Impact of the New ASA Undergraduate Curriculum Guidelines on the Hiring of

Future Undergraduates

Robert VierkantMayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

Outline

• Motivation for the topic• Overview of statistics at Mayo Clinic– Type of work– Statistical team structure

• Desirable attributes of new graduates in statistics• Review of new recommended ASA guidelines• Alignment of guidelines with desired attributes• Conclusions

Motivation• Previous set of ASA guidelines drafted in 2000• Much has changed since then– Increased adoption of statistics in different disciplines– Advances in technology

• Ability to collect and store vast amounts of data• Ability to analyze data using computationally intensive

techniques– Increased demand for individuals with “real world”

experience– Increased pace of changes in the field

• Decision to revamp guidelines based on these changes

Statistics at Mayo Clinic

Statistics at Mayo Clinic

Statistics at Mayo Clinic

Statistics at Mayo Clinic

Statistics at Mayo Clinic

• Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics (BSI)– Nearly 200 statisticians at PhD, MS or BS level– Majority of work is consultative/collaborative

statistics – Majority of clients are clinicians, researchers and

basic scientists specializing in a given field of medicine, biology, genomics or basic science

– Applied statistics in fields of medicine and biology

Statistics at Mayo Clinic

• Primary work units– Lead Statisticians (Faculty, PhD)

• High level support and oversight, complex analyses• Time set aside for methodologic work

– MS Statisticians (Master’s Degree trained)• Logistical oversight, project management, intermediate and complex

analyses– Statistical Programmer Analysts (SPA, Bachelor’s Degree trained)

• Programming and data management (~70% of work), basic and intermediate analyses

– Research Fellows and Research Assistants (PhD)– Support Staff

Statistics at Mayo Clinic

• Primary work units– Lead Statisticians (Faculty, PhD)

• High level support and oversight, complex analyses• Time set aside for methodologic work

– MS Statisticians (Master’s Degree trained)• Logistical oversight, project management, intermediate and complex

analyses– Statistical Programmer Analysts (SPA, Bachelor’s Degree trained)

• Programming and data management (~70% of work), basic and intermediate analyses

– Research Fellows and Research Assistants (PhD)– Support Staff

Statistics at Mayo Clinic

• Areas of Concentration– Cancer Clinical Trials– Computational Genomics

• Individualized Medicine– Health Care Costs, Utilization, Value and Delivery– Clinical Statistics

Typical Mayo Statistical Team Composition

Lead

MS

SPA

Scientific Method

Generate Hypothesis Think, reformulate hypothesis

Do background research

Ask Question

Test with an Experiment

Analyze results, draw conclusions

Report Results

Hypothesis is True Hypothesis is False or Partially True

Scientific Method

Generate Hypothesis Think, reformulate hypothesis

Do background research

Ask Question

Test with an Experiment

Analyze results, draw conclusions

Report Results

Hypothesis is True Hypothesis is False or Partially True

Scientific Method

Generate Hypothesis Think, reformulate hypothesis

Do background research

Ask Question

Test with an Experiment

Analyze results, draw conclusions

Report Results

Hypothesis is True Hypothesis is False or Partially True

Desirable Attributes of New Graduates

• Data management skills• Programming skills• Statistical skills• Communication skills• Problem solving skills• Initiative • Attention to detail• Ability to work in a

team environment

• Inquisitiveness • Adaptability • Understanding of

biology, medicine• Understanding of the

“big picture”• Ability to anticipate next

steps• Practical experience

Interview Questions for Job Candidates

• Computer programming• Statistical and data

management skills• Planning, prioritization

and goal setting• Initiative• Quality• Respecting diversity

• Communication and listening

• Attention to detail• Teamwork• Coping• Tolerance of ambiguity

Necessary Skills Identified in ASA Guidelines• Data technologies– Joining data– Formatting and manipulating data– Facile with statistical software– Well-documented and reproducible analyses

