Inspiring youth to careers in science and medicine: lessons from the Sloan study of youth and social development.

It is often assumed that career formation begins early in the life course, typically crystallizing in adolescence. However, recent research shows that for many adolescents this is a period of ambiguous identity development and career choices that continue well into young adulthood. Providing adolescents with a realistic assessment of their talents and skills and exposing them to a variety of occupations can ease the transition process from school to work. Efforts to encourage career interests in an occupational field such as public health should begin early in the educational process and becoming more formalized in high school. Adolescents should have opportunities to learn about the range of public health jobs, the educational requirements for different careers, and the actual work experiences such jobs entail well in advance of the college search process. Relying on findings from the Alfred P. Sloan Study of Youth and Social Development, a national longitudinal study of more than 1 000 adolescents, this article describes how educators and families can influence career development. (Access to the Sloan Study of Youth and Social Development data can be found on the ICPSR Web site.).