About this Blog

This blog was created in hopes that others may better understand the requirements of a Biology major. Provided are three writings about both the medical field and the field of Biology teaching. I have dedicated this blog to two separate fields of Biology, simply because I am uncertain at this point as to which field of Biology I wish to pursue. It is my hope that this blog will further educate it's readers, and perhaps help them to make more accurate decisions in the future.

Job Description

Job descriptions for the medical field and the field of University Biology teaching aren't all that different.

Both fields require that you nurture and care for the well-being of people who look to you alone for guidance and advice. Both fields are obviously crucial, though they encompass two different roles in the work-place.

The Importance of Communication in Medicine

Medicine is a field where strong communication can be key, not only in adapting well to and developing strong bonds with other individuals, but in dealing with the fragile balance that separates life and death itself. While most people can see the importance of communication skills when dealing with medicine, many do not see the underlying criticality - a strong ability to communicate with individuals from all walks of life. From surgeons to therapists, medicine is a universal system that deals with the health and well-being of other individuals, requiring a strong, equal balance of both scientific and social intelligence.

                Imagine a world where communication skills were not considered mandatory among medical professionals. Could an average individual really open-up to someone impersonal and seemingly uninterested with the issues at hand? MD Debra Roter, in her research paper entitled The effects of a Continuing Medical Education Programme in Interpersonal Communication Skills on Doctor Practice and Patient Satisfaction in Trinidad and Tobago (ME), says that this just isn’t the case. Patients need a certain level of comfort and security when being asked to reveal intimate details (ME, 1998). This is exactly the situation in which doctors place themselves, as all medical professionals must first make strong connections with their patients in order to, less reluctantly, receive the vital information that only they are capable of relaying.

                While all medical professionals who deal with patients on a regular basis are subject to the aforementioned forms of communication, many other fields of medicine rely on a different, more serious and delicate form of communication. Surgery is truly a risky procedure, and the surgeons who handle these instances are often some of the hardest-working individuals in the business. However, not every opportunity for a better tomorrow has a happy ending, and, as a result, emotions often run high in the hospital waiting rooms. It takes a certain expertise in communication to handle situations with bad news, especially when “bad news” is a horrendous understatement. Effectively dealing with the fragile psychological aspects of medicine is, as I can only imagine, one of the most difficult methods of communication in the field of medicine.

                Of course, not all forms of communication within the field of medicine constitute this level or morbidity, but all communication is important. Pharmaceutical companies must utilize near-perfect levels of communication in order to fully relay to their audience the importance of their medications, as well as the usage and physiological effects their drugs contain. While market value and mercantile aspects of medicine is obviously important to manufacturers, says Nature Medicine Magazine (NM), the emphasis on the drug’s initial purpose must not be skewed. Medicine, designed for the betterment of our tomorrow, can actually prove detrimental when misused. Therefore the medicine’s side-effects, usage, dosage and ingredients must be communicated to the intended audience clearly, efficiently and effectively (NM, 2009).

                As you can and should already have been able to clearly see, communication skills in the field of Medicine are one of the most important aspects of the career. Without an advanced ability to communicate with individuals, many of the more crucial aspects of external medicine would be all but impossible to achieve, and would severely inhibit medical professionals from providing an acceptable level of patient care. The idea of furtherance in the quality of patient-physician communication is an idea that has long since been looked at by medical universities across the nation, and certainly aids in exemplifying the critical importance of communication in the field of medicine.

Works Cited

Nature Medicine Magazine (2009). A Really Serious Conflict.  Volume 15, Number 5, May 2009

Roter, Debra, (1998). The effects of a continuing medical education programme in interpersonal

communication skills on doctor practice and patient satisfaction in Trinidad and Tobago. Medical Education (ME), Volume 32, 181-189, Blackwell Science Ltd. 1998

Discoveries in the field of Biology (Report)

The field of Biology is an incredibly rewarding and especially important one. The skills and abilities that are needed, and those that are taught, have to address a wide variety of criteria in order to fully compliment the career choices that may one day arise. Specifically, the abilities necessary for becoming an instructor in the field of Biology require many years of dedication, and will constitute a life-long and continual process of learning, and of understanding. While many careers may be formed with an area of focus in Biology, the field of Biology Education is certainly one of the most critical.

