Through organized coursework, workshops and hands-on writing projects, students learn more than traditional research skills. They also learn how to explain their work to the public, scientists in other fields and key stakeholders, such as funders, journalists and policymakers. Program leaders described the success of this approach in a paper published in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science.
This program reflects a larger change in graduate education at MUSC and elsewhere. As research funding and academic faculty positions become harder to secure, graduate students increasingly need skills that apply to many different career paths in science.
A 2019 National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)-funded grant led by Paula Traktman, Ph.D., Dean Emerita of the CGS and co-author of the paper, launched the Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences (CBAMS) training program: Developing the skills and expertise needed for a changing biomedical landscape. Graduate students selected for CBAMS were required to complete two of four tracks that highlighted the importance of nontechnical skills needed to succeed in today’s job market, including entrepreneurship, science education, community engagement/advocacy and science communications.
“Making fundamental science less obscure and less scary to the public has never been more important,” said Traktman.
To establish the science communications track for CBAMS, Traktman worked with the MUSC Office of Communications and Marketing to identify leaders in science communications. Kimberly McGhee, Ph.D., then managing editor for Progressnotes, MUSC’s medical magazine, and now a science writer for the South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research (SCTR) Institute, became a key partner.
With a strong background in teaching, academic writing and science communications, McGhee launched the program, introducing SC-SWIFT interns to techniques for making laboratory science easier to understand and more accessible to the public. These interns included graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and CBAMS trainees.
The internship provides students with tangible opportunities to practice and apply the communication techniques they learn during the summer writing class with broader audiences. Matthew Greseth, Ph.D., Academic Affairs instructor and CGS director of Student Affairs, currently directs the course and the SC-SWIFT internship. “You can see that spark come alive when students shift from formulaic writing to storytelling,” said Greseth.
When McGhee moved to the SCTR science development team led by Tammy Loucks, DrPH, this established a SCTR-CGS collaboration that continues to this day. Loucks is a professor in Academic Affairs and science development officer and co-lead for workforce development initiatives at SCTR. Intern support enabled McGhee and the team to amplify SCTR research news and research more broadly. This productive partnership, McGhee explained, has resulted in the online publishing of well over 300 research stories since 2018.
To document the hands-on experience and learning provided by these opportunities, SC-SWIFT leadership wanted to offer interns digital badges in science communications. Recognizing the importance of digital badges across disciplines, MUSC had already established a committee to review digital badge proposals to ensure quality and consistency. SC-SWIFT received committee approval in late December 2022 to begin offering badges in early 2023. The committee is led by Suzanne Thomas, Ph.D., associate provost for Educational Planning and Effectiveness and professor at the College of Medicine.
“Providing learners with a specific skillset that increases their value to current and future employers is one of the most valuable aspects of a micro-credential,” explained Thomas. “The Science Communications digital badges reflect that the scientist not only knows how to conduct research but how to explain its importance and impact to others. It’s a win for the students and a win for MUSC’s research mission.”
The program currently offers three badge levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Each digital badge includes embedded information that allows employers, collaborators and faculty to see exactly what skills and work were completed at each level.
The badges are easy to share and use across many platforms. Students can display them on LinkedIn profiles, email signatures, CVs and personal websites. “People are very happy to have a way to track what they’ve done,” said McGhee. “Now, they can actually show employers what they did and get credit for it.”
Since the program began, 19 interns have earned the beginner badge, nine have completed the intermediate badge and two have reached the advanced level. Participants also completed surveys to measure the program’s impact in its first two years. Students reported that pursuing digital badges increased their confidence, strengthened their communication skills and helped to prepare them for their careers. Many said they were better able to explain their research to nonscientists and explore career options beyond academia.
“This program gave students permission to think of science communication as a real career,” said Traktman.
The benefits extend beyond students. Faculty researchers also benefit from stronger science communications, as institutional research reaches wider audiences and receives more media attention through platforms such as EurekAlert! and national news outlets.
The program also supports MUSC’s mission in translational science. “One of the core elements of being a translational scientist is being a skilled communicator,” said Loucks.
Advanced digital badge holder and fourth-year Ph.D. candidate Amber Hazzard agreed that being able to relay information to key stakeholders and the general public in a way that makes sense is key to implementing real change.
“I learned that while many adults want to engage with science, they may not have the educational background to understand complex research articles,” she explained. “I want to help fill this need, as I am passionate about making science more accessible for everyone. Now, I know how to write engaging and informative articles that share the impact of research with the general public.”
The training has led to real career outcomes, with alumni moving into roles in science writing, communication, outreach and related fields. Those who continue in research or clinical or industry positions also apply their communication skills in their work. Former CBAMS trainee Lily Neff, Ph.D., has gone on to a career as a science writer and cites the program as a vital part of her success. “The CGS digital badge program provided me with vital experience in translating complex science topics into public-friendly material, and the skills I developed from participating in this program gave me the confidence to transition into a science writing career,” she said.
The digital badge program was built on a clear principle: Science communications is a responsibility, not an add-on.
“Graduate school shouldn’t just be an apprenticeship,” said Traktman. “It should give students skills that allow them to go out and find a breadth of careers.”
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About the Medical University of South Carolina
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates over 3,300 students in six colleges and trains more than 1,060 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal, National Institutes of Health and other research funding. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2025, for the 11th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $8.2 billion. The nearly 34,000 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research and patient care.
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