The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, AND PEDAGOGY article
Front. Educ.
Sec. STEM Education
Volume 10 - 2025 |
doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1478553
This article is part of the Research Topic Building Tomorrow’s Biomedical Workforce: Evaluation of How Evidence-Based Training Programs Align Skill Development and Career Awareness with a Broad Array of Professions View all 15 articles
Bridging the Gap: The OPTIONS Program as a Model for Integrating Career Development into Biomedical PhD Training
Provisionally accepted- Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
The OPTIONS program employs an innovative approach to integrating career readiness into the foundation of biomedical doctoral education. Designed to address the growing need for diverse career pathways beyond academic roles, this three-phase program provides structured opportunities for PhD students to explore career interests, develop transferable skills, and participate in experiential learning opportunities prior to graduating. Over the past six years, the program has experienced substantial growth, currently supporting over 300 doctoral students and with ~50 alumni who have transitioned into careers across academia, industry, government, and other sectors. Preliminary findings suggest that participating in the OPTIONS program improves students’ ability to articulate how their graduate training translates to career opportunities and enhances their awareness of actionable steps to develop career-related skills. By embedding career development into doctoral education and addressing evolving workforce demands, OPTIONS represents a scalable model for equipping graduates to thrive in today’s dynamic and multidisciplinary professional landscape.
Keywords: Biomedical education, Experiential learning, Career exploration, Self-Reflection, PhD curriculum
Received: 10 Aug 2024; Accepted: 30 Jan 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Neely, Abras, Lauka, Oladeinde and Eith. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Crystal J Neely, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 21218, Maryland, United States
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.