Comments on: Teaching Genetics Without the Mumbo Jumbo

By: sol

sol — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:01:56 +0000

hi all. my 8 year old already understands a bit of genetics, a little about DNA, evolution, and paleogenetic trees. As a homeschooling mom with an MS in Biochemistry, I find that it is quite useless to explain “genetics” as a field of study when your audience wants to know about dinosaurs. So I rather would like to explain dinosaurs and touch genetics along the way.

By: Marie Godfrey

Marie Godfrey — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:12:40 +0000

Hi, simplicity lovers, me again. I have been intrigued by Hsien Hsien’s question about explaining genetics in a simply way, and–while I have not found a simple sentence defining genetics–I did find a site for kids that explains genes and some inherited disorders very well. Check out: http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/birth_defect/what_is_gene.html

I’ll try it out on my 5-year-old granddaughter. Maybe the explanation will be simpler than the one I tried when she and her friends wondered what the balls with letters on them (A,T,G,C) were. They were inside a giveaway item I picked up at a conference.

By: N/A

N/A — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:09:25 +0000

Sorry for taking this thread off-topic.

I was depressed for a while with not getting a job with a bio tech company, but I’m more happy now then I ever was before. I’m able to pay the bills with sitting at the computer and being able to think for myself. I’m able to research what I feel is the most important on the topic, I get to chose my own topics (not always the case, but most often), and I don’t have to worry about the boss getting a grant (the company suceeding) so I can put food on the table and have a roof over my head.

The sad truth is that there are more people with a PhD then there are jobs available.

By: Marie Godfrey

Marie Godfrey — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:27:20 +0000

Our topic has switched a bit, and I thought other readers of the “what can you do with a degree in genetics thread” would appreciate the following.

When I sold my home recently, two trucks from 1-800-GOTJUNK pulled up to remove my remaining items. Chatting with the boss, I learned that she has a PhD in genetics. What interesting jobs we end up with. And I thought all along that my lack of professional work in genetics was because I married a geologist!

By: N/A

N/A — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:25:26 +0000

I know the feeling. I’ve been laid off from three jobs that I’ve had in my past. All three of them were factory jobs.

When I graduated last May, I was looking for a research position but was not able to get hired at any of the biotech companies located in my own state or states next to the one I lived in. It was so frustrating. So I went three months with no income at all. I was flat broke. So I started looking for jobs where I could use my love for medicine and science and earn money. The only way I could do this was getting hired as a health writer. My experiences after graduating college has turned me off from becoming a scientists. If I have a hard time just getting a lab tech job, just imagine how hard it would be to get a job with a Ph.D. in a biotech field.

So now I make a living writing about healthcare technology, genetic health conditions, medical science topics and cancer and alternative medicine. So now I’m just focusing on keeping these jobs and get a degree in a healthcare field and forget about being a scientist.

By: Barry

Barry — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:22:34 +0000

I stumbled into it. I had been laid off by my start up right after 9/11. Of course no one was hiring and so I began casting a wider and wider net. What I found was this position at Stanford. It is a liaison position between Stanford and The Tech Museum in San Jose. I created the Stanford at The Tech program and run the Tech website, Understanding Genetics. I also was a big part of the Genetics exhibition, Genetics: Technology with a Twist.

By: N/A

N/A — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:00:34 +0000

Wow, how did you get this type of job? Would you be able to share the name of this company? I have a few questions from time-to-time that I would like to be answered.

By: Barry

Barry — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:38:22 +0000

I totally agree. My full time job is to answer people’s genetics questions in a way they can understand and to train scientists to be able to do communicate science effectively to the public in writing and in person. It is very difficult to do.

By: N/A

N/A — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:11:35 +0000

Being able to explain complicated medical and science information in easy to understand terms and sentences is very hard to do. I have a full-time job where I do this…actually, two full-time jobs where I do this. Being able to explain a term that I can’t even pronounce is hard to do.

By: Barry

Barry — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:06:39 +0000

Thanks, I like it. Unfortunately it bumped the grade level from around 5 to 11…