My name is Emily Cooke, and I am a Science Communicator.
Have you heard of science communication before? If not, you're not alone - I have had a lot of people ask me recently what it means to be a science communicator, and I'm coming to realize that the field has not received nearly as much attention in Canada as I would have thought. With it being such an interesting and important field from my point of view, it almost disappoints me when people don't know anything about it, although I'm always happy to share (much like I am always ready to talk about why I love baseball).
With this lack of knowledge of the field of science communication, I'm also frequently asked about how I got into science communication in the first place. Telling this story requires going back a few years, because it's not something I always knew I wanted to do. When I take a step back to reflect on my experiences and interests, though, I don't see how I could have ended up anywhere else.
Graduating High School and Picking a Program
As I started to look at universities and degree options in Grade 12, I had a lot of trouble figuring out what I wanted to study. I had always loved English and writing, especially as I had been the Editor in Chief for my school newspaper for two years, but I didn't want to pursue that full time. I was really strong in the sciences and math, with a particular interest in biology, so when I came across the description for a Biomedical Engineering program, I thought it made perfect sense. My dad is an engineer, my sister was studying first-year engineering at the time (and has since graduated), and I was good at math and science. So, I applied to schools across Canada with my main focus being on Biomedical Engineering.
Once I received my acceptances and started to consider the pros and cons of each school, I began leaning towards the University of British Columbia. I wanted to move away from home, and my sister was attending UBC, so I knew I'd have support. Additionally, I had been accepted to the Pre-Biomedical Engineering stream which meant that I'd be able to focus a bit more on Biomedical Engineering in first year with a slightly modified timetable (as opposed to the unspecialized first year timetable). Since I was nervous about how much I would like engineering in general, and because I love biology so much, this felt like the right choice for starting my undergrad. So, at the end of the summer of 2019, I packed up and moved to Vancouver.
Starting in UBC Engineering
While I settled into life living in residence, and made a great group of friends, the academic side was a different story. My physics and math courses were not of much interest to me, so when I faced challenges in those courses, the challenges felt huge because I didn't care much about the content I was trying so hard to learn. I hired a tutor to help support me through the most challenging concepts (something which was a bit of a challenge in itself as I had never needed a tutor before), but even then I was still feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and disappointed with how my undergrad was starting out.
Halfway through the semester, I began to question whether I had made the right choice to move to BC and pursue engineering. I wasn't enjoying my classes and the engineering program, which was only worsened by my homesickness being away from home at 17 years old (and I wouldn't turn 18 until the next April). All of this led to me ultimately making the decision that November to transfer at the end of the semester, both universities and degree programs. I decided to move back home to Sudbury, Ontario to attend Laurentian University, and decided to focus on what I liked, instead of everything I was good at, which led me to enter their Biomedical Biology program that January.
Completing my B.Sc. in Three Years
While I felt anxious and a bit ashamed at having moved home, ultimately I began enjoying my classes more, and got to take more courses that were focused on biology. 2.5 months into my first semester at Laurentian, COVID hit and classes were moved online. When everything stayed shut down that summer, I decided to take some online summer courses since I didn't have much else to do with my time. The following year, classes and labs remained virtual, and I continued to take more biology-focused courses where I enjoyed the challenging content, and felt more motivated to learn.
I came to the realization near the end of my second year of university that, with the summer courses I had taken the year before, as well as my IB transfer credits from high school, I could finish my degree early if I took a couple more summer courses. So, after two more summer courses, I was able to complete the rest of my degree requirements in my third (and final) year.
As the end of my undergrad degree approached, I had to start thinking then about what came next for me. A typical pathway for someone in Biomedical Biology is to go on to med school. When I thought about that option, though, I knew it wasn't for me. I wasn't interested enough in any specific area of biology to want to specialize in treating patients in that setting, nor did I see myself interacting with and treating patients more generally. Another common pathway would be to continue into research - but again, I didn't have a specific area of interest in biology (I just love it all!) and after having so many remote labs as a result of the pandemic, I didn't have the necessary lab skills either. So, I started exploring my other options, which included looking at teachers' education programs for a long time.
My Light Bulb Moment: Going Into SciComm
Two weeks before applications were due for the Laurentian Master's of Science Communication program, everything finally clicked into place for me.
I had been aware of the SciComm program at Laurentian for some time, but had never really looked at it in depth. I had been planning to apply to the program as a back-up in case I didn't get into the teacher's ed program I was set on, but had never bothered to read much past the surface level information on the program's webpage. After I began to question whether teacher's ed was really what I wanted to do, I started to learn a bit more about the SciComm program, including reading the descriptions for the courses that I would be able to take.
Something finally shifted in how I thought about what I wanted to do, because science communication just made so much sense. I had always loved writing. I worked summer jobs where I focused on communications like social media, graphic design, and website resource management. I ran the school newspaper and I had always loved editing small video projects when I was younger. But I also loved sharing interesting facts I had learned in my biology classes, talking my parents' ears off at the dinner table after each day of classes. I kind of laughed at myself for not realizing sooner just how much sense it made for me to combine all of those areas of interest into one field - science communication.
After having that realization (and panicking to put together the perfect application for the program in under two weeks), I waited anxiously to find out if I was accepted into the program, and made the decision that regardless of the outcome, I was not going to pursue teacher's ed because I knew SciComm is where I needed to be. I was relieved and excited when I received my acceptance to the program, and I was eager to get started in the fall 2022 semester.
Learning to Be a Science Communicator
I am always happy to talk about my experience in the Master's of Science Communication program at Laurentian, because I enjoyed it so thoroughly. I spent the year learning from amazing professors about how to effectively communicate with different audiences, how to use different strategies and mediums to reach those audiences, and how to plan and approach different SciComm challenges.
The program helped give me everything I was hoping it would, and more. Within the first half-day of orientation, I gained a sense of satisfaction and comfort that I was in the right place, something I never quite felt when I was studying in my undergrad (especially when I was still in engineering). When I was told of some of the projects I'd get to work on, I was excited that I would get to participate in those learning experiences, which was a bit of a new feeling for me.
While I entered the program loving biology, and loving writing and communications, I finished it with a strong passion for science communication, and a belief in its theory and best practices. This passion is what fuels the 'disappointment' I feel when I recognize how little is known about the field, especially when thinking about how the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized just how important it is to communicate science effectively. But, I am always happy to share what I do and why I love it because I believe so much in the importance of science communication as a field.
So, What Next?
Now that I have completed my Master's degree, I am excited to start practicing as a science communicator. The Major Research Paper I completed this past summer has especially emphasized an area of interest for me, which is patient-facing communications in medical and healthcare contexts. My research identified a gap in resources where patients can find information about their medications, with my focus having specifically been about type 2 diabetes patients and the medication Ozempic (a very popular topic in the news over the past several months). Many of the resources out there have incorrect/misleading information, or are too complex for people to understand without a background in science. I am hoping to work towards supporting healthcare organizations in producing resources that allow patients to understand, make decisions, and have conversations about their health to be active participants (and not bystanders) when it comes to staying healthy.
As I work towards that goal, however, I am excited to jump into the field of science communication and start practicing what I spent the past year learning, while also taking in as much as I can from other practicing science communication professionals.
I am also always, always excited to talk anyone's ear off about science communication who will listen - so if you're interested in my journey into SciComm, the program at Laurentian, my research, or anything else I've rambled on about here, please feel free to reach out, I would love to chat.
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