Return to Main Menu

Mentoring students is restricted, requires process by Mary Helen Yarborough Public Relations While mentoring young scientists is “personally rewarding,” the experience of meeting various safety and human resources guidelines is “frustrating from an institutional standpoint,” said Andrew Annand, D.O., medical director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation. Annand, in a microbiology experiment, recently mentored magnet high school student Jamie Yohn (see page 10).   “It was wonderful to watch Jamie’s intellectual curiosity turn into sound experimentation and watch as she transformed herself from someone with vague objectives into a real researcher with results that have practical importance,” Annand said. “However, the amount of ‘red tape,’ paperwork and other such obstacles the institution requires no doubt discourages other young people from approaching MUSC in a similar fashion. As an educator, that part was disappointing and frustrating to witness. It’s to Jamie’s credit that she not only learned to navigate the lab but also the institution itself. Jamie deserves credit for her bureaucratic persistence, as well as her academic abilities.”   Susan Carullo, manager, University Human Resources  Management, said that if the student seeks to shadow or intern for more than two days, the student is treated essentially as an employee and must meet certain health and occupational safety requirements. Carullo added, however, that she was not aware the process was as lengthy as reported.   Meanwhile, all Academic Magnet High School students must complete a science fair project in their sophomore year.   “The science fair projects are more voluntary at other schools,” said Lisa Steed, Ph.D. who has been working with students on science fair projects since she first arrived at MUSC in 1993. The numbers of students participating with MUSC have fluctuated between two and six students each year, she said. “Some students do a very simple project at home and come to me for technical and bio-safety tips, and to obtain media to grow bacteria on. Other students have a plan about what they want to do and that plan requires work in a lab—like Rachel Edmonson,” a classmate of Yohn’s who studied the antibacterial effects of herbal extracts on four commonly isolated human pathogens.   Annand and Steed are among a number of dedicated MUSC medical and scientific experts that have worked with high school students. Some of MUSC faculty and staff have demonstrated extraordinary devotion to helping young people understand the medical and science field.   According to a magnet high school teacher, 10 students had mentors at MUSC this year.   “Some faculty with their own labs help their own children or the children of friends and coworkers,” Steed said. “Others, like me, believe strongly that we are here to teach students how wonderful science is. … I also want someone to be trained in my field so I can have someone to replace me so I can retire someday.”   She said that Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, actually went to a student’s home to help with her science fair project. “Now I call that dedication!” Steed said.   One of the major hurdles to doing science fair projects at MUSC is the guidelines for minors observing or working in a lab, Steed said. The paperwork must be signed by the provost, the college dean, and Human Resources.   “HR won’t sign off until the student has gone to Employee Health for a TB skin test and a check that their vaccinations are up to date [among other things] and has successfully completed the online OSHA safety training,” Steed explained. “Then the student goes to Public Safety to get a badge. Then the experiment can begin.”   Some at MUSC have figured out how to expedite the process, others, including Steed, must endure the long process.   “While I understand the legal and safety ramifications of these guidelines, it makes science fair projects more time-consuming. And if the student doesn’t start the process early enough, then the student will have to do a project at home,” Steed said. “I had a student that saw me in October, but didn’t follow up until January. There wasn’t sufficient time to go through the guideline hoops so she did her science fair project at home.”   Steed said the student in this case failed to follow through. Still, she said that what a student must go through to participate in a project also is time-consuming for MUSC experts.   “The fact that I provided (this student) with training and media (ex. Petri dish augur) drives Wayne Brannan in Risk Management insane. …On the other hand, students can purchase media from Carolina Biological Supply and do their own experiments without appropriate training. Now, which is safer for the students and for MUSC,” Steed asked. “Yes, there is a potential for a student to acquire an infection from his or her science fair project—so far I haven’t experienced that.”   Steed said that she always provides students with her cell phone number in case something unexpected happens. Friday, Feb. 23, 2007 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.