NOVEMBER QUESTION OF THE MONTH:
Science's Next Wave hosted the "Alternative Careers for Scientists" panel discussion at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference last May. Read more about the panelists and their suggestions for future scientists at
http://nextwave.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2004/06/23/7

This month's question for students and mentors to ponder is what are the alternative careers for scientists other than "bench science," and why is scientific training valuable? You can give examples from the panelists quoted in the article or in your own life. Each GEM-SET member who responds by December 1st will receive a 2005 Women's Health Calendar.

A: http://www.uic.edu/orgs/gem-set/archive041117q2.htm

A: FROM MENTOR CONNIE P. IN NY
Another type of science is social science.
This is important because people want to find the relationship
between people themselves or between other creatures.
Scientific training is important because it helps to find out cures
to help us live longer. It can help us learn new things about the
world and change our views of life.
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A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER CORINNE C. IN CA
An alternative career in the sciences can be an
illustrator for a science book or magazine. The
illustrator will need background in science to
understand what he/she is drawing. Along those same
lines, someone can write books on different scientific
topics.
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A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER JENNIFER T. FL
Other careers are teaching science and doctors. In beig teachers of science you need to know science and who better to know science than people who once were scientist. Doctors need to know the human body this once again is a form of science. Therefore doctors and tea ching are two other careers scientist other than "bench science."
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A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER KELLY B. IN PA
An example of an alternative science career is scientific broadcasting.
This combines journalsim with science. This sounds like alot of fun!
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A: FROM STUDENT MEMBER KIM H. IN PA
An alternative career for scientists could tutor students
who need help in high school.
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A: FROM MENTOR KRISTIN TAGHON IN IL
You can be a patent lawyer and help scientists patent their science
concepts and inventions! I have a friend who is a biotech engineer with
many patents. Once she hands it off to her lawyer, he can pretty much
defend her words because he has an understanding of the concepts. I don't
think it's a requirement to have a science degree, but I imagine it helps!!