Reaction to Opinion Articles

            Memories of my first afternoon in Dr. Cooper’s lab are imprinted firmly in my mind.  We had just finished discussing some of the details in my project, and she asked me if I would like to get started. I hesitantly responded “yes” even though I was already overwhelmed with trying to digest the basic concept behind my project.  With Dr. Cooper by my side, we proceeded to set up digests using restriction endonucleases on a plasmid vector.  However, at the time, I was basically just putting small amounts of liquid into tubes without any idea of what was going on.  I left the lab that afternoon with a sick feeling in my stomach because of how little I understood.  I kept thinking about how painful my research experience was going to be if I remained in this state of ignorance.  Martin Schwartz admits in his article “The Importance of Stupidity in Scientific Research” that “feeling stupid” in the lab is not for everyone, but for those who can cope with it, it is a driving source towards making scientific discoveries.  After some humbling experiences, I have become more comfortable with continually saying “I don’t know” in the lab, and I would like to continue conducting scientific research in the future.

            As Schwartz mentions in his article about many young students, I too was attracted to science because of the ease with which it came to me.  Up until my junior year, I thought I had they key to being successful in the sciences because I could memorize a great deal of information.  This approach may be fine in the classroom, but it quickly fails a person in the lab.  One must use critical thinking skills against obstacles that seem insurmountable at times.  The humbling moments far outweigh the times when everything seems to come together.

            This state of ignorance is inevitable when conducting worthwhile scientific research.  Gone are the days of following “cookbook” lab protocols in class to find an expected outcome.  One spends time performing research to answer the unknown questions in life.   For a long period of time, I did not believe I could handle the feeling of continually being in the dark with my own research project.  However, even managing small breakthroughs provided me with a euphoric feeling and ignited a desire to proceed further into the unknown.

            Conducting research at whatever medical school I attend will be vastly different than my experiences at a small institution like Loras College.  Loras is a sort of comfort zone for me where I know every face that I encounter and do not hesitate to ask questions.  Just the thought of working in a new lab with intense students is enough to make me perspire.  For this reason, I am thankful for encountering Jonathan W. Yewdell’s two-part article titled “How to Succeed in Science.”  I found the first portion of the article to relate most to my current situation because it discusses what to expect when first beginning research at a new institution.  His helpful hints have given me an idea of what type of research experience will be most compatible with my personality and goals.

            The most helpful section dealt with how to choose a mentor.  This is because not every mentor will be as nurturing and understanding as Dr. Cooper.  I am not concerned about an advisor who expects a great amount of time commitment on my part because I will give my best effort.  Most importantly, I desire someone whose research goals match mine and is approachable.  My ultimate goal is to be a better practicing physician as a result of my lab work, and I will be looking for someone who is supportive of this objective.

            My critical thinking skills have grown exponentially since I began working in Dr. Cooper’s lab.  This safe environment has given me a taste of what research in graduate school will entail.  While I know there will be many difficult times where I feel absolutely lost, I look forward to trying to answer some of the unknown questions in the health sciences.

Literature Cited:

Schwartz, M. A.  (2008).  The importance of stupidity in scientific research.  Journal of Cell Science.  121. 1771.

Yewdell, J. W.  (2008).  How to succeed in science:  a concise guide for young biomedical scientists.  Part I:  taking the plunge.  Molecular Cell Biology.  9.  413-416.