tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post7455517436935105961..comments2024-03-18T16:39:23.054-04:00Comments on Chemjobber: Why "Change the Equation" is wrong-headed about its definition of STEMChemjobberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-77052751532354002752012-10-31T20:02:27.677-04:002012-10-31T20:02:27.677-04:00I'm all in favor of better STEM education in K...I'm all in favor of better STEM education in K-12; it's just that this is a bad justification. So first of all, I reject STEM as a grouping, especially undergraduate and beyond. I just feel like this (CtQ) conflates things that are way too different. <br /><br />If you're saying things like "The contrast between STEM occupations and other major occupational areas is particularly striking." and then chucking healthcare into that mix, it makes your numbers all screwy. It should be "The contrast between healthcare occupations and other MOAs is particularly striking" -- because it IS! We're getting older, and there are a lot of old people who are going to need their blood pressure checked (steM) and the TV changed to Jeopardy (sTem (?) -- mostly kidding). <br />Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-35254883644381378292012-10-31T18:31:12.237-04:002012-10-31T18:31:12.237-04:00I think from a K12 standpoint, healthcare is basic...I think from a K12 standpoint, healthcare is basically a STEM career. A lot of these groups are trying to address the fact that only 44% of 12th graders are proficient in math. <br />(I'm using Change the equations numbers here: http://changetheequation.org/stemtistic-proficient-math-not-interested-0) <br /><br />It's not so much about the career these kids will have when they get there, but making sure they have the foundation to make the choice. You have to be proficient in math to work as a linesman, or a nurse, or earn a (STEM) PhD, so having students fail to achieve that makes it very hard for them to get access to good opportunities. My impression from all this talk about STEM jobs is that is isn't always people who literally perform STEM on a regular basis, but those who have some STEM-y prereq to their career. <br /><br />Do you suggest we just get honest and say we have a health care career problem and send students into those training paths? Because Anon 12:52 is so right- a LOT of 2 yr degrees provide a lot more career flexibility compared to the hyper-specialization of a PhD.Sandlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06599700488072968433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-79634839098282238282012-10-25T20:32:25.213-04:002012-10-25T20:32:25.213-04:00I while back I was speaking to a neighbor about dr...I while back I was speaking to a neighbor about drug companies laying off a lot of researchers. She replied "Well, can't those researchers just go and work as pharmacists?" I had to carefully explain to her that pharmacists are licensed health care professionals, and that you have to go to pharmacy school for 4-5 years, and pass a licensing exam. It's not just something you decide to drop into. She was sympathetic, but clueless.<br /><br />I'm sure there are thousands of people like her out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-53182195726670577322012-10-25T15:59:32.396-04:002012-10-25T15:59:32.396-04:00"the two" = "health care and tradit..."the two" = "health care and traditional STEM" Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-40508414473097242562012-10-25T15:59:01.690-04:002012-10-25T15:59:01.690-04:00Nursing HAS to be the highest ROI, even higher tha...Nursing HAS to be the highest ROI, even higher than petroleum engineering. <br /><br />That's why CtQ's conflation of the two is just stonkeringly stupid. Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-62649740438252403312012-10-25T15:52:00.080-04:002012-10-25T15:52:00.080-04:00My spouse and I were on the job market at the same...My spouse and I were on the job market at the same time. They are a nurse, I'm a hard science PhD. They get, on average, 2-3 recruiters calling them a week offering signing bonuses in the tens of thousands of dollars. I filled out, on average 4-5 applications a day for 10 months and felt lucky to get a rejection in a timely manner. I have a job, now, but it certainly wasn't quick or easy to get it.<br /><br />To make things worse, an RN is a 2-year degree at a community college here (yes, I know the RN is the license and the degree is actually an ASN). It takes considerably more time and money to get a PhD...just to be unemployed. <br /><br />There's a HUGE difference in the fields. My spouse is an awesome nurse but just doesn't face the same employment, or unemployment, reality that I am. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-75696398800608624632012-10-25T13:31:57.525-04:002012-10-25T13:31:57.525-04:00(Js + Jh)/(Us + Uh) > Js/Us iff (Jh/Uh) > (J...(Js + Jh)/(Us + Uh) > Js/Us iff (Jh/Uh) > (Js/Us)<br /><br />I guess that's how you Change the Equation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com