Individual Development Plan

What is an IDP?

An Individual Development Plan, IDP, provides students with the opportunity to think about their training objectives, progress towards them, and to set and/or refine goals for the future. The IDP also includes a self-assessment section designed to help students and their IDP advisor think constructively about skills and professional competencies: what are current areas of strength and the areas that will benefit from further professional development as they progress with training. 

Read what fellow students have to say about it here.

Benefits of an IDP

Just as the process of writing a research article or proposal focuses a student’s work at the bench, an Individual Development Plan (IDP) helps students and mentors envision and refine an efficient training plan tailored to support specific career ambitions. The act of completing the IDP will prompt students to explicitly define the student’s goals for both the short and long term, and hopefully, will motivate the student to identify resources and mentors that can help meet them.

The IDP Mentor

The role of the IDP Mentor is to help with goal setting, career advice, and the implementation of the IDP.  At the end of the G1 year, students can select any faculty member of their choosing to serve as their IDP Mentor.

Program Requirements

To help get the most out of graduate education, the BBS program requires all students to complete an IDP each year. The BBS IDP provides students with the opportunity to think about training objectives, progress towards them, professional development, and career exploration. The IDP includes a self-assessment section designed to help students and their IDP advisor think constructively about skills and professional competencies: what are current areas of strength and the areas that will benefit from further professional development as they progress with training. 

To gain the most benefit from the IDP, students must think deeply about the questions and answer them frankly. The IDP process will be most effective if used to guide candid discussions with their mentor/advisor/curriculum fellow.  Some students find it helpful to have their Program Advisor or an additional mentor participate in their IDP review.  

To gain the most benefit from the IDP, students must think deeply about the questions and answer them frankly. Sharing is therefore not a program requirement, nor will the IDP be kept on file by BBS. Students are free to share as much or as little of the plan as they feel comfortable. However, the IDP process will be most effective if used to guide candid discussions with the IDP Mentor.
 

Instructions