As an extension of the effort to increase career development opportunities for trainees, the Graduate Dean’s Office has supported the attendance of a group of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to the recent Health Cell event. The Health Cell is an organization that works to create collaborative environments for the San Antonio health and bioscience industry, by creating opportunities that support personal and professional growth.

This dynamic Health Cell event was titled, “Leading with X-ray Glasses, Insights on your team, your leadership style and yourself” and was presented by Brad Hunt, Principal Partner Why Group, LLC. Our trainees were excited about the experience and a few of their comments are showcased below:

“I found it extremely interesting to see the range of professions included in the Health Cell; bankers, NPR radio personnel and consultants from independent businesses to large corporations.
Specifically, I met Dan Cruz who founded his own consulting Company. This event helped me realize how broad the health industry is in San Antonio and gave me insight for the next step in my career” said Moises Iza M.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Cellular and Structural Biology.

“The event featured a presentation on leadership, one that not only taught attendees to identify driving factors for good output from employees, but also how to look within to discover how to lead oneself to success. It can be daunting to approach potential employers or co-workers without an arranged meeting, in a way reminiscent of approaching a girl you’ve never met but would really like to get to know. In this setting however, everyone has the same purpose; we are there to meet new faces and make connections. Everyone at the networking luncheon was very friendly and excited to talk to anyone. My experience was very positive, and as with every connection I made, I was instilled with more and more interpersonal confidence. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to meet people interested in finding a way to work with me and help move my career forward” said Damon Cardenas, Ph.D. Candidate, Biomedical Engineering.

“The Health Cell is for me a great way to realize networking is actually just about having fun meeting energized and smart people. It was also exciting to have a chance to connect with Texas Public Radio representatives” said Julien Matricon, Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Pharmacology.

“As a first time Health Cell attendee, I appreciated and was amazed by the varied professional backgrounds related to science represented at the luncheon. I was eager to share the information I learned with others and will incorporate tips Mr. Hunt presented in my own career development. Thank you to the organizers! I look forward to future Health Cell events” said Rheaclare Fraser PhD, Post Doctoral Fellow, Physiology Department.

“I met people from a wide array of business sectors: insurance brokers, biotech sales representatives, an accountant. While talking with people at the event, I discovered that their companies aren’t just looking for people who are knowledgeable in an area; they are looking for team players as well as a person’s dedication to life learning. When I realized this, I became more hopeful about finding a job after completing my PhD program” said Desiree Wilson, PhD Candidate, Department of Cellular and Structural Biology.

As a result of this overwhelmingly positive feedback from trainees and the Health Cell community, the Graduate Dean’s Office will be continuing to support trainee attendance to future Health Cell events. Please contact our office at 210-567-3709 if you are interested in attending the next event.