This summer was fulfilling in all the ways I had hoped. I got the chance to meet great people in both BSURF and my lab. I am so glad I was a part of this amazing opportunity and I am saddened that it is over. My career choice was influenced in a positive direction toward research. I realize the potential for knowledge that a career in research can provide. The intrinsic value of discovering something new is something I never realized until I myself was published in a research paper on amitifadine. To keep it simple, research is a lot more interesting than I had realized. While I am not quite certain on my career path right now, I can say without a doubt that a career in research isn’t off the table.
My ideas of science have changed in a positive way as well. I now can see what properly using the scientific method can discover. In high school all the labs I did had a right and a wrong conclusion. This is the first time in my life where there is no right answer as my lab is the first in the world to discover what it did. The experience of working with live rats is one that I thought I would only have the chance to do years after graduation. The fact that I am able to put this on my resume is one that I do not take for granted.
I would like to thank my P.I Dr. Edward Levin for giving me the opportunity to work in his lab. It was a great experience and I definitely plan on coming back sometime in the future. I would also like to thank Dr. Grunwald for allowing me to be a part of this program (especially since he still let me, I passed the deadline).
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and I look toward my future at Duke in a brighter light than before BSURF.
See you in a month everyone!