Last year a group of six women started meeting twice a month with one primary goal: to support each other in pursuit of their doctoral degrees.
These women, faculty and health care professionals on campus, were candidates in either Doctor of Philosophy programs or Doctor of Education programs. Even though they were all at different stages of degree completion, they had the common need for a writing support group.
Members included Betsy Becker, D.P.T., Ph.D., Faye Haggar, Ed.D., Karen Honeycutt, Sarah McBrien, Ph.D., Jill Skrabal, Ph.D., and Tammy Webster, Ph.D.
Their bi-monthly meeting agendas included topics such as tips for citation tools, information on copyright, best practices in authorship, and potential publication journals. The group members also reviewed each other’s writing, spent time discussing the writing process and provided feedback. These women also had the opportunity to practice presenting their doctoral defenses to each other before their formal committee presentations.
The group is interprofessional, representing a number of programs and colleges across campus. While many of these women attended the Dissertation Bootcamp Series offered by UNMC Graduate Studies, they realized they needed a more semi-formal writing group in order to provide long-term accountability.
“The group evolved from a shared interest in support, accountability, and trust for open dialogue,” said Tammy Webster, Ph.D., associate professor and program director, radiation science technology education, medical imaging and therapeutic sciences.
“All members were in varying phases of pursuing a doctoral degree, so we had a common goal. It has been a privilege to exchange ideas, share our lessons learned, and celebrate successes over the course of the year. I look forward to our next chapter of moving from doctoral graduates to scholarship collaborators.”
As group members successfully complete their doctoral degree, each has decided to continue attending meetings to provide support to their colleagues.
“These women were amazing peer mentors as I worked on my research. I am incredibly thankful to them for setting goals, celebrating successes, and sharing experiences. We have grown as scholars and friends,” said Faye Haggar, Ed.D., instructor, anesthesiology.
The group’s goal will start transitioning to that of collaborative support for career advancement through research and scholarly activities.
What a model you have created for other doctoral students. Excellent!