MSTP and Synaptic Maturation: Dr. West

Although I enjoyed all of the faculty talks, Dr. West’s in particular resonated with me. Before arriving at Duke, I didn’t know what an MD-Phd dual degree was. Even after learning a bit about it last semester, I was still unsure about whether it is something I could see myself doing, especially when going into medicine has been my plan for some time. As such, Dr. West’s insight has answered some of the questions I had about this path and whether it’s suited for me. I appreciated that she delineated the intricacies of medical, graduate, and MSTP applications, as well as some of the characteristics that might make someone a good fit for each type of program. Her comments about the Duke MSTP and what it entails are what emphasized for me that this pursuit, while very admirable, is not what I envision for myself at the moment. I would like to learn and contribute to the research advancing scientific and medical knowledge, but my primary desire is to be able to serve and care for patients. After Dr. West’s talk, I feel more reassured about my next steps and the research I will participate in throughout the rest of my education. Going along with this idea of uncertainty, I also appreciated Dr. West’s explanation of her own introduction to research and determining what she wanted to specialize in during her undergrad and graduate career. Her research about neuronal regulation of synaptic maturation during development and its implications sounded fascinating to me, and overall her talk gave me a lot to think about.