Professional Skills in Chemistry and Biochemistry Curricula: A Call to Action

Abstract

For chemistry and biochemistry students to be successful in their future careers, they need high quality training not only in the technical skills of their STEM discipline but also many other non-technical skills important to being an effective scientist. In this chapter we define these non-technical skills as "professional skills" that include, but are not limited to, career skills (job searching, resume writing, networking, and having a professional mindset), scientific thinking (critical thinking, problem solving, and big picture thinking), scientific identity development, learning skills (self-regulated learning, initiative, study strategies, etc.), communication skills, and interpersonal skills such as teamwork and leadership development. Evidence from industry, government, and academia suggests that these professional skills are at least as, if not more important, than the STEM related technical skills in an undergraduate student's education. Though opportunities for professional development in these areas are available both through national scientific societies and at many institutions, problems with the current opportunities stem from the fact that, for various reasons, not all students engage with them. To address these problems, we recommend the development of instruction with three key features: professional skills are 1) integrated into the curriculum so that all students benefit; 2) scaffolded across courses whenever possible so that learning is intentionally connected and de-siloed; and 3) assessed using clearly articulated student learning outcomes. By creating professional skills curricula with these three features, chemistry and biochemistry programs will better prepare their students for the workforce and future careers.