Building Career Confidence in the LEADERs Program: PhD Candidate in Personal Health Informatics Mina Fallah’s Placement Experience with Walmart Healthcare Research Institute

Building Confidence Through Communication 

When Mina Fallah first heard about a LEADERs placement opportunity with the  Walmart Healthcare Research Institute (WHRI), which aims to make clinical trials more accessible for underrepresented communities, her immediate reaction was filled with doubt, “I’m not sure I’m a good fit,” she told Wendy Eaton, director of LEADERs Partnership Relations. Like many PhD students, Fallah believed she needed more experience, more skills, more everything before she could step into industry. What she discovered through her LEADERs placement would not just break her self-doubt but also reshape her entire understanding of what professional value means. 

Fallah’s journey to the LEADERs program began with a friend’s recommendation. As an international student pursuing her PhD in Personal Health Informatics, she worried about being culturally underprepared to excel, “For me as a person who came to the U.S. for education, it’s very important that I understand what soft skills are needed in industry. How can I communicate with people? How can I share my opinion with others?” The LEADERs course provided exactly the guidance Fallah was seeking. However, when the opportunity arose to apply those skills at WHRI, Walmart’s recent initiative to engage rural and underserved patients in research trials, imposter syndrome kicked in hard. After persistent encouragement and practical support from Wendy, including interview coaching, Fallah pushed past her hesitation and was offered a placement with WHRI.

At WHRI, Fallah found herself in an environment radically different from her academic lab, “All the people around me in the lab have similar projects, but at WHRI, I had the opportunity to work with technical people like data scientists, doctors, and professionals with expertise in pharma.” Her role as a PhD graduate researcher evolved significantly during her time there. Initially focused on understanding medical coding and its importance in linking healthcare systems, she later transitioned to exploring how cutting-edge technologies like Language Learning Models and Artificial Intelligence can streamline departmental workflows. 

The multidisciplinary nature of the team presented both challenges and opportunities for Fallah. Drawing on her LEADERs training, she learned to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical team members, “Based on what I learned from LEADERs, I could simplify information, I could explain what technology can bring to the team and how it can facilitate different tasks.” One of the most profound shifts occurred in how Fallah viewed her own capabilities and career possibilities – “Before getting this position, I always thought I just knew everything about my research and nothing beyond that.” However, the LEADERs placement proved to her that she had valuable skills to contribute as well as opened her eyes to applications of her expertise she hadn’t previously considered. Her research in conversational agents for health education, while not directly aligned with her WHRI projects, gained new dimensions through this exposure, “Now I’m thinking about how this new technology like AI or LLMs can be used for very big companies, not just for designing apps for specific target people, but for high-level research as well.”

The transformation in Fallah’s professional confidence is perhaps best illustrated by a moment that might have been impossible before taking the first LEADERs course, PHDL 7600 “Leading Self and Others – successfully advocating for herself to continue at WHRI beyond her initial placement. She acknowledged that “before taking the course, it would have been very hard for me to ask about continuing my internship,” but the course taught her that expressing what you want is not just acceptable, it’s essential. This newfound confidence also extended beyond specific workplace interactions, “Now I’m more confident to share my opinion, take responsibility, and say what my opinion is about a problem or how I can solve it.” The course’s emphasis on understanding one’s value and articulating what you bring to a team became foundational to her professional identity. 

Learning Long-Term Skills for Life 

When asked what advice she would give to PhD students considering the LEADERs program, Fallah emphasized the unique value of the skills it helps students develop. Unlike technical knowledge that could become obsolete, the communication, teamwork, and leadership capabilities gained through LEADERs are enduring and universally applicable, “In other courses, we work on academic or professional skills in our major, but the skills you learn in LEADERs are not only for your career but also help you have better communication with your friends, family, and co-workers.” Fallah’s experience demonstrates that the most significant barrier between PhD students and industry success often isn’t a lack of technical skills, it’s the inability to recognize and articulate the value they already possess.

Through the LEADERs program and placement with Walmart, she discovered that being “ready” for industry isn’t about having every possible skill perfected. Instead, it’s about understanding your value, communicating effectively across disciplines, and having the confidence to contribute your unique perspective to solving complex problems. For Fallah, the journey from self-doubt to self-assurance wasn’t just about landing an industry placement. Rather, it was about fundamentally reframing her understanding of what she brings to any team, academic or industry. As she continues her PhD with this expanded perspective, she carries with her not just new technical knowledge but also a transformed sense of professional value and possibility.

Photo Credit: Mina Fallah

Upon completion of the “Leading Self and Others” course, LEADERs program staff and partner companies select fellows who align with specific industry needs. PhDs are supported through the fellowship application process and placed in a specialized role to solve a problem in industry. They go on to earn a LEADERs’ Experiential PhD leadership certificate, with guidance from an industry mentor and faculty advisor. The program is run by the PhD Network, which helps prepare students to enter the workforce as impactful researchers. 

If you are interested in hosting a LEADERs student at your organization, or are curious about learning more, please contact Wendy Eaton, director of LEADERs partnership relations ([email protected]).