WHAT IS AN IDP?

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

An IDP offers students the opportunity to consider their personal training objectives, their progress toward those objectives, and to establish and refine goals for the future.  The pages that follow include a blank IDP to be completed.  It includes questions covering topics of importance for the student's level of training (G1, G2, or G3 and above), a skill self-assessment, and a section to help students develop an action plan for the coming year.

The IDP is a tool designed to help students develop an efficient training plan tailored to support their specific career ambitions.   The process of completing the IDP will help students to define their goals in concrete and specific terms for both the more immediate short-range time period, as well as the long term.  In addition, the IDP will aid in prompting students to identify areas where they may need guidance and the resources that can help provide such support.

Another Benefit of the IDP is that it can serve as a useful foundation for students to discuss their training and career objectives with their mentor at a yearly planning meeting.  Most importantly, the Biophysics Program wants students to derive the most benefit from the IDP, and encourages students to approach the process in a forthright, open, and thorough manner.  Students are able to control the level of sharing of specific sections of the IDP responses with specific individuals, and are free to share as much or as little of the plan as they feel comfortable.  Note that the IDP process is most effective if used to guide candid discussions with a mentor/ advisor.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Completion of the IDP, privately or with a mentor, along with a corresponding yearly training/ career-planning meeting between a student and their mentor is a requirement of the Biophysics Program.  As the beginning of a new academic year is an opportune time for self-reflection and planning, the Biophysics Program asks students to complete the IDP in September, and have the yearly planning meeting before the end of October each year. 

For G1 students, the initial meeting with the Program Co-Chairs that takes place prior to the start of the Fall semester serves as an introduction to this process, and the subsequent meeting prior to the start of the Spring semester will serve as a follow-up consultation and the actual IDP meeting.

For G2 students and above, documentation (IDP Reporting Page) indicating that the IDP has been completed and the planning meeting held, must be submitted to the Biophysics Program by November 1^st. IDPs must be completed on a yearly basis, at the least, and Dissertation Advisory Committee meetings include a question as to whether or not an IDP has been completed within the prior 12 month period.

*  Schedule a meeting with your program advisor or mentor.  The meeting should be held before November 1^st.  For G1 students, scheduling of meetings is arranged through the Biophysics office, as part of the pre-semester meetings with the Program Co-Chairs.

*  Share the desired portion of your IDP with your program advisor or mentor.

*  Meet with your program advisor or mentor and discuss your goals/ plans.

*  Refine your action plan based on the discussion.

*  For G2 students and above, submit the IDP Reporting Page (or have it submitted) to Biophysics confirming IDP completion and advisory meeting held for the year.  G1 Students will have the IDP Reporting Page signed off as part of their pre-Spring semester meeting with the Biophysics Program Co-Chairs.