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Survey Names Fox Chase Cancer Center a Top Spot for Postdocs to Stop
PHILADELPHIA (March 4, 2008) - A survey released by The Scientist, a prominent life sciences magazine, places Fox Chase Cancer Center among the top ten best places to work for postdoctoral researchers. Fox Chase was the top ranked institution in the Northeast region and ranked seventh overall in the U.S.
Postdocs gave Fox Chase high marks when asked about factors relating to remuneration and compensation, quality and breadth of training, funding, institutional factors, and quality of family and personal life. Their positive impressions of Fox Chase as an employer mirror the high value the organization places on postdoctoral contributions to its research programs.
"At Fox Chase, we recognize that postdocs are our lifeblood," says Maureen Murphy, Ph.D., director of postdoctoral training programs at Fox Chase Cancer Center. "Unlike other universities and research institutions, our postdocs do not compete with graduate, medical and undergraduate students for attention, training and resources."
The survey yielded responses from 3,086 postdocs at 82 U.S. institutions and 17 international institutions. Respondents were asked to assess their postdoc experience according to 44 criteria in 11 different areas by scoring positive statements. Answers were scored on a 1 to 5 scale with 5 = "Strongly agree," 1 = "Strongly disagree" and 3 = "Neither agree nor disagree." The criteria included statements relating to the lab's principal investigator, colleagues, department or division and the institution.
According to the survey, Fox Chase postdocs gave high ratings to the relationships they have developed with Fox Chase faculty, responding positively to questions regarding mentorship and communications. "I think we are justifiably proud of how we treat our postdocs and this survey reflects that," Murphy says.
"By choosing Fox Chase, our postdocs have made an investment in us as the place where they want to begin their careers," Murphy says. "We try to reward this investment by creating an environment where they can enrich their professional lives - by providing unique resources such as seminars and workshops - along with their personal lives - by providing benefits, such as housing and daycare."
More information about the Fox Chase Postdoctoral Research Program, including a video tour conducted by current postdocs, is available at: http://postdocs.foxchaseprojects.org.
Fox Chase Cancer Center, part of Temple University Health System, is one of the leading cancer research and treatment centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase also was among the first institutions to receive the National Cancer Institute’s prestigious comprehensive cancer center designation in 1974. Fox Chase researchers have won the highest awards in their fields, including two Nobel Prizes. Fox Chase physicians are routinely recognized in national rankings, and the Center’s nursing program has achieved Magnet status for excellence three consecutive times. Fox Chase conducts a broad array of nationally competitive basic, translational, and clinical research and oversees programs in cancer prevention, detection, survivorship, and community outreach. For more information, call 1-888-FOX-CHASE (1-888-369-2427).
