Fortunately, prospects are changing in these fields, with more and more women entering graduate schools and starting careers in science and technology than ever before.  

Certainly one of the most powerful ways to learn about a career is to experience a taste of it yourself.   Now more than ever, young women have opportunities to network -- as on this very website -- and learn hands-on from women in the science and technology fields through mentoring programs, which range from internships at biotechnology companies to focused multi-year high school programs.  In a three-part series here at Under the Microscope, I'll be focusing on all aspects of these exciting programs, including personal insights from mentors and their students as well as examining some successful mentoring programs for young women throughout the country.


From the Mouths of the Mentees

One of the most rewarding outcomes of being a science mentor is keeping in touch with the students that I had a chance to work with and seeing how their lives and careers are progressing.  Whether or not they chose to stay in science, it's always satisfying to hear them discuss their mentoring experiences with pride and gratitude.   I spent eight years working as a scientist and science education volunteer at Amgen Corporation (formerly Immunex) in Seattle, Washington and during this time had the opportunity to work with various students taking part in internships, job shadows and other programs which placed them in the laboratory under my guidance. 

One program in particular, the Biotechnology Career Academy (at Ballard High School) allowed me to mentor one student per year over the course of 4-5 months, hosting them in the lab, giving them feedback on their projects, and generally supporting them throughout their scientific endeavors.  Hosting these students was extremely gratifying and allowed me to break out of the monotony of my daily work and experience science through fresh, unbiased eyes, much as I did when I was first introduced to it.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to four former students from the Seattle area about their experiences being mentored by women scientists, and how it affected their attitudes about science and their future career choices.

Frances Mao, 23 is a research assistant in a pathology lab at the University of Washington.  She is currently applying to medical schools.  Frances was first mentored by a graduate student when she began her research training internship in 2005 at UW. 

Annie Rein-Weston, 26, also works at the University of Washington on vaccine development, and is applying to public health graduate schools.  Annie worked with Amgen scientist Jan Chalupny for a number of years beginning in high school as Jan was hosting internships with students from her alma mater Forest Ridge High School. 

Madison Murphy is a Film and Media Studies major and Sociology minor at Occidental College in Los Angeles.  Madison and I worked together at Amgen as part of her Biotechnology Career Academy.  This program pairs high school students with mentors from various Seattle research institutions and biotech companies, and involves participation in a yearly Student Biotech Expo, where students can enter science projects in a variety of categories ranging from research to music, judged by volunteer scientists throughout the region. 

Finally, Marit Featherstone, 24, is a Tissue Collection Specialist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.  She was mentored through summer internship programs at biotechnology companies.

These mentoring programs involved direct, hands-on experience in the laboratory.  There, students would gain practical skills and knowledge that would help them expand their résumés when looking for future work or academic careers.  Before being mentored, some of the students had fairly clear ideas of what their experiences would be like, while others approached it more cautiously.

"I didn't have very high expectations before I met my mentor because I didn't really know what to expect," says Madison.  "I knew people are often busy and I didn't know how much time my mentor would be able to spend with me." 

Due to the nature of Madison's Career Academy demands, I was able to not only host her as a job shadow, but give advice on her project as well.  "As I was working on my science project for the Student Biotechnology Expo," she says, "My mentor was always available to read drafts of my project, give advice and send me encouraging emails."

Once in the lab doing hands-on science, many mentees found the experience quite different from what they expected, and began to see the real benefits of having a mentor.   Marit, Annie and Frances all experienced mentoring which focused mainly on hands-on laboratory work. 

"I think I was often surprised by the big differences between working in a lab compared to the labs I experienced during college," Marit observes.  Likewise, Frances was surprised by "the quality and depth of my mentoring experience, because [my mentor] was very patient with me and explained things very well." 

A major advantage of the mentoring experience, Frances explains, is merely having a veteran scientist at your disposal.  "Having a mentor is a benefit simply by virtue of having someone more experienced than you available as a resource," she says.

Being mentored also shaped their career and/or educational choices, whether this was pursuing a scientific career or simply maintaining a keen interest in science. For Annie, this was especially true: "[The] experience opened doors for me I could never have imagined.  I got summer internships and then full time jobs, probably because I was just a little bit ahead."  She even turned her project with her mentor into her college thesis. 

Marit notes that her experiences "...definitely helped me in my career.  Having a mentor showed me the potential to what careers you can have in the biotech setting."  She also says simply that "My mentoring experiences gave me the tools to get where I am today."

In some cases, being mentored in a research lab did not necessarily lead these students to pursue a career in research, but led them in a different direction while maintaining their interest in science. Frances admits that "...a career as a bench scientist was not for me."  Now pursuing medical school, she also says that "...medicine cannot exist without science, but with an M.D., one can practice both medicine and do research to an extent."

Even though Madison is pursuing a non-science major, she is still very interested in science and is considering going to medical school.  "My mentor's enthusiasm for science increased my love of science.  Science will always be a part of my life, in part due to my mentor who made science exciting and fun."  She also notes that having a mentor with multiple interests outside of science "showed me how to be a well-rounded person in pursuing my education and choosing my career." 

Not only did their mentoring experiences have a positive impact on their personal and professional lives, these young women are now interested in passing the torch and becoming mentors themselves. "I would love to support someone the way my mentor has supported me," Madison says.  "Everyone needs to feel supported and I think mentoring programs help people excel."  Likewise, Annie feels strongly about mentoring, saying that "it made such a wonderful difference in my life.  I, too, would like to give back like Jan did." Marit also notes that her experience "...inspired me to be a mentor to younger generations so they have the same chance."

These four women clearly illustrate the advantages that mentoring can have on a young person's life.  All experienced different levels of mentoring, from practical laboratory experience to general career and academic advice, which also depended on the type of mentoring program they were involved in.  However, all students had one thing in common: not only did they receive hands-on technical training, they felt encouraged by more experienced women in the field and discovered that a career in science isn't necessarily all about that white lab coat.
     
   

[Rebecca Hernandez will be blogging monthly on "The Power of Mentoring" for
                 Under The Microscope. This is her first contribution.]

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