Senior Year of College and Term Goals

As a senior I get ask this one question alot, "what are you going to do with a chem major after college?" I think by now I have a revised speech for my answer. 'I am persuing a career in the field of medicine, with this major.
My short term goal is to work for Teach for America for 2-4yrs. During this time I will study for the MCATs. If this does not work out as planned I will be working at one of the chemical laboratories in my hometown, maybe in academia, while I am working in the lab I will be studying for the MCATs.
So far I have been looking at University of New Haven, Sacred Heart University and University of Connecticut as well as the University of Hartford for grad schools. I researching these schools for information about their programs, such as benefits, requirements, etc.
My long term goal is to eventually get a MD-PhD or PhD as a general physician or internal surgeon.
For medical schools I am thinking of University of Connecticut, Michigan State University, Florida State University and University of Miami.
I know that about three of the schools from the list above has a MD-PhD program I would love to be apart of.

From a male's perspective Survey 4

What is you sex?
Male
What is your name? (Optional)
Isaac
Are you majoring in the science (science major)?
No
Do you know of females majoring in the sciences?
Yes
Do you have female friends currently in the sciences?
Yes
Do you have female friends that are no longer science major? If, yes can you think of a reason why they are no longer pursuing the major?
It’s not something that she was really interested in, she just thought she was, she was able to find something else that she was really good at and enjoy doing.

Do you think women are supported in the sciences at your school? Why? Why not?
I don’t have much knowledge in the subject; however, more males are changing subjects than females.

Why do you think women shy away from the sciences?
Perhaps due to the time commitment and devotion that is required to actually pursue a career in the sciences, and sort of responsibilities and issues women have to face that differ for men.


I have to disagree and say that it is not really about time commitment, because you need time and devotion for whatever career you choose. Many of the men seem to think that women as a whole do not know how to manage their time. At least from these surveys I get the sense that they are trying to say that women does not know how to commit, which is not completely accurate. You have to commit your time and devotion no matter what you do in life. I think these men are confused and society instills in them the idea that women cannot commit and devote their time to the sciences.
I think women shy away because when they find out the process to becoming a doctor or at least achieving a career in the sciences involves focus on one area, because there are many fields in the sciences. Women tend to analyze the best field that they think they should enter that will only take up four years of college education and get them a high paying job. Also to specialize in a certain area in the sciences you have to go to school for more than four years.
Many times women leave high school with a set plan for their future in the sciences and after the first semester or two in college they switch to English, Studio Art or Economics.

Is the science field really as challenging as people tend to believe?

Some might say that science is an intellectually challenging field, in which you have to interact with people and women in general love corporate work where they do not have to see someone to talk to them. THIS IS NOT TRUE!! Women can excel just as well as men, there are biological differences between men and women such as our genital area, testosterone levels and many others, but we do have many things in common. We do have a brain, heart for passion for the field of science and common knowledge. Everyone wants to be success in life, and make money, but the problem is how fast can you get their without going to school for a certain amount of years, which is time consuming and takes away from making money. However, many women do pursue this career because they were morally supported by someone who cared. It is fairly challenging as any other major you can possible think of. You have to put in time and you have to like the field and get encouraging feed back to persevere and excel in the field.

From a male's perspective Survey 3

What is you sex?
Male
What is your name? (Optional)
Howard Powell
Are you majoring in the science (science major)?
No
Do you know of females majoring in the sciences?
Yes
Do you have female friends currently in the sciences?
Yes (women in science house)
Do you have female friends that are no longer science major? If, yes can you think of a reason why they are no longer pursuing the major?
Yes, they found the subject overly challenging. They were not making the grade necessary to be a successful science student.
Do you think women are supported in the sciences at your school? Why? Why not?
Yes because it was not created solely for the desires of one sex.

Why do you think women shy away from the sciences?
Society tells them that science is a MAN’S subject and that they should stick to ENGLISH etc.

I do agree with a lot of what Howard says. Society does tell us that science is a man field, and women should have nothing to do with the sciences, because it is too challenging. Also, Howard said many females tend to back out after they cannot make the grades. I feel this is where we need the support necessary to survive in the field. Furthermore, Howard went on to say that women are supported in the sciences because, “it was not created solely for the desires of one sex” for men. But at the same time he stated that the women quit the sciences because they were not making the grades, and I feel this is where we are not supported, which is the point I am trying to make that there is no support group for women to stay with the sciences especially if it’s a field that is dominated by men, even though the major of the professors at Wheaton College are women which I think is another story within itself. If women are having a hard time making the grades there should be a support group visible to everyone on the campus community that society do care and even though we are a small school we can make a difference and produce more women in the sciences.