                An instructor’s goal, first and foremost, should be to transfer their knowledge and understanding to other individuals, in order to create a more educated world. An important aspect in the careers for any Biology Professor would have to be the communication methods they utilize. A viable Biology instructor would need to have great control over a wide variety of teaching methods, and thus would also need a strong ability to communicate using those methods. Lecture shouldn’t completely consist of individuals taking notes, it should be an interaction with students and professors, and should incorporate more hands-on opportunities for learning and for understanding, says Dr. David Eisenhour of Morehead State University. Communication skills are crucial for the transfer of knowledge, and must be presented using methods that students and other individuals will find interesting, as effective communication is often equally as important as the content being presented. Being a student in such an atmosphere may seem a bit overwhelming at times, and can certainly strain your ability to comprehend. It is for this reason that instructors encourage questions, and have office hours. “Nothing makes me happier than watching my students go off to graduate and medical schools, and knowing that I was a part, if only a very small one, of helping”. It is easy to see why many incoming Freshmen feel intimated or discouraged in one of the many Biology classroom settings – having very large class sizes and lecture material covered at an incredibly fast pace can sometimes take students who are new to the field by surprise. Instructors are more than aware of this feeling, having once been there themselves, and are almost always willing to help a student in need. 

                Communication is only one of the many critical aspects of becoming a highly-respected, and effective Biology instructor. Though many may consider teaching and instruction the only aspect of a Biology instructor’s career, this is certainly not the case. Research consumes much of the free time for any instructor, and although this may not seem like a very critical part of the profession, it is often the precursor to the development of many great Biology instructors. “Any great professor won’t need to use a lecture book; a truly great professor will stay ahead of the curve” Says Biology and Pre-Med advisor Dr. David Saxon. This is a direct result of the research that is completed by instructors and professionals in the field, alongside reading material from outside sources such as peer-reviewed journals and articles in scientific magazines.

                Expanding on the previous statement a bit, it can be determined from various scientific studies that the knowledge and information one learns during their schooling will soon be irrelevant. This is not to say that all things learned during the course of your experiences in the Biology field are to be fruitless, but it is as Dr. Saxon has said, that professors must stay ahead of the printed material either my reading from outside sources, or even by discovering things on their own, in order for true knowledge to be passed on to future generations. Many times, educators will reflect upon what they have learned over the course of their schooling and find areas that they themselves feel would have been helpful. “Learning how to learn” is commonly accepted as a major stepping-stone in any student’s career through college. Adapting well to the study habits and methods that were not required of individuals in grade school is often one of the most difficult challenges incoming Freshmen face.

                To be a great Biology professor requires a lifetime of learning. The atmosphere, being an educational one, constitutes a continual learning process for both students and educators alike, says Dr. Saxon. If you asked an educator if they enjoy what they do, you would be hard-pressed to find any who would say they don’t. To be an instructor means to have a continual thirst for knowledge, and to be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to meet your goals (Eisenhour). While the career of a Biology Professor is indeed a prestigious and crucial one, it is sometimes not a primary career goal. During the Biology major, students are given opportunities to expand their knowledge, partly in the form of educating opportunities. Many Biology students find themselves drawn to research fields, as well as doctoral, pharmaceutical, etc. It is through these fields that many students find their desire to teach, as was the case for both Dr. Eisenhour and Dr. Saxon.

                The road to Biology education may seem challenging, but, for those who have a strong desire to learn, always proves to be a rewarding and exciting experience. Hopefully the ideas and topics discussed both from testimonies from Dr. David Eisenhour and Dr. David Saxon, as well as other various topics discussed through this report will help you to better understand the demands and challenges one may face – both through school and your future career. Hopefully it has also made apparent the rewards one will experience should they have the desire and the ability to teach.

Works Cited

Eisenhour, David. Interviewed By Dane Cravens. Morehead, KY. October 27^th 2010.

Saxon, David. Interviewed by Dane Cravens. Morehead, KY. October 28^th 2010.