The Student Opportunity Center at Claremont McKenna College has planned its first-ever Health Services and Sciences-focused networking trip to Chicago, an up-and-coming area in the industry.
Career Services @ the Student Opportunity Center has led science-based visits on other treks, as well as treks to Chicago for other areas of interest, but the upcoming program is the first to Chicago for students interested in the health services, science and environmental fields. The networking trip is scheduled for the week of March 13, during spring break.
“We’re getting a good cross section of these [science and health care] industry entities, so while we’re following the traditional [liberal arts model], we’re also finding some great cutting-edge, new opportunities for science, environmental and medical industry-driven students,” Student Opportunity Center assistant director Gary Salata said.
This trip is open to CMC students and Robert Day Scholars, and of the 16 to 20 spots, there are still a few openings. Students can contact Career Services @ the Student Opportunity Center for more information.
The four full days in Chicago are going to be packed full of excellent learning and networking opportunities for students at host workplaces. Host organizations range from traditional hospitals and medical schools to research facilities and science incubators. A science incubator is a city-funded facility to help technology start-ups in the health services industry. Salata, who is leading the trip with Beth Milev ’05, hopes to have 16 confirmed hosts.
Students are scheduled to arrive on Sunday, March 12, and the networking and host visits begin the following day and run through March 16. From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, the group is going to be visiting different companies, up to four per day. Visits range from a guided tour of the facility to a panel discussion with people who work there.
A handful of Chicago-area CMC alumni are participating as hosts, including Raj Gupta ’84 (Environmental Systems Design, Inc.). Other companies scheduled for a visit are: Falcon Consulting, Chicago Health magazine, Northern Trust, the American Medical Association, Illinois Medical District, ContextMedia, Emmi Solutions, and World Business Chicago.
“My hope is that the students get a good, broad-based view of the industry opportunities, get a feel for the culture of these various companies, and see that the dynamics definitely vary and that it’s not a one-size-fits-all industry,” Salata said. “You can have a variety of career paths depending on what your major is and you're not stuck with one pathway. I also hope this trip opens their eyes to careers they may have never even considered.”