Student Research at Duke

How many times have I been asked this question? It seems like the answer never gets any easier. From circus clown to veterinarian, my job aspirations have varied greatly over the years. Now that I’m in college, my plans have changed yet again. The more I learn about the field, the more I come to realize that biology is by far the most fascinating subject I’ve ever studied.

I’ve already eliminated the possibility of a career in medicine, which seems to be the plan of the vast majority of bio majors at Duke – I’m not terribly interested in the clinical applications and small-scale individual problems so much as the big picture. And after having the unbelievable opportunity this summer to participate in the Research Fellows program, I think biological research may be just the thing for me.

In writing my application for the program, I had initially thought I might want to get involved in behavioral studies, hence my job working with the mice. However, while the line between biology and psychology is certainly interesting, after some exposure in the West lab, which deals strictly on a molecular scale, I think I may enjoy that equally as much, if not more. I am hoping in the course of my three years left at Duke to make the most of the time I have and to take advantage of the wide range of research opportunities in search of that one area of biology I will spend my life absorbed in. And if that doesn’t work out I suppose I can always fall back on one of my many previous dream jobs, though hopefully I won’t end up as a clown.