Science + Communications = Love
Bethany Chaisson // September 14, 2012
With my mom and aunt both nurses, my cousin an X-ray technician and another aunt a laboratory technician, I have developed a keen interest in the health field. After completing high school, the automatic choice for me was a university-based science program. I had an epiphany in my third year of a bachelor of science, realizing that I wanted to combine my communication talent with my love for health sciences. I was introduced to Mount Saint Vincent University’s science communication program by a biology professor at my school. Science communication, a bachelor of science, is placed under the school’s larger umbrella of department of communication studies. This department also includes public relations, communication, and communication technology. Science communication began in 2010 and is using the school’s established knowledge and background in both science and communication to bridge the gap between experts in the science field and the general public.
Along with being a link between experts and the public, science communication students at the Mount will have the ability to work in various sectors and professions once they have graduated.
James Hoggan, Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation, says, “I sincerely believe that top employers in industry, public relations and potentially in the media, will be scrambling to employ your (Mount Saint Vincent University) graduates.”
To better understand the work that science communicators do, consider this analogy. If you were in a foreign country and had no previous knowledge or background on the native language, you would probably try and find a translator to give meaning to the words being said, right? This is precisely what those in the science communication program learn to do. These students are translators of scientific language into terms that are understood by the general public. Current bachelor of science students who have an interest in science and the sharing of knowledge, but who may not necessarily want to get into nitty gritty science in the form of research or hands-on work, may be well-suited to this program.
With this being the first program of its kind in Canada, graduates of the program are part of an exclusive group with a very unique educational background. This educational experience may allow its students to stand out from other bachelor of science graduates. A current MSVU student, Maia Greig, talks about her decision to enrol in the science communication program:
“I have always wanted to help other people, but having to take blood or give stitches never really appealed to me. Healthcare and health communications are my ultimate goal, and I’m certain that the science communication program will more than prepare me for my future career.”
When a student graduates with a degree in nursing, they are generally hired as a nurse. A person in education is generally hired as a teacher. If you graduate from the science communication program, you have the ability to work in many different sectors such as not-for-profit, government, private sector, media or university to name a few. This program may also be a stepping-stone for further education in a profession such as law or medicine. The possibilities are truly endless with a bachelor of science in science communication.
Tony Yue, the Science Communication program coordinator says, “Our students have the opportunity to positively influence the communication of key scientific findings and indeed to aid in the public’s education concerning the process of science itself.”
Being a unique link to the community with various career options are just some of the advantages to taking the Mount’s science communication program. My educational combination of a BSc and a BPR is a sort of do-it-yourself science communication program. Although I have enjoyed every moment of my educational journey, a lot less time and money could have been spent on school had I been aware of this program from the beginning. If you are a scientific, analytical, and communication-minded individual, it would be wise to consider the science communication path.
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Bethany Chaisson is a third year public relations student at Mount Saint Vincent University and a very proud Prince Edward Islander. She loves dancing, traveling, volunteering, reading and spending time with family and friends.
