My perspectives on the
Institute of Medicine (IOM) work environment remain similar to when I first
arrived—the workplace culture is a mixture of professional and casual. I have
however realized that the workplace requires a lot of independent motivation
and work time, and for many of the senior staff, a lot of meetings. Because the
IOM works to create policy with experts from different health fields around the
country, many of the staff spend several hours of their workdays in meetings at
the Keck Center (the building in which I work) or on conference calls, whether
by phone, Skype, etc. A major priority for the staff is maintaining
communication with members of the various boards and committees that serve the
IOM.
On a more personal level
(however, it also applies to other senior staff members), I have learned that
the IOM work environment is one that requires a lot of independent motivation
and work. Most of my work has involved independent research and writing for
case studies. Thus, there is a contrast between two of the primary tasks of
staff at the IOM: constant communication and meeting with committee and board
members, but also a large amount of independent projects on deadline. One must
have an all-around and versatile skill set as a study or board director, which
I really appreciate as someone looking for a job after senior year very soon.
I alluded to this in a
previous post, but I’ve also realized that staff members at the IOM come from
very diverse backgrounds and disciplines, which surprised me. For example,
Rachel, my primary supervisor, just finished her law degree and has a background
in political science. She had no real experience in health until she became
involved in health law and began working at the IOM five years ago.
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