Changing the way scientists are trained
If you could make one change to the way young scientists are taught and trained, what would it be and why? If you could make one change to the way scientists communicate their latest experimental results, what would it be and why? Corie Lok, Editor of Nature Network, asked some Boston scientists these questions. You can see thir answers in Corie's Network news article How would you change the way scientists are trained?. Here are a few of the points made by the scientists, who are at different stages of their careers:
"I think that at the very least, young scientists in training should know who founded their field, when, and why."
"The postdoctoral period seems to be getting longer and longer. This is a tough pill to swallow when you are in your early to mid-20s. If this continues, more and more talented scientists will leave the bench."
"I would make books like Jared Diamond’s Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed essential reading at the high school level."
"No one in their right mind would give competitors ideas that would expedite their research. This mentality is necessary to stay on top of the field and remain competitive for grants. However, the “secretive” nature of science drastically slows our progress."
For more answers, and to add your own thoughts on these questions, please visit the Nature Network forum.