From a male's perspective Survey 2

There is one survey that is not consistent with as the others but it does tackle the same idea of questions.

What is your sex?
Sex in an Anthropological term is when people are categorized into two groups, male and female.

What is your name? (Optional)

Jarrel Doorn

Are you majoring in the science (science major)?
I am aiming to do so, as a Physics major and Astronomy minor.

Do you know of females majoring in the sciences?

Yes I do.

Do you have female friends currently in the sciences?

Yes I do.

Do you have female friends that are no longer science major? If, yes can you think of a reason why they are no longer pursuing the major?

Not that I know of.

Do you think women are supported in the sciences at your school? Why? Why not?

Yes I do think that women are supported in the science field in my school because everyone here has an equal opportunity in learning anything they want in any field of study that they desire. Whether she wants to do studies in the science field or math field, she is obligated to do so.

Why do you think women shy away from the sciences?

In my opinion, I think that women shy away from the sciences because from my personal experience a friend of mind is staying away from any science course unless she really needs to take it because she hates science. This is one reason why I think that women shy away from science. I think for some of them they hate it. Another reason is that some of them may think it is too difficult for them to do, which is understandable for anyone. If something is too hard for me to do, I would not want to do it, unless I really have to.

From a male's perspective Survey 1

I conducted several surveys with a few men on Wheaton College campus to get their insights on why they think women are scared to pursue a science career. Their responses were all interesting and majority of them had the same conclusion. There was at least one that had no relationship to do with the others but surfaced around the same idea.
This is an actual survey taken by a male student. The survey include questions as followed along with responses:
What is your sex?
Male
What is your name? (Optional)
This person requested to be anonymous, so I will call him Zack
Are you majoring in the sciences?
No, but he has friends who are majoring in the sciences.
Do you have female friends majoring in the sciences?
Yes
Do you think women are supported in the sciences at Wheaton, if not why are women no longer pursing a science major?
Yes, I am sure they are well supported, majority of the science professors are females, so why wouldn't they feel supported.
Maybe they feel it consumes too much time, and that they would rather have the extra time to pursue other things.
They may even be extroverted as a whole, and more socially inclined. Men may be able to buckle down and study more easily, though many men are the opposite.

This was an interesting feed back because I am a science major and I do not feel that we are well supported I know they have a science club but not a lot of people know about it and whenever there are meetings it like a secret on campus. But if you are apart of another major and they have meetings you hear about it all the time. Maybe I have not been seeing much action in regards to support for women because I am an athlete and I am not seen much around campus, but I am always in the science center. Being an athlete does consume a lot of my time, but I find the time to manage this sport and being a science major. Time should not be a factor because whatever you major in takes time especially if you want to perfect it.

Who is your science role model?

Create a mental image of a typical scientist. Whether you picture a chemist, psychologist, or field biologist, the scientist in your head will most likely be male. The results of this mental exercise, is often conducted in psychology class, one of which sparked my interest in this topic. Ironically, I pictured a male scientist even though I consider myself a woman of science. So why is this initial assumption so strong? From our first exposure to science in our culture, we learn of the history of science. This history is dominated by the achievements of men because until recently, women were not prevalent in the field of science
When a female scientist is involved in a scientific breakthrough, they are not often credited and remembered for their contributions. The majority of the credit usually goes to the male voice on the project. For example, one of the most notable discoveries in biology is the double-helical structure of DNA. This is credited to the male scientists Watson and Crick. The discovery of DNA’s structure would not have been possible without the contribution of female scientist, Rosalind Elsie Franklin. As previously emphasized, the credit went to the male figures involved.There is a strong stereotype toward males having a stronger representation in the fields of math and science, while women are seen to thrive in the humanities. Many believe that the women in science stay out of the “dirty work,” and are involved in the social sciences. I encourage women to branch out of this stereotype and celebrate the success of female scientists by forming support groups and communities. A visual presence will begin to challenge this stereotype. In more recent history, as we dive into the twenty-first century, the number of females in each scientific field has increased. Wheaton College has nurtured a large number of these female scientists that have paved their own way in their respective scientific fields. I am passionate about science; however, I realize that a gender and power imbalance exists. There is a lack of public recognition for significant achievements of women in science, and every woman should take part in changing this.

Men and Women in the sciences, any differences??

