Adding Value to a Graduate Physiology Seminar by Focusing on Public Communication Skills

A major goal of graduate education is the development of students as "stewards of the discipline," scholars who can create and preserve knowledge and responsibly translate it through writing, teaching, and practical applications. These qualities are consistent with the American Physiological Society's list of professional skills for physiologists and trainees. As a result, there is significant interest in teaching strategies like active and problem-based learning (PBL) that enhance the development of these competencies. This article states, however, that communication skills often receive less emphasis, leaving many graduate students underequipped to effectively share their knowledge with the wider community. With this in mind, the authors set out to design a graduate course on the physiology of aging focused on building core knowledge/aptitude and developing public communication skills.