How Scientists Really Get Trained

For novelists: books, imagination and Microsoft Word.  For pilots: classes, flight simulators, and wingmen.  For athletes: coaches, teammates, and addiction counselors…  Developing into a true professional requires a few indispensable resources tailored to the craft.  So what would we say “For Scientists:”?

In the process of developing as scientists, we’re exposed to a number of resources.  Yet given the diversity in our research experiences, would you predict we’ll see a consensus?

Which resources contribute most to your scientific training? (Select three)

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

.

6 comments so far. Join The Discussion

  1. Bonnie

    wrote on April 12, 2010 at 3:17 pm

    I'm not surprised to see labmates/colleagues at the top of the list; there's no substitute for watching someone do a procedure, and some of my most useful idea-generating moments have occurred over lunch in a pub. :)

  2. alan@benchfly

    wrote on April 12, 2010 at 3:34 pm

    Agreed- labmates are a huge resource. Probably a close second behind "pub"…

  3. becca

    wrote on April 12, 2010 at 8:14 pm

    This amuses me immensely, as the numbers for the %ages come pretty close to how I would rate the relative importance of each factor. Even a so-so colleague is a zillion times better than 99% of the journal materials and methods out there!

  4. LeoGed

    wrote on April 12, 2010 at 10:51 pm

    Nothing better than a lab mate plus some beer to create new ideas…
    And as Bonnie said "… there's no substitute for watching someone do a procedure…"

  5. [email protected]

    wrote on April 13, 2010 at 4:43 pm

    uh-oh 0% for seminars. I guess if the question read which one of these contributes to my lunch most days out of the week.

  6. Become a Successful Scientist in 10 Steps | BenchFly Blog

    wrote on August 17, 2010 at 7:14 pm

    […] How Do Scientists Really Get Trained in the Lab? […]

Leave a comment

will not be published