VOLUME 30 , NUMBER 1 -January 1999
New online mentoring resource for clinical science students
Can't decide which statistical software package to use to run your data?
Then get on your e-mail and ask clinical science researchers or fellow students for advice on the best choice.
A new listserv called 'clinapags' has been developed by the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) and the APA Science Student Council (APASSC) to enable clinical science students to communicate daily with faculty researchers and students all over the country.
The listserv is a forum where students can glean guidance from seasoned researchers about methodological problems and practice issues as well as learn about current events in clinical science from faculty mentors. Students can also find a direction if they are stumped about how to approach their master's thesis or dissertation. And they can share research ideas and resources with other students.
APAGS and APASSC developed the student-run, student-oriented listserv to make students feel more comfortable with expressing their opinions and asking questions, says one listserv organizer, Eric Youngstrom, PhD.
'Listservs can be intimidating for students,' says Youngstrom, past chair of APASSC and assistant professor of psychology at Case Western Reserve University. 'Often the people who are posting most frequently are very famous and respected people in the field. The students' perception becomes, `What do I have to contribute?' or `What if I ask a question and these people criticize it?''
The organizers believed that a listserv designed for students would eliminate some of the intimidation and allow more time for dialogue that focused on specific student concerns, such as dissertation management.
University of Arizona professor Lee Sechrest, PhD, a longtime student mentor and listserv user, is the faculty moderator of the listserv, answering students' questions, referring them to resources or other researchers, and prompting discussions and debates on cutting-edge clinical research.
APA Past President Martin E.P. Seligman, PhD, also serves as a listserv mentor, and he is eager for more clinical science students and faculty to join the dialogue so the discussion is more diverse.
'The listserv is a means for a lively exchange among some of the best clinical graduate students and some of the most distinguished clinical faculty in the county-24 hours a day,' says Seligman.
Any APA member or APA student affiliate is encouraged to join the listserv. To subscribe, send the command: 'SUBscribe clinapags To send a message to one list member only, send the note to his or her individual e-mail address. Those with questions, problems or comments about the list, should contact the listserv's technical organizer, Cara Rubenstein, at: crubenst@ucla.edu.
-J. Chamberlin
PsychNET®
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