The ETCD Council: SBM’s Year Round Career Development Resource

Nicole Zarrett, PhD, Education, Training, and Career Development Council chair

Each year the Education, Training, and Career Development (ETCD) Council endeavors to offer relevant sessions to members of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM). The 2016 Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions proved to be no exception. Below are some program highlights:

Meet the Presidents: 2nd Annual SBM Fellow Office Hours

The Washington, DC, setting inspired the SBM ETCD council to invite past SBM presidents to staff our 2nd annual “Meet the Professors” small group networking session. For this event the ETCD Council recruited 10 SBM presidents and eight junior faculty partners to facilitate small round-table discussions. Attendees were able to discuss pathways to career success and network in small groups with past SBM presidents and colleagues with similar professional interests.

Similar to its previous iteration, Meet the Professors, the event attracted attendees at various points in their careers. The variety of voices at each table enriched the experience of attendees such as SBM member Zakkoyya Lewis, who wrote “What I enjoyed most about the Meet the Presidents event was the opportunity to get feedback and input from the past president who made a very successful career, the junior faculty who is developing their career, and fellow students who are trying to establish a career. Gaining perspective from everyone at the table was extremely beneficial.”

Special thanks to the following SBM past-presidents, and current SBM president, who participated in this event:

David B. Abrams, PhD	Abby C. King, PhD
Alan J. Christensen, PhD	Lisa M. Klesges, PhD
Laura L. Hayman, MSN, PhD, FAAN	Judith K. Ockene, PhD, MEd, MA
Robert M. Kaplan, PhD	James F. Sallis, PhD
Peter G. Kaufmann, PhD	Dawn K. Wilson, PhD

Poster Mentoring Program

This was the fifth year that the ETCD Council offered the poster mentoring program. The council is grateful to the 27 senior SBM members who volunteered to be matched with 36 students with shared research interests. The mentors attended the student/trainees poster presentations to provide valuable feedback on their research and to discuss future directions and/or career goals.

Due to the continued popularity of this program, the council is exploring ways to expand it. If you are interested in serving as a poster mentor for the 2017 Annual Meeting please contact SBM Program Manager Erica Linc at elinc@sbm.org.

Career Development Panels

This year the ETCD Council organized two panel discussions. The Graduate Student Research Panel Discussion, is offered annually and recruits faculty with experience in mentoring students in research activities, theses, and dissertations to provide advice and answer attendee questions about all facets of the graduate school experience and post-graduate trajectories. The flexible nature of the panel allowed for panel attendees’ questions to determine the content of the discussion.

The second panel, Careers in Behavioral Medicine: Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Academic Career Transitions and Advancements, was presented in partnership with the Health Decision Making Special Interest Group (SIG). During this session panelists discussed the opportunities and challenges that exist across behavioral medicine academic careers, identified commonalities across differing career stages, and shared strategies for successfully coping with challenges and capitalizing on opportunities.

The council hopes to partner with more SIGs for the 2017 Annual Meeting to present career development sessions. If you are interested in partnering please contact ETCD Council Chair Nicole Zarrett, PhD, at zarrettn@mailbox.sc.edu.

Consultation Program

Along with the education, training and career development opportunities offered at annual meetings, SBM offers a web-based Consultation Program which provides members with year-round electronic access to experts in various behavioral medicine areas. Prospective consultees can identify expert consultants on the SBM website and contact them with specific questions pertaining to scientific topic areas as well as career development issues. Whether you are a postdoc looking for advice on negotiating your first job or a full professor delving into a new area of research, your fellow SBM members may be able to provide the knowledge and guidance you need.

Members can access the program by logging into the Members Only section of the SBM website and clicking on the Consultation Program link in the Member Benefits list. Currently, consultants are available from the Cancer SIG, Child and Family Health SIG, Integrated Primary Care SIG, Obesity and Eating Disorders SIG, Physical Activity SIG, Spirituality and Health SIG, and ETCD Council.

While several individuals have graciously agreed to share their time and expertise, additional consultants are always welcome. Please contact Erica Linc at elinc@sbm.org to participate.