Postdoctoral training . The purpose of postdoctoral training is to enable individuals to develop a program of research under the direction of a faculty mentor, and begin a line of investigation as an independent researcher. The School of Nursing offers postdoctoral training opportunities in a number of the substantive areas of research delineated above. This type of training is provided by senior faculty who are experienced mentors and who are actively engaged in funded research of their own. While this is a new trend in nursing, graduates of doctoral programs are being urged to engaged in this type of training for a year or more.
Many universities now indicate preference in hiring new faculty who have had postdoctoral training.
The University of Michigan School of Nursing receives requests to provide different kinds of training opportunities for international colleagues. Some of these requests come from governmental or international agencies such as the World Health Organization, others come from institutions to accommodate their faculties, some come from senior faculty mentors to locate appropriate experiences for their doctoral students, and some come from individuals designing meaningful ways to spend their sabbatical and study leave periods. Against the background of graduate education and training provided earlier, the School of Nursing has begun responding systematically to such requests as a way of providing an important service to the international community. We describe below the steps and process involved in planning and providing scholarly preparation. Upon receipt of requests we ask that the potential visitor provide us with objectives for the study period.