Why are you doing a graduate degree?

[medtech]

I was really drawn to research during 2nd year undergrad after a productive and positive summer.

 

But while writing my undergraduate thesis I realized the lab I was at 2nd year does not reflect the typical research experience. It was during 4th year I realized there's a lot of hardships in research and hard work and the know how isn't enough. There are issues in funding, lab politics, recognition, etc.

 

After reading this article: http://www.economist.com/node/17723223

 

I'm wondering what's driving you to obtain a graduate degree?

[EoE]

I had many reasons for starting in grad school. But I think that the number one reason I loved grad school by the end was that the depth of the information to be mastered was limitless. The rabbit hole simply went deeper and deeper. I am totally fascinated by learning truth through the scientific method.

 

Example: here at my desk in the lab I have a supercool microscope sitting next to me. When I do an experiment with it, I get to plan what I am going to do based on previous interesting findings and asking questions I am curious about the answer to, I get tissue from a medical procedure (performed by an MD), I get to use technical mechanical skills to prepare slides from tissue, I use molecular biology and biochem techniques to plan the controls and the staining of the tissue, I get to use complex optics to analyze the staining, I get to do chart review to connect the demographics of the patient the tissue is from, I get to use statistical analysis to interpret my findings, I get to speculate how my findings fit into what is already known in presentations and manuscripts and I get to answer my question, which usually brings up a new set of questions that need to be answered.

 

It is important to point out that none of the work I did was particularly difficult, just highly involved. Grad school challenged me mentally and I liked it. I think some of the people who get the most out of grad school are not necessarily the book-smart people, but those who thirst for knowledge. Also, I am the king of run on sentences!