What I'm in this for
Hello again to all my dedicated readers and adoring fans. ;)
So what exactly do I want to get out of this program? I think most of my reasons are pretty standard and will be shared by the other Fellows. I want to learn lab techniques. And I mean really learn them. I've known what PCR is for years, and gel electrophoresis and how to sequence DNA and all about plasmids. But this was only a conceptual understanding. I feel like i can't really know until I've had some hands on practice. It's the little things, the little details, like what sort of equipment to use when and why or what the best conditions are to run a certain reaction and how to manipulate those, that I need to work on most.
I also want to understand how a lab functions. This is the first lab I've ever worked in legitimately (I actually started getting familiar with my lab last semester), not counting the cute little summer things I did in high school. It was all new to me. There's a lot to say for lab etiquette, and even more about how people with very different amounts of training and education can come together in one lab and not just function, but actually contribute.
One thing that may or may not make me slightly different from some of the others in the program is that I'm actually considering going into research professionally. Thus this is a very important experience for me because it will have an influence on what I go on to do with my career. Already I've begun to get an idea of what part of research I like, what part of research I don't like, and what I want (or rather, don't want) to do in a lab. I suppose in my mind I always knew I wanted to be a PI, though I'd never actually heard of a PI until I started working in her (Dr. Nicole Calakos) lab. So one of the main things I want from this experience is a better understanding of Nicole's job to see if I want to consider doing the same thing or something similar.
Here's a picture of Dr. Calakos:
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We have a website if you ever want to check it out: http://www.neuro.duke.edu/CTN/faculty/calakos/
(you totally should, my picture's on there and everything!)
That's all I have for today, so until next week, adios!
