Need Advice!

[dreamer1994]

Hi everyone,

 

I have been lurking this forum for several years now and I have yet to post anything until now.

 

I need some advice about research. I am in a research program that enables me to conduct research with professors from different faculties, ranging from your standard biology lab to history research.

 

I will be entering my third-year in the fall semester and I have only been involved with a biology lab so far. I have somewhat enjoyed working here. I do not want to get too personal, but I have been going through some extenuating personal circumstances as soon as I entered University. I am afraid that it hampered my experience thus far at university and the lab as well.

 

I feel quite disappointed that I have not made that much progress in learning techniques. Especially, in comparison, to others that I have seen in the same program. Throughout the past year I have just been mainly preforming DNA extractions, conducting maintenance duties, and involved in animal care. In fact, I have just started doing PCRs (which keep having contamination problems may I add...). I have nearly been working at this lab for two years and it just feels as though I am at a road block. There are spurts of moments, where I feel in love with research but its not something that has felt consistent. My experience so far has taught me the value of research in medicine and I have an immense appreciation for it but I don't know if that is a sufficient reason for me to continue...

 

I have always been interested in a span of subjects from political science to psychology to ethics. Currently, I am contemplating approaching an ethics professor I have had in the past and seeing if I could work alongside them.

 

I am hoping someone could offer some insight on this situation!

[Semitendinosus]

I don't think you should let your opinion of biology research determine your passion for medicine. There are so many aspects of medicine that doesn't involve DNA extractions/PCR. It sounds like to me you're doing more of the technical work in your lab and haven't been exposed to the experience of having your own research/forming your own hypothesis/making your own discoveries, which I think is much more thrilling and likely to be the case if you choose to conduct research as an MD.

 

Medicine attracts a diverse pool of applicants and not just biological scientists! If ethics interests you, I say go for it and it'll even help you in your MMI/professional career later on.

[Bede]

I don't think you should let your opinion of biology research determine your passion for medicine. There are so many aspects of medicine that doesn't involve DNA extractions/PCR. It sounds like to me you're doing more of the technical work in your lab and haven't been exposed to the experience of having your own research/forming your own hypothesis/making your own discoveries, which I think is much more thrilling and likely to be the case if you choose to conduct research as an MD.

 

Except that forming hypothesis and making discoveries is incredibly difficult and usually takes a significantly more training than an MD comes out of medical school with. Certainly nothing against MD`s but there is a reason there is a PhD and post doctoral fellowships.

[Arztin]

As an undergrand doing ''research'', yeah you mostly do DNA extractions, PCR and the like.

Been there, done that.

 

Instead, try contacting MDs who conduct research and ask them if you could work as a research assistant, or have an internship in their labs (if their research involve labs). Ahem, yeah their research might involve DNA extractions and PCR as well if it involves labs. Other docs do clinical research. If you work with them, you probably won't see the patients, but you'll probably have to browse through patient charts. i.e. not having to do DNA extractions and PCR. It's slightly better in my opinion. Maybe try this next summer? I just feel like you actually learn something pertinent to medicine with this kind of research, rather than doing PCRs and DNA extractions on shrooms, planctons, fish, or plants. (yeah I really hate that kind of stuff).

 

On another note, I had 2 bioethics teachers back in undergrad. Maybe I'm biased, or because I hated these 2 teachers, but I wouldn't recommend you doing that kind of research.

 

Good luck.