Like many others, I can't resist entering the discussion.
As a biologist who made a career switch into the computer industry some
11 years ago I have a feeling, biased as it may be, that it is better to
train a computer-eager/motivated biologist than the other way around.
As someone suggested, one of the most important indicators of success
may be a person's "knack" for computer concepts, rather than their
formal training in the subject, and self teaching appears to be an
important mechanism whereby computer expertise is mastered. The "knack"
that good wizards possess seems to be related to characteristics that
are somewhat different than those possessed by stellar scientists--it is
an intuitive process more than a logical one (just look at how many of
these people are left-handed compared to the population of scientists).
Like another poster, I have found that the best programmers often tend
to be well-rounded individuals from liberal arts backgrounds (often w/
non-CS degrees).
--
Steve Gough
Mary Washington College | TRW Advanced Support Center
Biological Sciences | Product Development
sgough at s850.mwc.edu (Internet) | SGOUGH/TRW (SprintMail)
