In the first few weeks of both the fall and spring semesters, LSM holds a Retreat. This is a one- or two-day event usually at a venue in Center City to which we invite all students, the LSM Advisory Board, some LSM alumni, and other distinguished guests to partake in various social, career-oriented, and educational events, with the objective of bringing the LSM community together.
We try to invite alumni who have followed many and varied paths to talk with current students about their careers and how LSM prepared them for life after Penn. It is an enriching experience for all in that the students get to meet LSM alums to learn about some of the possibilities that a science and a business degree make available, and the alums get to give something back, and reconnect with LSM (and other alums).
A mainstay of the LSM Advisory Board are industry industry leaders, scientific and medical experts, and corporate executives, and the Retreat gives LSM students the chance to meet some of these inspirational leaders informally, often one-on-one, and benefit from hearing about their experiences. This opportunity to meet multiple leaders of the life sciences industry in one place is a large part of what makes the LSM Retreat so special.
Each Retreat also features a keynote address, and we are very lucky to have had extraordinary speakers come share their experiences with LSM students. Our most recent keynote speakers have been Najat Khan, PhD, Chief Data Science Officer, Global Head, Strategy & Operations for Janssen Research & Development and Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
The Retreat serves as an introduction to the LSM program for new students, and a terrific way for them to get to know their peers – as well as an opportunity for all students in the program to spend some enjoyable and constructive time together. With considerable input from the LSM Student Advisory Board, the Retreat offers opportunities for students to connect with others both within and between class years. And it’s a lot of fun! For example, the students have established a Retreat tradition of playing a lively, no-holds-barred game of Quizzo in which students (and sometimes Advisory Board ringers) get to show off their knowledge and win some LSM swag.