Book Review: Success in graduate school and beyond: A guide for STEM students and postdoctoral fellows

Success in graduate school and beyond: a guide for stem students and postdoctoral fellows offers graduate students and postdoctoral fellows a clear path to explore professional development opportunities alongside their scientific research endeavours. Nana Lee and Reinhart Reithmeier describe in conversational terms how these experiences help hone problem-solving skills, deductive reasoning and communication abilities. Aided by ample resources and workbook style exercises, the reader is guided towards understanding how to reframe these core competencies as attractive, practical and industry-desired skills.

The authors also encourage the reader to work through their own personal strengths and areas for development and share how this self reflection can lead to a rewarding and bespoke career. Readers emerge with a more refined sense of their unique perspective and professional toolkit, as well as a roadmap for developing and fine-tuning core competencies and skills. The authors’ combined expertise in  mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows is clear in every section of this book. Dr. Lee is the founding director of the graduate professional development program of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto and an associate professor in biochemistry and immunology. Dr. Reithmeier is a biochemist and expert in membrane biology and was a special advisor to the dean of graduate studies on graduate professional and leadership development at the University of Toronto. Their book is well crafted with themes divided into easily digested chapters, each of which can serve as a stand-alone in-class exercise or self-study exercise; all provide context, foundational information, exercises and end-of chapter questions to inspire discussion. The format makes this a natural study guide. The book even comes equipped with a list of professional development courses and resources for graduate students available across the country.

It should be noted that this is a second edition of their work titled Success After Graduate School (2016). Even if you own a copy of the first edition, this update is well worth the price and space on your bookshelf. It delves into topics such as equity, diversity and inclusion and works through complex issues of positionality and barriers to access in the academy. It also provides a thoughtful discussion on mentorship and dives into specifics of finding and cultivating mentoring relationships throughout one’s career. While other insightful books, such as the popular At the Bench series, focus more squarely on following a “traditional” academic progression, Drs. Lee and Reithmeier set the stage for supporting scholars of all interests and leanings, and leave the reader feeling optimistic. As a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow in STEM, the world really is your oyster.

Reviewed by: Eden Fussner-Dupas, assistant professor of teaching, biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of British Columbia.