Carrie Cameron

Scientific writing training for academic physicians of diverse language backgrounds

Research articles are the coin of the realm for anyone working in academia, and success or failure to publish determines a biomedical researchers career path. At the same time, the dramatic increase in foreign faculty and trainees in U.S. academia, as well as in international scientific collaboration, adds another dimension to this developmental vacuum: limited English-language skills. Paradoxically, few programs exist to develop and support the skills needed to accomplish the vital task of writing English-language research articles, which does not come naturally to most. To better prepare all trainees for research careers, editors in the Department of Scientific Publications at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center created an in-depth training program that would target the writing skills gap effectively. Instruction focused on structure, rhetorical organization, and the conventions of biomedical publishing. More than 300 trainees have participated in 22 workshops. Results of a survey of 46 participants at 6 months to 2.5 years after workshop completion indicated that participants from all language backgrounds believed the course to have improved their writing (97.8% strongly agreed or agreed), made it easier to begin a manuscript (80.4%), and helped them to get published (56.8%), with nonnative speakers of English reporting somewhat greater perceived benefit than native English speakers. On the basis of these results, the authors conclude that researchers of varied linguistic backgrounds appreciate the need for, and benefit from, instruction in the conventions of scientific writing.

Scientific English: A Program for Addressing Linguistic Barriers of International Research Trainees in the United States

Within the international research environment, English is indisputably the lingua franca, and thus, the majority of the world’s scientists must adapt to a second language. Linguistic barriers in science affect not only researchers’ career paths but institutional productivity and efficiency as well. To address these barriers, we designed and piloted a specialized course, Scientific English. The pedagogical approach is based on English for specific purposes methodology in which curriculum and content are driven by the types of daily language used and interactions which occur in the participants’ occupation, in this case, cancer research. The 11-week program was organized into three sections: presentation skill, meeting and discussion skills, and writing skills. Effectiveness of the course was measured by the number of participants able to produce the presentations and written products with a score of at least 75 of 100 possible points. From January to December 2008, participant scores averaged 90.4 for presentation and 86.8 for written products. The authors provide insights and recommendations on the development and delivery of the program.

Addressing the Future Burden of Cancer and Its Impact on the Oncology Workforce: Where Is Cancer Prevention and Control?

The need for cancer professionals has never been more urgent than it is today. Reports project serious shortages by 2020 of oncology health care providers. Although many plans have been proposed, no role for prevention has been described. In response, a 2-day symposium was held in 2009 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to capture the current status of the cancer prevention workforce and begin to identify gaps in the workforce. Five working groups were organized around the following topic areas: (a) health policy and advocacy; (b) translation to the community; (c) integrating cancer prevention into clinical practice; (d) health services infrastructure and economics; and (e) discovery, research, and technology. Along with specific recommendations on these topics, the working groups identified two additional major themes: the difficulty of defining areas within the field (including barriers to communication) and lack of sufficient funding. These interdependent issues synergistically impede progress in preventing cancer; they are explored in detail in this synthesis, and recommendations for actions to address them are presented. Progress in cancer prevention should be a major national and international goal. To achieve this goal, ensuring the health of the workforce in cancer prevention and control is imperative.

The Future of the Cancer Prevention Workforce: Why Health Literacy, Advocacy, and Stakeholder Collaborations Matter

In considering the role of the cancer prevention workforce in meeting the nation’s future health care needs, it is vital to address the considerable gaps in information, communication, training, professional development, roles, and levels of collaboration among diverse disciplines, stakeholders, and constituencies. As part of an October 2009 symposium at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center entitled “Future Directions in Cancer Prevention and Control: Workforce Implications for Training, Practice, and Policy,” the Health Policy and Advocacy Working Group was convened to discuss barriers to closing these gaps. Three major themes emerged from the group’s deliberations and are discussed here: (1) the role of critical health literacy and evidence-based collaborations in cancer prevention education, research, and practice; (2) the implications of health advocacy for policy development and clinical and public health practice; and (3) culturally and linguistically appropriate cancer prevention programs and information within advocacy/workforce collaborations. Mechanisms for addressing these gaps are presented.

The development of scientific communication skills: A qualitative study of the perceptions of trainees and their mentors

Purpose Scientific communication, both written and oral, is the cornerstone of success in biomedical research, yet formal instruction is rarely provided. Trainees with little exposure to standard academic English may find developing scientific communication skills challenging. In this exploratory, hypothesis-generating qualitative study, the authors examined the process by which mentored junior researchers learn scientific communication skills, their feelings about the challenges, and their mentor’s role in the process. Method In 2010, the authors conducted semistructured focus groups and interviews to explore research trainees’ and faculty mentors’ perceptions and practices regarding scientific communication skills development, as part of the development phase of a larger quantitative study. The facilitator took detailed notes and verified their accuracy with participants during the sessions; a second member of the research team observed and verified the recorded notes. Three coders performed a thematic analysis, and the other authors reviewed it. Results Forty-three trainees and 50 mentors participated. Trainees and mentors had diverging views on the role of mentoring in fostering communication skills development. Trainees expressed varying levels of self-confidence but considerable angst. Mentors felt that most trainees have low self-confidence. Trainees expressed interest in learning scientific communication skills, but mentors reported that some trainees were insufficiently motivated and seemed resistant to guidance. Both groups agreed that trainees found mentors’ feedback difficult to accept. Conclusions The degree of distress, dissatisfaction, and lack of mutual understanding between mentors and trainees was striking. These themes have important implications for best practices and resource development.

