The Letter of Introduction informs readers about my academic goals from the start of the course reflects on my perspective on writing and communicating science! In this work, I introduce myself as a student and my aims to Ms.Williams and my peers!
Letter of Introduction
1. What is your science major, and what are your career goals?
Hi! My name is Arfath Chowdhury and I’m a biomedical sciences major, in a baccalaureate-MD program (pursuing a Bachelor of Science/Medical Doctorate) at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education. With my education, I aim to choose a career in medicine or medical sciences! As a freshman in the early years of the program I am still exploring the specific direction in medicine to take and currently I have thought about becoming a physician, specializing in either pediatrics or gastroenterology (or both for pediatric gastroenterology) or becoming a physician-scientist. As I grow older, I hope to gain the experiences to explore these fields and see if my interests lay in a clinical approach or a more research-based direction! Ultimately I hope to support people emotionally and physically with their disease and promote my long-term wellbeing!
2. Do you like writing?
I like writing on topics that I feel connected to because then I feel more passionate about my work and feel more free when writing. I remember when I was younger I loved fictional writing where I created stories of characters, but as I grew older this developed into my love of anecdotal free writing, where I can tell my own story and experiences. Most often now, I work on analytical writing, looking at literature through different lenses, but I still do lots of anecdotal writing when I can! I also love to read other people’s writing! I used to work at the writing center of my old school and I enjoyed the job because I loved hearing other peoples thoughts on topics and I liked that I played a role in developing their ideas and being able to help them flesh out their ideas onto paper!
3. Do you consider science writing difficult? Explain.
Science writing can be difficult because of how scientific topics can be very dense and hard to digest compared to creative writing. Scientific writing can have a lot of concepts and often since the authors are scientists themselves, they may write about concepts that are harder to express to a general audience. Scientific writing is also very structured and precise and this itself can both make it easy and difficult. It can be difficult because the structure can hold lots of information and it can feel strict to the writer. However, this structure can also make it feel easier because the writing has specific organization to follow and thus sets guidelines for the writer.
4. Is deciphering science texts complex, or does it require a higher level of education to understand? Explain.
The ability to decipher a science text can depend on many factors including vocabulary, audience perspective, and content. When a science text uses less familiar vocabulary and is catered to a scientific audience, then deciphering it can become more complex due to the text holding a lot of information that is new to a reader. However, when a science texts incorporates background information for the reader and explains the concepts in a general way, the text becomes more accessible for a larger audience.
5. Have you ever had to assist a family member or friend with deciphering or communicating (verbal or written) a science-related issue (medical/health/environmental/technology/)? What were some of the challenges, how did you resolve the problem, and what would you do differently moving forward?
My parents were born outside the United States so they both are unfamiliar with using technology, causing my sister and I to often assist them as many of our electrical and banking sources switched to digital platforms. One example of communicating technological issues is helping my dad protect his digital security and identity when he is online. My dad, being new to many platforms, would be indifferent to scam pop-ups or links and he didn’t realize how even when he is on apps, there are still potential internet threats. I remember him often coming up to me when he received messages about an unsolicited “UPS delivery” on its way and further asking me how he should confirm the package. To resolve these problems, I had to educate him on the significance of internet privacy and trusting messages from reliable sources. For instance, an email that has random letters and numbers would be part of a phishing scam and I informed him not to engage with it and to report the account. Moving forward, I would want to inform my dad of thee scams before they happen, that way it can ensure his safety from the start.
6. Describe how you would communicate a crucial science-related issue to the community you live. Consider the language or ethnic dialect, education, and medium (essay, news brief, poster, radio, TV ad) best for disseminating the information to the people representing your neighborhood.
I would communicate important science-related issues to my community through video and TV ads because while many of the members of my community speak different languages, my community also largely comprises older citizens who best learn through visual guides. Newspapers may be helpful to some, however because most newspapers are in english, it limits the audience to only english speaking citizens. Additionally, many people in my neighborhood spend a lot of their time inside so it would be helpful if videos were on television so that it could be accessible from their own home. Additionally, another method could be in-person representatives go visit them and discuss the science related matters with them to answer questions and help explain to individual needs.
7. What are two characteristics of an “articulate” speaker? Do you consider a person having these qualities intelligent? Explain.
One characteristic of an “articulate” speaker is being able to recognize your audience and being able to convey your message in the best way to help your audience understand. Whether this means changing vocabulary, changing tone or speed, using comparisons, a speaker would be able to communicate their ideas effectively to their audience and be able to recognize the necessary changes needed. In addition, an “articulate” speaker is strong and comfortable in their story and they can show this through their action. Body language and eye contact are ways to show their confidence in their words and their ability to relay it to others. Intelligence can be measured in many different ways, and being articulate can be a sign of intelligence, because speakers work on their own writing, their presence, and their communication skills and this ability to work on themselves and improve shows their commitment to learning and growth.
8. Describe what you consider a flaw in your writing or speech and what you wish to improve or expect from taking writing about sciences class.
In my writing I often have trouble with word counts, because I either am unsure on how to reach it or I exceed them and go overboard. I want to improve on the clarity and flow of my writing to ensure that my word count isn’t becoming short and misinformed or exceeding and repetitive. Through writing about science class, I hope to be as concise as scientific writing so that I can communicate my message effectively!
9. Explain why Standard American English makes science writing more accessible to the general public. There is no right or wrong answer. You do not have to agree, but please explain your response.
Standard American English can make science writing more accessible to the general public because it creates a centralized convention for all scientists to follow. Without a standard, different scientists can write in different formats and grammar conventions, which makes it harder for scientists of other fields to interpret research findings. Using plain language can be more accessible to the general public because it establishes a norm for scientific communication.