After reviewing my interviewees I though about the answers each person gave to me. This led me to ask, is there a difference between men and women in the sciences? Does it matter whether or not there is a difference between men and women in science? I know that science is something that you have to have a passion for and you cannot force someone to do it if they do not like it. Even if they are coerced into it, eventually they move on to something different. I know psychologist would argue that there is a difference. Children (boys and girls) are introduced to toy like shapes as a toddler. Both sexes are interested in objects as toddlers, whether it had a strange color or shape, it is amusing to toddlers. This could be a legitimate reason for boys to be more interested in technical and mechanical work that involves math and science. While on the other hand girls are, suppose to play with dolls, support, and care and nurture their husbands while they produce children and take care of the home and find interest in the humanities. What would an anthropologist argue in this matter? Women are always put into classes and the portrayed images of what an ideal woman should be, do and say come from many sources- parents and other caretakers, siblings, relatives and friends, and later from peer group, the media, cultural icons and heroes. I strongly agree that there is a lack of support for women to be scientists; it is too complex and complicated according to society and nature. I read and articles about two years ago for a psycholosy class which, stated that men created SAT scores. It is perfectly fine that men create SAT scores: which consist of Math and English, which men tend to score high on all the times. What would happen if a woman should create this kind of test such as the SAT? I believe there would be a change in women getting better and higher scores just like men.

Interview 1

This was taken from statement in a proposal written by a female junior at Wheaton College. This was for an application proposal for a Woman in science house theme. She was asked to state her interest in the house and what she hopes to gain from living in a “special interest residential community.” Her statement is as followed; “I am an African American female who has declared the major psychobiology. My personal interest in moving into the woman in science house is for my equality across all disciplines to be recognized. I would like to be a part of a community that gives equal opportunities to women in our future scientific endeavors. Living in the residential community will help me maintain a good GPA. A house of intelligent woman who are in the same classes as me or have a better understanding on what I am working on will very much help me have a better understanding of my work. In addition, most of the women in the house are on the track team, which is great because we already have a close relationship we can build from not only athletically but also academically as well.” This is interesting because before I got her statement I asked her if she had any doubts about the sciences and she told me yes and explain how she struggled in a few of her classes that were mainly influenced by males. She also said that her roommate was a science major as well and they both took many of the same classes together, which made her studies easier and helped her to stick with the major.

Interview 2

This interviewee wishes to remain anonymous. "I am currently a junior at Wheaton College with a double major in the sciences. I have a double major in Chemistry and Bioinformatics. I have always had interest in the Women in Science House since last year when the idea for the theme house came about. My personal interest in the house is not only that fact that it unify women in the science under a common goal of succeeding but also the house provides a support system for diverse group of women in the sciences.
Being a woman of color and having a double major in the sciences have caused me to face endless academic struggles on the Wheaton campus. In being given the opportunity to like in an environment where the individual living in the same household can support and encourage me to excel in my studies will help alleviate many academic struggles that I face in the classrooms.
I have always sought academic advice for science courses from older science major classmen and younger science major classmen have sought academic advice from me. Now that I am going to be a senior next fall I want to help in creating an environment where I can fully support women like myself in the sciences and also receive academic support the household residences. " I have nothing to add, this statement speaks for itself. I must state that the sciences is not easy and when you have women who have their plans set on becoming a science major as a freshman, I feel that these freshmen need to be encouraged and supported to pursue their career. This interviewee stayed with the science discipline because she had a support group, and she also formed relationships with other female individuals in her class who are majoring in the sciences as well.

My Calling

Growing up as a woman I was taught to be nurturing and caring as many other women depending on their cultural practice and beliefs. It was the norm and it was what was acceptable in my culture for women to know how to be caring ad nurturing. As a woman we are suppose to care for, nurture, and support our men. But one thing that was not intervened with was education. Education was a way to gain knowledge and pursue whatever goals we dreamt of achieving. Women had the right to an education. When I was younger it seems as if I was the only girl in the neighborhood, because I was always hanging out with the boys, but I was forbidden to take part in their daily games and activities. Young girls were not suppose to be running around and playing with boys and their toy soldiers and trucks. I was suppose to be wearing skirts and dresses playing playing inside the house with dolls and learn to cook and do other house chores such as cleaning. One thing I was allowed to do was get first aid supplies when one of the boys got hurt from falling out a tree or playing too rough and got a open wound. I was always intrigued and anxious when they got hurt and needed medical attention, because this was my way of playing with them, or at least to me. I love to play doctor, and each time they got hurt it was always intriguing to me and I always found it experimental and wanted to learn more about their different injuries, which were usually strains, sprains, cuts, and sometimes concussions. These injuries seem so fascinating to me, and I was always looking up different kinds of treatment in a Merck handbook and a natural medicine handbook that belong to my mom at the time. This was how I knew that I wanted to be a doctor in the future. Also to encourage my career path I was always watching a CSI, Murder She Wrote, or Law and Order TV show episode after episode. I always pick one character in the show and explain why I wanted to be like them and I never failed to talk about the character and their role in the show even though my family might have watch the shows with me, even if they were repeats.