From the TSHS Chair: Dan Freeman

Next year, please help Bob Oster out with the program for Indianapolis.  (See his section elsewhere in this newsletter.)  Remember contributed paper abstracts will be due in February 2000.  By then our computers will have eaten the Y2K bug or else!

A survey of section members is still under discussion.  The proposed survey will be discussed at the executive committee and members meetings again this year.

Stephen Looney is heading a committee to review and revise as necessary the section charter.  He would appreciate your comments either in writing or by e-mail.  We would like to have a draft by October to submit to the membership for ratification by year’s end.  The current charter, along with some proposed revisions may be viewed at the Section website (see address below).

A separate issue that needs to be addressed is standards for biostatistics curricula.  This critical issue appears to be largely ignored.  For Schools of Public Health, the presumption is that this is covered by Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accreditation guidelines, but in my experience the standards are quite broad and generally focus on process rather than content. The ASA has avoided the issue of accreditation, but it is unclear what to expect of a person who has a graduate degree in biostatistics.  We need to begin discussing this issue and probably form a task force to make recommendations to the Section.

A collateral issue concerns the mix of topics that should be covered in the basic biostatistics service courses for health science centers.  This is a huge issue given the complexity of modern academic  centers.  Again, we need to discuss the development of basic standards and approaches.  Biostatistics curricula in general will be discussed at both the executive committee and members meetings this year.

Finally, do not forget to visit our web site: http://www.bio.ri.ccf.org/ASA_TSHS/

See you all at the TSHS Members Meeting and Mixer on  Wednesday, August 11  in Baltimore.
 

TSHS MEMBERS MEETING AND MIXER  WEDNESDAY  5:30 - 7:00 P.M. August 11, 1999

From the 1999 Program Chair: Ralph O'Brien

TSHS’s 1999 JSM Program: Writing Workshop and Other Cool Stuff

I will add that I’ve seen these instructors in action, and they are engaging and effective teachers. Most of us would have to admit that we practicing biostatisticians should improve these kinds of skills. Just doing solid statistical work is not enough; we have to be able to report that work effectively to the non-statistician. Too few of us were really taught this in graduate school!

On Monday, Janet Elashoff (AM session) and I (PM session) will again be giving our TSHS-sponsored half-day workshops on “Determining Sample Size and Power in Study Planning”.  Of course, Janet will demonstrate nQuery Advisor (www.statsolusa.com) and I will focus on UnifyPow.sas (www.bio.ri.ccf.org/UnifyPow). The workshops are intended for people fairly unfamiliar with sample-size analysis, but both tools also offer substantial depth (in different areas), which Janet and I are anxious to show, too (especially some new stuff).

Robert Parker has organized the Section’s invited session this year, “Innovative Approaches in Teaching Biostatistics to Clinical Investigators”. This Tuesday @ 8:30 session grew out of discussions in the Association of GCRC (General Clinical Research Center) Statisticians, which is a co-sponsor of the session.  The papers are:

•  The Biostatistics Course for Medical Students: How Can This be Coordinated Across Several Campuses?  Naomi S. Fineberg
• Lecture Series in Biostatistics for Fellows and Clinical Investigators, Reena Deutsch and Chul Ahn
• Intensive Short-Courses for Fellows and Physicians, Walter Ambrosius and Amita Manatunga
• Statistics as Part of a Large Clinical Research Training Program, Jonathan Clive and Richard Kryscio

Immediately following the “Totally Wired” discussion is “Issues and Strategies in Teaching Medical Statistics”, a contributed paper session in the Tuesday @ 10:30 slot. Session chair Robert Oster will direct a meeting consisting of  seven papers:

