Interviewing a Professional Scientist: An Out-of-Class Assignment Stanley Jay Shapiro James Madison High School, 3787 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11229
Typically, most of the students enrolled in an advanced plac~kentchemistrycourse at a high school are seriously considering careers in either the sciences, mathematics, engineering, or medicine/dentistry. Their initial interests may have 11rt:n piqued hy stimulating science rourses, science fair pacomnetitions. nooularized video-nroductions on PBS.. . rental innuendo, or whatever. Probably none, however, has any real notion of what a working professional scientist does. Their view of a physician is usually only as that of a patient. Their notions about a chemist generally incorporate their own activities in the school laboratory with the phantasmagorical haopenines in science fiction movies. And who has anv idea a h b i t what a mathematician does to earn his livelihood? In order to help my students, I replaced this semester's term paper with an assignment to interview a professional scientist. I directed them to trv to find someone actively working in the career which they hoped to choose as their &. [ ~ h r e stue dents who were not planning scientific careers asked for special permission to talk umith non-scientists.] The fullowing insrrttctiuns were given to the students in mid-October. Their reports were due on the Wednrsday hefore Thanksgiving.
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Pmbnhly the very twrt way tu find uut about any occupntion la ro interview pwplr working in the field.'l'his is nor as hard tuduns yw may think. Moxt peuple luve to talk about thernrelves and their jut,i. Contact the science or math department at a local college or university. Talk to the public relations department at a neighborhood hosnital. Go to the ohone hook and find out if there is a I d association bfseientists in vmr communitv. Telenhone them. Thev. orohablv will . hpglad to help. Write roa local rrsrorrh institution or hospital, and ask ~f you can arrange a visit. Most school diqtricts haw annual "(!areer Nights" where you have the opportuniry to talk to peuple from many different occupations. Once you choore a prrwn to intrrvicw, ark lending queationa such as: "What is ywr jot, like'.'" '1'ell mr what you do in a typical day." "About how much monwcan I emerr tnniakc?""Whnt do vou like best about your joh?" "what do ;ou like least?" "What made you decide to he a scientist?" "What are the prospects for employment in your field?" Ask personal questions tactfully; they can always refuse. Any answers that are supplied, however, might help relieve some of your major concerns. You might ask:"If I'm pretty good in school but not great, will that affect my chances of entering your field?" "If you were in my place, would you choose the same career today?""Can I be a parent and work in your field?"
376
Journal of Chemical Education
For your assignment, you arr to inwrww A pmfesiwnill bc:enrist ur physicianin the field that you mayrhouseic,r yuur career In sum
report, I would like tn know whom you saw, when, where, and haw you made the appointment. Tell me what you said or asked and what the nrofegsional answered. Give me vour reflections on the interview, and tell me how it may affect your career and college choices. Remarkahlv. - , all of the interviews were submitted on time and fulfilled the general requirements. In fact, all hut two students received "A's". Some of the writine was .Door.. and I made corrections of gross mistakes. The content was what I considered most vital. and these seniors ablv carried out their tasks. Fourteen of the students interviewed phvsicians. Most interviewed family doctors, a friend, or a rk~ative.One student called the local hospital, was put through to a resident, and One interview was interviewed him in-depth o n t h e with an intern, and the student who submitted the report was required to do the assignment as set forth. Five students spoke to dentists. One actually was allowed to spend an entire day assisting the practitioner. There were two interviews with chemists. three with ennineers, and one each with a medical laboratory technologist,a a psychologist, a special educational teacher, and an accountant. The editor of our school newspaper, who is an AP Chem student, told me that he wantedtobe a journalist and not a scientist. He obtained an interview with Jane Brody, the syndicated science writer, from the New York Times. A common surprise to the students was how hard these professionals worked and how long their days usually were. Many learned how people changed their minds about their careers and how some life-long ambitions were thwarted or postponed because of finances, families, or war. The students heard about the mixed blessings of success. They learned of failure, bureaucracy, and the anger which arises from futile efforts. Some students were discouraged from pursuing some fields and were redirected to parallel careers which might better suit them. One student was encouraeed to look into a field more challenging than the one he was considering. All students indicated that thev had benefited from this exoerieuce. Few minds were changed, hut many were opened to new possibilities.
