TERA Dose-Response Boot Camp participants
I had the luxury of attending the TERA Dose-Response Boot Camp held at the Hampton Inn in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, as a fourth-year PhD candidate thanks in part to an SOT Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP) award and SOT Diversity Initiatives Career Development Award. The boot camp lasted five days from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and covered topics relating to performing risk assessments of chemicals to establish safe doses. The class was divided into four main sections and taught in order of how risk assessments are performed.
Throughout the five days, attendees were split into groups of five and expected to complete homework assignments and present their findings on the last day of boot camp. The homework and class presentation were based on the lectures given throughout the week. The assignment was to perform a risk assessment on an unknown chemical based on the chemical information and relevant literature studies given to assess the chemical's no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) and establish a reference dose. The boot camp also covered topics on how to use dose-response modeling software to estimate benchmark doses.
The TERA Dose-Response Bootcamp taught me the systematic approach that regulatory toxicologists frequently apply when assessing chemicals and chemical exposures. This training gave me more insight into how different government agencies use various metrics to evaluate chemicals and helped me learn important terminology within the regulatory toxicology field. Additionally, the boot camp provided me with a further understanding of toxicology principles and helped me gain practical experience that was not offered through my institution. Furthermore, the knowledge acquired through this training makes me a more competitive applicant for future job opportunities.
To capitalize on the information learned in the TERA Dose-Response Boot Camp, I will add this training to my resume, applying for jobs within the field of regulatory toxicology, and will continue to educate myself through the presentation slides from the boot camp to learn more about how performing risk assessments can apply to my PhD dissertation. My overall career goal is to become a regulatory toxicologist. I am passionate about a career where I can utilize my skills as a researcher to address critical issues within the environment by performing risk assessments of potential toxicants and minimizing exposure through chemical regulations, policies, and initiatives. Funding from the SOT Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP) and the SOT Diversity Initiatives Career Development Award helped offset the cost of registration for the TERA Dose-Response Boot Camp and helped me pursue my long-term career goal of becoming a regulatory toxicologist. I am grateful for the opportunity to attend this boot camp and for the unwavering support of SOT for honoring me with these awards.
SOT provides several awards to support professional development for trainees. The Supplemental Training for Education Program (STEP) award supports activities that address career skill gaps for graduate students. The SOT Diversity Initiatives Endowment Career Development Award enables undergraduate and graduate students to pursue education and career development opportunities to enhance their professional development; this award is supported by the Diversity Initiative Endowment Fund, which aims to increase and retain individuals from groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences. The 2024–2025 application deadlines for these awards will be announced later this year.
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