• Statistical fundamentals– Statistical reasoning– EDA– Formal inference

• Computational fundamentals– Programming language(s)– Ability to think algorithmically– Ability to carry out simulation studies

Necessary Skills Identified in ASA Guidelines• Data technologies– Joining data– Formatting and manipulating data– Facile with statistical software– Well-documented and reproducible analyses

• Statistical fundamentals– Statistical reasoning– EDA– Formal inference

• Computational fundamentals– Programming language(s)– Ability to think algorithmically– Ability to carry out simulation studies

Suggestion: working with messy data

Necessary Skills Identified in Guidelines

• Mathematical foundations– Probability and theory and how they relate to statistical

applications• Communication– Write clearly– Speak fluently– Collaboration and teamwork– Communicate complex statistical methods to non-statisticians – Visualize results in accessible manner

• Interdisciplinary knowledge– Some depth in a substantive area of application

Necessary Skills Identified in Guidelines

• Mathematical foundations– Probability and theory and how they relate to statistical

applications• Communication– Write clearly– Speak fluently– Collaboration and teamwork– Communicate complex statistical methods to non-statisticians – Visualize results in accessible manner

• Interdisciplinary knowledge– Some depth in a substantive area of application

Suggestion: emphasize problem-solving skills

Suggestion: opportunities for

statistical consulting

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Statistical skills• Programming skills• Data management

skills• Communication skills• Initiative • Attention to detail• Ability to work in a

team environment

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Statistical skills• Programming skills• Data management

skills• Communication skills• Initiative • Attention to detail• Ability to work in a

team environment

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Statistical skills• Programming skills• Data management

skills• Communication skills• Initiative • Attention to detail• Ability to work in a

team environment

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Statistical skills• Programming skills• Data management

skills• Communication skills• Initiative • Attention to detail• Ability to work in a

team environment

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Statistical skills• Programming skills• Data management

skills• Communication skills• Initiative • Attention to detail• Ability to work in a

team environment

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Statistical skills• Programming skills• Data management

skills• Communication skills• Initiative • Attention to detail• Ability to work in a

team environment

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Statistical skills• Programming skills• Data management

skills• Communication skills• Initiative • Attention to detail• Ability to work in a

team environment

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Inquisitiveness • Adaptability • Understanding of

biology, medicine• Understanding of the

“big picture”• Ability to anticipate

next steps• Practical experience

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Inquisitiveness • Adaptability • Understanding of

biology, medicine• Understanding of the

“big picture”• Ability to anticipate

next steps• Practical experience

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Inquisitiveness • Adaptability • Understanding of

biology, medicine• Understanding of the

“big picture”• Ability to anticipate

next steps• Practical experience

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Inquisitiveness • Adaptability • Understanding of

biology, medicine• Understanding of the

“big picture”• Ability to anticipate

next steps• Practical experience

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Inquisitiveness • Adaptability • Understanding of

biology, medicine• Understanding of the

“big picture”• Ability to anticipate

next steps• Practical experience

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Alignment of Desirable Attributes with Skills Identified in New Guidelines

• Inquisitiveness • Adaptability • Understanding of

biology, medicine• Understanding of the

“big picture”• Ability to anticipate

next steps• Practical experience

• Statistical fundamentals

• Computational fundamentals

• Data technologies• Mathematical

foundations• Communication • Interdisciplinary

knowledge

Conclusions

• Increasing need for well-rounded applied statisticians in variety of different disciplines– Statistical, programming skills– Data management skills– Communication, problem-solving skills– Ability to work in team environment with different

types of personalities.• New ASA guidelines align well with these needs• Will yield new graduates with desirable attributes for

employers

Conclusions

• Encourage universities with Bachelor’s Degree statistical programs to provide opportunities for…– Real applications of statistics• Statistical consulting• Team projects• Capstone projects

– Working with real data• Missing, messy

– Developing problem-solving skills• Statistical consulting• Capstone projects

– Developing communication skills

Questions?