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/VT81851_2012346632-300x199.jpg" width="300" height="199" /></a>Virginia Tech has recently been awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health to support professional development activities for <strong>doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees in the biomedical sciences</strong>. You may enroll in one or more of the proposed “BEST program” activities that are designed to <strong>B</strong>roaden the <strong>E</strong>xperiences of <strong>S</strong>cientific <strong>T</strong>rainees in order to:
<ul>
	<li>provide exposure to multiple diverse career paths in the biomedical sciences</li>
	<li>provide early career guidance and skill development</li>
	<li>better prepare trainees to pursue a variety of career paths</li>
</ul>
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Trainees may participate in one or more of the following activities. Completion or revision of an Individual Career Development Plan will be an important aspect of each of these programs:

<em><strong>I. A <a title="Professional Development" href="http://info.vtc.vt.edu/best/professional-development/">Professional Development Course</a></strong></em>

<em><strong>II. A series of <a title="Internships" href="http://info.vtc.vt.edu/best/internships/">“Mini-internship” and Internship</a> opportunities</strong></em>

<em><strong>III. A mentorship program, where trainees are matched to mentors whose experiences align with the trainee’s career goals</strong></em>

A key component of the BEST program is the evaluation of its impact on the training and career outcomes of its participants. All participants will agree to complete some brief questionnaires as part of a research study on BEST program effectiveness, as well as an annual survey designed to track the attitudes and career outcomes of participants, over the course of 10 years. All information will be handled confidentially, and will be de-identified for any publication or dissemination purposes.