Initiation of and adherence to tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitor therapy among elderly women with ductal carcinoma in situ

The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B35 and International Breast Cancer Intervention Studies II Ductal Carcinoma In Situ trials showed similar treatment effects of anastrozole and tamoxifen in reducing cancer recurrence risk among ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) patients. Studies have shown low levels of hormone therapy drug initiation for DCIS patients, but the current body of literature lacks information on the 5‐year adherence rates for these drugs from population‐based studies.

Assessment of Scientific Communication Self-efficacy, Interest, and Outcome Expectations for Career Development in Academic Medicine

Competency in forms of scientific communication, both written and spoken, is essential for success in academic science. This study examined the psychometric properties of three new measures, based on social cognitive career theory, that are relevant to assessment of skill and perseverance in scientific communication. Pre- and postdoctoral trainees in biomedical science (N = 411) completed online questionnaires assessing self-efficacy in scientific communication, career outcome expectations, and interest in performing tasks in scientific writing, oral presentation, and impromptu scientific discourse. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate factor structures and model relations. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a 22-item, 3-factor measure of self-efficacy; an 11-item, 2-factor measure of outcome expectations; and a 12-item, 3-factor measure of interest in scientific communication activities. Construct validity was further demonstrated by theory-consistent inter-factor relations and relations with typical communications performance behaviors (e.g., writing manuscripts, abstracts, and presenting at national meetings).

The Role of Scientific Communication Skills in Trainees’ Intention to Pursue Biomedical Research Careers: A Social Cognitive Analysis

Scientific communication skills are indispensable for success in academic biomedical research careers, but the effort to acquire them can be formidable for trainees and their mentors. The authors investigated whether and how development of these skills affects the academic career intentions of trainees.

Bringing Cancer Prevention Research Competencies to the Classroom

The field of cancer prevention incorporates research all along the spectrum from basic science studies at the laboratory bench to epidemiology, behavioral sciences, and clinical studies, with the convergence of evidence from these different approaches aimed at implementing public health interventions that reduce the burden of this disease. Due to the necessity of multiple disciplines interacting in order to achieve a public health outcome, traditional discipline-specific training may not be adequately preparing the cancer prevention research workforce. We propose that cancer prevention researchers establish defined professional competencies which will allow them to shape the future directions of the field as well as to collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams, disseminate new findings beyond their own scientific circles, and advocate for their implementation for the public good. We previously proposed that these core competencies focus on knowledge of issues in other research fields, interdisciplinary communication, and leadership/teamwork. Here, we describe the reorganization of an existing course to incorporate activities deliberately designed to foster these competencies. We provide details about the course structure, student feedback, and ideas for future versions of this course. We hope this framework will be useful to others who are engaged in the collective effort to develop leaders in the field of cancer prevention research.

Mentor, Educator, Friend: a Tribute to Robert M. Chamberlain, PhD

The participants of the “Future Directions in Cancer Prevention & Control: Workforce Implications for Training, Practice, & Policy” symposium paid tribute at a special event to one of the major shapers of the cancer prevention and control workforce of the last 25 years, Dr. Robert M. Chamberlain. Dr. Chamberlains contributions to training and mentoring junior scientists in the field have resulted in the creation of generations of productive, well-prepared cancer prevention and control researchers and practitioners. Dr. Chamberlain, a University of Texas Distinguished Teaching Professor, recently retired in 2009 as Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. In 1992 he founded the National Cancer Institute-funded Cancer Prevention Research Training Program, one of the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive training programs dedicated to cancer prevention research in the country. The multidisciplinary training program prepares graduate students and pre-doctoral and postdoctoral fellows to pursue careers as laboratory, behavioral, population science, and clinical researchers. With his retirement, Dr. Chamberlains legacy has been continued by Dr. Shine Chang, who now serves as director of the training program and PI on the grant awards that support the program. Dr. Chamberlain graduated from Westminster College in Missouri in 1964 with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology. While at Westminster, he was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. After obtaining his Bachelors degree, Chamberlain continued his studies in Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, earning a Masters degree in 1967 with an emphasis in social gerontology and his PhD degree in medical sociology and anthropology in 1969. He completed postdoctoral training in computing applications for the social and behavioral sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder. After serving as a captain in the Office of the Army Surgeon General and member of the graduate faculty at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio (1969– 1971), Dr. Chamberlain was named assistant professor of sociology and a research associate in program effectiveness studies at the University of Virginia from 1971 to 1975. He then joined Baylor College of Medicine in Houston as an assistant professor of community medicine. Dr. Chamberlain went on to serve as an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at The University of Houston (1976–1979) and coordinator of the Cancer Prevention Training Program and research assistant professor in the Education Division of the Debakey Heart Center at Baylor College of Medicine (1979–1988). C. Cameron (*) : S. Chang Cancer Prevention Research Training Program, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1155 Pressler-Unit 1365, Houston, TX 77007, USA e-mail: ccameron@mdanderson.org