APS Education List of Professional Skills for Physiologists and Tranees

Teaching skills are another example of skills that everyone, regardless of career choice, can use. While those trainees planning on a teaching career should hone their teaching skills to the highest level, most professionals have need of teaching skills, either in the workplace or at home. Because institutions greatly vary as to whether graduate students are provided with opportunities to teach, the following items under "A. Teaching" may be developed either as a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, or later.

Mentoring is a skill that graduate students begin practicing almost immediately, both seeking advice from those ahead and giving advice to those following behind. Knowing how to be a good mentee and mentor is invaluable at all stages of a career. Teaching and mentoring are both important for physiologists working in all career areas.

Major Skills		A Trainee will understand the importance of and work to develop.

A. Teaching		Effective classroom teaching to varied audiences in terms of subject matter Effective classroom teaching in terms of pedagogy Ability to convey the competence in subject matter and confidence in one's ability to teach Ability to develop course curriculum and individual lessons Effective use of common instructional aids, including audiovisual techniques Ability to help students understand the general principles and concepts underlying a particular lesson Ability to explain both basic and difficult concepts clearly Ability to put a specific lesson into larger context (clinical relevance, prior material) Ability to ask good questions (testing, study, case histories) Ability to provide feedback to students Awareness of the strengths and limitations of various means for evaluating teaching performance Ability to adjust lesson plan based on info garnered from student questions Ability to foster an effective learning environment including showing respect for the student, encouraging their intellectual growth and providing a role model for scholarship and intellectual vigor Ability to support a position or viewpoint with argumentation and logic ability to interpret data validly

B. Mentoring

Skills for being a mentor:

Knowledge of the role(s) mentors can play at various career stages
Ability to evaluate someone's strengths and weaknesses, and help guide them to build on strengths, improve on weaknesses
Knowledge of how to provide feedback, constructive criticism, and advice
Knowledge of how to listen to someone to understand their perspective on their own situation
Knowledge of the rules and procedures related to mentee's situation - e.g., as a student, postdoctoral fellow, or junior colleague
Knowledge of the job market and the opportunities therein

Skills for utilizing a mentor:

Knowledge of the role(s) mentors can play at all career stages
Knowledge of how to select a good mentor
Knowledge of when to approach mentor for advice, guidance, or advocacy
Knowledge of how to develop a good relationship with a mentor
Ability to articulate one's individual needs, desires, concerns, and limitations with regard to one's own career development
Knowledge of what to do when one disagrees with a mentor
Knowledge of how to listen to someone to understand their perspective on their own situation

Items with blue highlight indicate skills that students would be more likely to develop after their graduate training.

For questions or comments, please contact:
APS Education Office
301-634-7132