General Discussion

mike_c

(37,137 posts)

51. I'm a biologist...

Thu Feb 2, 2012, 01:41 AM

Feb 2012

...and while we DO see more applications generally from men than from women when we advertise academic science faculty positions in my department, in the time I've been here the number of qualified female applicants has grown substantially. Also, the number of females in our grad programs has reached parity with males, and in our undergrad program females either out number males, or they're more likely to succeed than males (it's hard for me to say). This is all based on impressions more than real data, but for example, in the last 15 years I've had more female grad students than male, by about 2:1.

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Boys need encouragement to be scientists - what do you think? [View all] Ms. Toad Feb 2012 OP

he missed the point warrior1 Feb 2012 #1

He, the LTTE writer Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #2

What about the boys?! Patrick_Bateman Feb 2012 #3

It seems like it has been a long time since you have been to high school AngryAmish Feb 2012 #4

My daughter, who graduated in 2008 Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #5

Anecdote is not data. AngryAmish Feb 2012 #7

Relatively speaking, Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #9

An anecdote is but a single data point. But it is data. txlibdem Feb 2012 #30

I had the same thought - Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #32

That's why you're the smarter one txlibdem Feb 2012 #43

Nah... Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #45

Here's a good source or data: bhikkhu Feb 2012 #53

All true. txlibdem Feb 2012 #6

+1 Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #18

I feel that students don't know what they want until later in life txlibdem Feb 2012 #31

My theory is - Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #33

I like your theory but it wouldn't work for me. txlibdem Feb 2012 #47

Not that much different than my memory. Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #49

Blue Collar Greatness FrodosPet Feb 2012 #48

Graduated in 1978. Patrick_Bateman Feb 2012 #8

The medical specialties dominated by women are generally not as well paid Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #12

This surprises me little n/t Patrick_Bateman Feb 2012 #13

I have seen discussions of salaries decreasing in specialties Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #16

Thank you. Patrick_Bateman Feb 2012 #19

Really? redqueen Feb 2012 #17

I was mostly ignoring DU yesterday entirely. Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #22

Ms Toad Patrick_Bateman Feb 2012 #10

Thanks! n/t Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #35

BOTH boy and girls--we should be celebrating participation in science with the same gusto we do for dembotoz Feb 2012 #11

Yay DI! Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #20

Both boys and girls should be encouraged to be scientists if they have the ability and interest FarCenter Feb 2012 #14

Thanks for the reply to the caption. Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #15

Most engineering specialties are still over 90% male Nikia Feb 2012 #23

That's why my professional meetings are 90% male... Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #26

I, too, work in a field that requires science or engineering degrees etherealtruth Feb 2012 #38

The coverage was clearly of the "encourage girls to take up science" genre FarCenter Feb 2012 #24

As near as I can tell - Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #27

I have a PhD in the biomedical sciences momto3 Feb 2012 #37

So - is the solution Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #39

These are very difficult questions to ask. momto3 Feb 2012 #54

Thanks for your thoughtful response. Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #55

Quite a thought provoking piece. redqueen Feb 2012 #21

Only if they aren't adept at toting a pigskin raouldukelives Feb 2012 #25

There is that, of course... Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #34

An odd split showing up in the stats the last few years Spike89 Feb 2012 #28

Fulfilling - yes; lucrative - sometimes; but "fun"? - likely to be a disappointment. FarCenter Feb 2012 #29

Women have been doing all of those things since time immemorial. EFerrari Feb 2012 #36

To be fair, they mostly haven't been doing so Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #40

I was speaking to the skill set in the post, not about those fields. nt EFerrari Feb 2012 #41

That's why I pointed out that even if the skillset was familiar Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #42

Right but that has nothing to do with women, which was one implication EFerrari Feb 2012 #50

I am a scientist, a toxicologist to be exact. Drahthaardogs Feb 2012 #44

It is really sad that it has not changed much since I earned my physics & math degree Ms. Toad Feb 2012 #46

I'm a biologist... mike_c Feb 2012 #51

Yeah, this is the disconnect I was speaking of Spike89 Feb 2012 #56

I haven't a clue, but is that really a bad thing...? mike_c Feb 2012 #57

Techies get no respect Mopar151 Feb 2012 #52