• Biostatistics Requirements in U.S. Medical Schools— An Historical Perspective, Stephen Looney and Prasaad Steiner
• Data Collected by Students as an Aid to Teaching about Reliability, Todd Nick
• Continuing Education in Biostatistics for the Public or Mental Health Professional: A Case Study, Barbara Neas and Laura Beebe
• A Research Design Workshop for Chiropractic College Faculty,Cynthia Long
• Concept Maps in Statistical Education, Ed Gracely
• Physician Profile Report: Using Cost and Quality Data in Hospital Care, Peng-fang Yen, Clark Hanmer, Carmen Natale and Bruce Wall
• Developing Pedagogical and Communication Skills in Graduate Students: The Emory University Biostatistics TATTO Program,Vicki Stover Hertzberg, W. Scott Clark and Donna Brogan

• Making the Most of Teaching a Graduate Statistics Course to Health Professionals, Yvonne Michel
• Development of an Elective in Research Methods for Pediatrics Residents, Mark Schluchter, Susan Redline, Mary Ann O'Riordan, Ann Salvator, and Leo Russo
• Teaching Concepts Related to Hypothesis Testing Using Commercially Available Statistical Software, Paul Kolm

Overall, I think this is the strongest TSHS program in recent memory. Thanks to the many of you who have made it so!
 

From the 2000 Program Chair: Robert Oster

TSHS members are always focusing on teaching and consulting in the biological and health sciences.  We use many diverse methods in our teaching and consulting, and usually tailor these methods to the target audience (graduate students, physicians, medical students, basic scientists).  Which of the many diverse teaching or consulting methods have you found to be most successful in your own work?  Could you share those methods with the rest of us either by presenting a paper (or poster) or organizing an invited session?

What aspects of this theme, “Celebrate Diversity in Statistics”, should TSHS highlight for the 2000 JSM? The following are a few ideas for topics that could be used to put together a session (invited paper or special contributed paper) or a presentation that would be given as part of a session.

1.  Illustrate diverse methods that are used when communicating with non-statisticians.  Questions such as “what are the best methods for speaking to non-statistical audiences” and “what are the best methods for writing for non-statistical audiences” can be addressed.
2.  Illustrate diverse methods that are used when teaching non-statisticians (graduate students, physicians, medical students, basic scientists).  Describe which methods are effective, and which methods are not effective (or less effective).
3.  Illustrate multiple expectations (which can be quite diverse) of non-statistical audiences.  Describe how well statisticians are meeting these expectations, and what statisticians can do better when attempting to meet these expectations.

Do you have additional ideas for sessions?  All topics are welcome, regardless of whether or not they are directly related to the theme of this conference.  We can submit more than one proposal for an invited session.  Sessions that do not get accepted as “Invited” sessions can later be submitted as “Special Contributed Paper” sessions.  I also welcome ideas and proposals for panel discussions, which would be submitted as “Special Contributed Panel” sessions.  In addition, I encourage you to consider presenting a paper or a poster.  Please write me immediately with your ideas and suggestions for TSHS activities at the 2000 Joint Statistical Meetings!  Your assistance will be much appreciated.

Chair         Daniel Freeman (409) 772-6355  dan.freeman @ utmb.edu
Chair-Elect   Ralph O’Brien  (216) 445-9451  robrien @ bio.ri.ccf.org
Past Chair  Stephen Looney (502) 852-6376  swloon01 @ gwise.louisville.edu
Program Chair  Ralph O’Brien  (216) 445-9451  robrien @ bio.ri.ccf.org
Program Chair-Elect Robert Oster  (404) 756-5713  osterr @ msm.edu
Publications Officer Steve Verhulst  (217) 782-4418  sverhulst @ wpsmtp.siumed.edu
Newsletter Editor Stephen Looney (502) 852-6376  swloon01 @ gwise.louisville.edu
Secretary-Treas. Ruth Mickey  (802) 656-2526  Ruth.Mickey @ uvm.edu
Section Council Rep. Dennis Pearl  (614) 292-3887  dkp @ stat.ohio-state.edu
ASA Staff Liaison Sue Kulesher  (703) 684-1221  sue @ amstat.org
 

TSHS Chair – 2001: Ruth Mickey, University of Vermont
TSHS Secretary-Treasurer - 2000-2001:  Naomi Fineberg, Indiana University School of Mecicine

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