About

Q: What is the Harvard Medical Postdoc Association (HMPA)?

A: We are a group run entirely by postdocs for postdocs at HMS and its affiliated hospitals and institutes. We organize various activities throughout the year focusing on professional development, advocacy, outreach, entrepreneurship, and social networking.

Q: What is the difference between the HMPA and the Office for Postdoctoral Fellows?

A: The HMPA is a self-governing group of volunteers who are full-time postdocs in HMS basic science departments and/or affiliated hospitals and institutes. By contrast, the Office for Postdoctoral Fellows (OPF) is a professional office with full-time staff that is run and funded by the HMS administration. The HMPA and the OPF work closely to provide complementary programming for postdocs.

Q: Who is a postdoc?

A: A postdoc is an individual holding a doctoral degree who is engaged in a temporary period of full-time mentored research and/or scholarly training for the purpose of acquiring scientific and/or professional skills needed to pursue a career path of his or her choosing.

Q: Who is a “quad-based postdoc”?

A: A postdoc whose primary appointment is in the HSDM, or in one of the six basic science departments at HMS including Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Immunobiology, Neurobiology, and Systems Biology. Historically, these departments were located in the buildings surrounding the HMS quad – the lawn on Longwood Avenue facing Gordon Hall.

Q: Who is an “affiliate postdoc”?

A: A postdoc whose primary appointment is in one of the HMS-affiliated hospitals including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC)Boston Children's Hospital (BCH)Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH),  Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI)Joslin Diabetes CenterMassachusetts Eye and EarMassachusetts General Hospital (MGH)McLean HospitalMount Auburn HospitalSchepens Eye Research Institute, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

Q: How frequently does the HMPA meet and hold events?

A: The governing board of the HMPA meets monthly to run the business of the association. The HMPA hosts events open to all postdocs on a rolling basis. You can access our calendar of events.

Q: What is the role of HMPA?

  • Advocate for the Harvard medical postdoc community
  • Provide a forum for discussion of Harvard medical postdocs' shared interests and concerns
  • Support Harvard medical postdocs' professional development
  • Foster community and communication within the Harvard medical postdoc population
  • Liaise with the HMS/HSDM Office of Postdoctoral Fellows

Q: What are the HMPA bylaws?

A: The HMPA bylaws are as defined in HMPA Bylaws.

hmpa-bylaws.pdf98 KB