Course Description
Discusses common physiology career options. Develops written and oral communication skills applicable to professional settings. Fosters skills in leadership and teamwork; workplace-related social skills; emotional intelligence, resiliency, and reflective practices; and develops an understanding of professionalism and ethical principles.
Athena Title
Biomed Physiol Skills Careers
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to communicate information about a scientific topic at a sufficient level of complexity to peers in written form.
- Students will be able to communicate information about a scientific topic using non-technical language appropriate for a lay audience in written and oral form.
- Students will be able to apply principles of peer review to review classmates' presentations.
- Students will be able to recognize common career options for physiologists and develop strategies to gather information on additional options.
- Students will be able to create a curriculum vitae or resume and a personal statement or cover letter appropriate for applying to a professional program or employment position germane to their career goals.
- Students will be able to compose emails for common career-related situations following the rules of professional email etiquette.
- Students will be able to establish a professional online presence appropriate for the undergraduate career stage.
- Students will be able to identify professional organizations germane to their career goals and prepare an application for admission to an organization.
- Students will be able to apply professional, ethical, and leadership principles in case studies.
- Students will be able to demonstrate teamwork skills in a teamwork exercise.
- Students will be able to reflect on how personal preferences identified by a personality inventory may influence responses to common workplace scenarios.
- Students will be able to reflect on how abilities identified by an emotional intelligence assessment may be leveraged to strengthen resilience and adaptability in response to life stressors.
- Students will be able to appropriately respond to constructive feedback from instructors and peers.
Topical Outline
- Academic-success skills
- Written communication, including scientific writing and peer review, writing for the public, and electronic communications
- Oral communication, including verbal communication of scientific topics to peers and to the public and professional presentations
- Assessing quality of information sources
- Professionalism
- Ethical principles
- Career options for students with a physiology degree
- Career management, including resumes/curriculum vitae and cover letters/personal statements, electronic presence and networking, professional organizations and certifications, and job search strategies
- Leadership principles
- Teamwork principles and skills
- Personality traits and self-awareness
- Emotional intelligence
- Resilience and adaptability
- Reflective practices
- Assessment of students will be based on:
1. Pre- and post-class written assignments
2. In-class presentations
3. Creation of an online professional presence
4. Participation in classroom exercises and discussions
