Student Support

Student Support

What to consider when choosing a postdoc

Each issue, we’ll ask a trainee to pose their career questions to an established investigator and mentor. Here, Victoria Halperin Kuhns, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in renal physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, asks Katie Johnson, PhD, an independent education consultant at Trail Build LLC and a former biology faculty member and chair, how to support students when they appear to be struggling or disengaged.

Q: How can I support students committing a lot of time and energy to my course but who are still struggling to learn key concepts?

A: Invite them to have a conversation with you. As the educator, accept the responsibility of directing the discussion. What are the student’s current tactics for learning the content? Have them describe a time when they learned difficult content in the past. What helped them then?

Ask very basic questions about the content and work your way to more nuanced questions. The student may be harboring a misconception about a foundational concept that prevents them from conceptualizing more difficult content. Ask them to draw diagrams to explain their answers.

Discuss the benefits of working through difficult concepts with study groups, rather than isolating and rereading the text. Reinforce these benefits with class discussions about how both struggling and thriving students are more likely to excel when they regularly participate in effective study groups.

Q: How do I motivate students who are completely disengaged from my course?

A: Don’t take it personally. There are many reasons a student may not be engaged. Once again, communication is the key. Arrange a conversation, and approach the discussion with concern and support, avoiding accusation and blame.

One possible way to start the conversation is to ask the student how the course is going. How are they doing in their other courses? What else is going on in their life? Do they have other major commitments that might be overwhelming right now? It is possible, given the student’s professional and academic goals, the grade of a C is OK or even an accomplishment and they are happy to continue as is.

Another possibility is the student is completely overwhelmed with school and other commitments, and a realistic discussion about whether this is the right time to take your course—or even be a student—may be appropriate. If you have ruled out major life concerns, it is likely the student is struggling, rather than simply disengaged. Guiding them through conversations to determine where they are struggling, working with them to find a study group and connecting content to their day-to-day life will be helpful. Often, just the conversation goes a long way.

Q: What about students who have career aspirations, such as professional school, but do not have the grades or experience necessary to be competitive in the application process?

A: Despite what you think of their abilities, walk students through a realistic path from where they are today to where they want to be. The student should next consider if this path full of logistical, financial, emotional and psychological hurdles is how they want to spend their time. (Potential hurdles could include retaking courses, earning certifications, working entry-level health care jobs, finding time to study in demanding pre-professional and professional school environments, and navigating years of heightened stress and strain.)

What type of lifestyle does the student want in 10 years? Does this path match this lifestyle? Focus the conversation on if they want to take this path rather than if they can do it. Completely avoid discussions of their abilities and intellect, as it will ruin your working relationship, crush their morale and probably just make them dig their heels in deeper. On the bright side, providing a road map, no matter how difficult, may serve as a motivating force for student success. I have seen it happen!

This article was originally published in the July 2020 issue of The Physiologist Magazine.