The Beginning of an Era

This summer has taught me at least one thing: eight weeks is not much time at all. I never understood the “slow” pace of research. The idea of working on a project for years was strange to me; I never could wrap my head around why so much time was needed. Now, reflecting on what has been the quickest summer I remember, I understand that my research experience was a very short one, and I want more.

Overall, this summer in the lab has been a great experience and has altered my desired career and academic paths. I came into Duke as someone who was very unsure about how to channel my love of science. I considered many paths, including that of a pure PhD scientist or physician scientist, but eventually decided that my place was in patient care with limited involvement in research. I didn’t like the idea of being in an office or not having contact with other people (things that I thought were hallmarks of a career in research).

This summer showed me that I truly love the process of research and scientific inquiry. I love asking questions, understanding and applying techniques and knowledge, and being able to do those things in service of my other passion, patient care, is truly a wonderful thing. When I ruled out a career in research, I really didn’t have enough of an idea of what it was actually like. I just knew it was not as much of a concrete path as a career as an MD can be. I didn’t know how collaborative, social, and fun the lab environment could be.

I’ve now reconsidered what I want. I know that I want to do research in some major capacity. I’m not yet sure if that would be as a PI or an associate of someone else’s lab or in industry, but I do think that I would be more fulfilled by a career in research and patient care than in either alone. Going along with that goal, I am once again very strongly leaning towards pursuing a Medical Scientist Training Program. This summer has shown me how much I love the lab and convinced me that I could be happy despite being in school for all of my 20s. I truly cannot wait to spend more time in lab and get to properly follow a project, maybe even one of mine own, from beginning to end.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *