Department of Biostatistics Seminar Series

Challenges of Consulting: Experiences of Real Biostatisticans

Mario Davidson, PhD, MS, MAS, MA

Assistant Professor, Department of Biostatistics

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

A statistics career is rewarding whereby there is room for growth, contributions to science, challenging problems, and client gratitude. Statisticians communicate, consult, and build relationships. Unfortunately, in these relationships, challenges occasionally arise: personality conflicts, political situations, lack of funding, and unreal expectations to say the least.

Using a qualitative methodology that involved transcribed and verified interviews with eight statisticians, we will explore cases of challenges that statisticians encounter. Considering the consultant/client relationship ego states, participants will compare and contrast the parent-child status while discovering insight into approaches that may alleviate these situations.