In just three minutes, current graduate students explain the “breadth and significance of their research project to a non-specialist audience”, according to 3MT organizers. In fact, did you know that UBC was one of the first universities in North America to host a 3MT competition? This annual competition starts off with heats from all over the UBC campus in February and ends with UBC-wide Semi-Finals and Finals in March.
So, can you list five good reasons why every grad student research should compete in UBC 3MT 2015? Here’s a little help from some past UBC 3MT winners and participants:
“Preparing for and participating in the 3MT competition was an incredible chance to develop my presentation skills and my research pitch. I had the opportunity to think very carefully about the big-picture aspect of my research.”
Erin Macri, Experimental Medicine, 3MT 2014 Runner-Up and People’s Choice Winner | See research by E. Macri at: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/87 and http://hdl.handle.net/2429/44510
“Feedback from the audience – particularly other students, researchers and patients – really inspired me to confidently pursue my PhD with enthusiasm and optimism. These opportunities not only bolstered my confidence, but they also enable me to expand my social and professional networks. I strongly encourage every graduate student to participate!!!”
Sun Nee Tan, Neuroscience, 3MT 2013 People’s Choice Winner | See research by S. Tan at: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/43890
“As researchers it is all too easy to fall into the trap of getting lost in our own little bubble of specialization, and the 3MT is a great way to hear concise, amazing stories from all sorts of different fields of study.“
Fergil Mills, Neuroscience, 3MT 2012 Runner-up
“The most valuable experience is to learn how to talk about your research in a simple but appealing manner. As graduate students, we may do a good job in technical presentations but not when it comes to an audience who are not specialized in our field.”
Payam Zachkani, Engineering-Mechanical, 3MT 2014 Finalist | See research by P. Zachkani at: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/51551 [Embargoed until 2015-06-30; Request access]
Want to get involved in UBC 3MT 2015? Visit http://3mt.grad.ubc.ca/ for details.
Above image is courtesy of the UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies’ website